Here is Crowne Plaza's patented 'hotel room of the future'

In your head, picture your ideal, modern, ‘new breed of hotel room’. Perhaps it’s futuristic, filled with glossy tech and styled with glass, metal and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Now look at the featured image above. It might not seem like ‘the hotel room of the future’, but InterContinental Hotels Group is so confident in this new WorkLife room that it has successfully patented the layout and features for the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Resorts brand as part of a US$200 million investment by IHG to transform the Crowne Plaza brand over the coming years.

The differences and improvements are subtle, but the modern and purposeful design will put guests in full control of their stay.

Work hard, rest hard

The room features a flexible environment and distinct zones for guests to relax, work and recharge. The ‘welcome station’ is ready for bags, keys and coat when you arrive.

A desk area provides uncluttered space to focus. Rounding that off is a multi-purpose sofa nook equally suited to working, or kicking back with room service and relaxing.

Another small but considered aspect of the room’s design: the bed’s ‘cocooning headboard’ is pulled away from the wall and angles the bed towards the centre of the room where the TV is located, while also providing easier access to both sides of the bed.

The rest of the room’s furniture is similarly angled towards the TV, providing good viewing angles from all around.

The sleep experience is also integral to the WorkLife room. Guests can expect an exceptional mattress, luxurious bedding that is just the right weight, and soft or firm pillows with a selection of densities.

Technology-driven

A bugbear of many business travellers staying at hotels is the lack of charging ports, or bad placement of outlets. Some might involve moving furniture to uncover them, others might be so close to the floor or each other that larger adaptors can’t even fit in.

Naturally, the WorkLife room aims to eliminate all these problems, with charging stations – comprised of dual AC and USB power outlets – supporting up to 14 devices per room.

Crowne Plaza promises that guests will never be more than an arm's length away from a charging station, and never have to move furniture to reach outlets.

After quietly making its debut in 2017 at a handful locations throughout the USA, more than 3,000 WorkLife rooms are expected to be installed by early 2019.

Brandon Loo

Based in Perth, Brandon enjoys tucking into local delicacies, discovering new cocktails, and making aeroplane food look good on camera.