American Express Global Business Travel has launched a workspace booking service for remote workers and small teams, the company has announced. Bookings can be made via GBT's Meetings Express platform, which the company launched in 2019 to service small and simple, and recurring meetings. The platform is supported by MeetingsBooker.com.
Dubbed Workspaces, the new service allows customers to make flexible, daytime bookings of meeting venues, co-working spaces, guest rooms with desks, converted suites and small hotel meeting rooms to use as work and collaboration spaces.
GBT said it saw the need for such a service with more people working remotely, companies downsizing corporate office footprints, the rising demand for a workspace outside of one's home, and the need for "cost-efficient options for staff to get together where office use is restricted."
"We all understand the value of face-to-face interactions, and that remote workers need to meet with colleagues, partners and customers, when and where they can do so safely," said GBT VP of global supplier partnerships Wes Bergstrom in a statement. "And we recognize that remote workers sometimes need quiet space away from home, where they can work undisturbed."
The tool aggregates content and enables customers to keep bookings within the corporate travel program, giving visibility and control on spend and employee activity, according to the company. Customers also will have access to preferential rates, terms and amenities from GBT’s hotel partners.
MeetingsBooker.com launched its remote workspace solution in November. "Meetings used to be more about business travel, but now [they involve] real estate and human resources as well," Meetingsbooker.com founder and CEO Ciaran Delaney told BTN. "We are seeing in a lot of bigger organizations the meetings world and real estate begin to converge. In some cases, organizations are closing offices, and they need a place for teams to meet that normally would have been in the office."
Delaney added that he sees not only the need from employees who require more flexibility than working from home but also hotels using the solution and selling workspace products they've created. This adds to the number of coworking space providers Meetingsbooker.com already works with, including Regis, Serendipity Labs and Convene, he said. "There will be quite a selection of spaces—hotels and more traditional coworking spaces. People will have plenty of choices."