New Crowne Plaza Budapest launched a series of talks about work-life balance – PHOTOS

Crowne Plaza Budapest, a hotel that recently opened in the heart of Budapest’s business district started a series of events focusing on the narrative of how work-life balance has been shifting in our time. Crowne Plaza that welcomes modern business travellers in over 400 locations worldwide has valuable insights into the changing lifestyle of its guests.

What used to be a business trip a few years ago, is now more likely a bleisure trip, where travellers are mixing work with leisure and vacation. The pandemic only made it more necessary to juggle work and life confined into the same time and space. These changes have encouraged Crowne Plaza to apply the brand’s distinctive design style that has long been built on the blended integration of work and personal, from the patented WorkLife rooms, to the Plaza WorkSpace – unique lobby areas featuring co-working zones and relaxing spaces.

Crowne Plaza, which has been at the forefront of understanding guest needs for productivity, restoration and inspiration, decided to enter the public discourse about work-life balance, inviting some of the most successful businessmen and women to their Axis Café and Lounge to discuss their secrets of work-life blend.

The events are called ‘Out Of Office’ and the first one featured Ági Pataki, the model turned producer and entrepreneur, who shared her ideas with Nóra Winkler and invited guests.

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 “I make sure that work and leisure are not separated, because I don’t want to count the hours: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of rest doesn’t work for me. I start my day by choosing where I go for breakfast and I try to spend most of my time in social spaces, regardless of how much work I have to do… It’s good to have work and good life intertwined in your life,” said Ági Pataki.

The businesswoman’s philosophy about money was also discussed, she said:

“I’m sure everyone knows someone who has money but doesn’t live well. The two are not necessarily related, we have to want them to be.

Life requires a good sense of proportion, everyone draws the line at different places. I don’t look to people richer than me as a role model, I’m content to satisfy my own needs.”

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 Ági Pataki has always travelled a lot as a model and later as a producer, and their trips with her husband did not stop during the pandemic, they turned into domestic journeys and long walks in the woods, and they mean a lot to them, said the producer, at the Crowne Plaza hotel, which is part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel groups and has global experience of the effects of the pandemic on travellers’ behaviour. Travellers are looking to recoup the benefits as quickly as possible: the empathy, connections and friendships that are made during a trip. Modern business travellers’ wanderlust is stronger than ever: now that they have mastered the art of combining work and leisure at home, they are keen to take it with them on the road.

As these new learnings have become apparent and Crowne Plaza was opening its first property in Budapest, it was also clear that the hotel design had to continue to support the changing needs of travellers.

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Crowne Plaza was confident that they needed to implement the WorkLife Rooms in their Budapest property with three distinct zones to support work, relaxation, and sleep. The design that was awarded a Utility Patent by the US Patent & Trademark Office allows guests to optimise the space for both work and downtime. Designers have also been working with materials and design features that improve acoustics, darkness and bedding enhancing the sleep experience. The other feature of the property that supports productivity as well as restoration and inspiration is the Plaza Workspace, a flexible collection of agile working spaces modelled on a public square, where guests can move between work and downtime. It combines co-working spaces with food and drink options, huddle spots and technology. Unlike other co-working facilities, Plaza Workspace is free for locals and hotel guests to use.  

A good example to these public spaces adjoined to the hotel’s lobby and also to its terrace on Váci út, is the Axis Café and Lounge.

The relaxed and stylish hangout for the local business community hosted the ‘Out Of Office’ event with Nóra Winkler and Ági Pataki.

This restaurant is welcoming the public from 11 am with locally sourced, sustainable, healthy food, specialty coffee, an express lunch, but participants benefited from the evening cocktail offering while listening to work-life blend advice from Agi Pataki. The cocktails were special: the Axis team invited top Budapest cocktail makers, Boutiq’Bar to make a guest appearance and co-created the new Axis Signature Cocktail, a gin-based drink with rose lemonade, fresh cucumber, lemon juice and a hint of coconut syrup. This has made it even more pleasant to think about the important lifestyle decisions an entrepreneur needs to make.

Crowne Plaza Budapest is one of nearly 6,000 IHG Hotels & Resorts around the globe. With 17 hotel brands, IHG recognises that no two travelers are the same and its new global loyalty program IHG One Rewards will help guests and members make the right decision for all their travel needs. Free to join, the new programme celebrates individuality and gives members more flexibility and control with the ability to choose to be rewarded in their own way by offering more choice, value and relevant benefits than ever before.

To learn more, please visit ihg.com/one

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Source: MTI