-
A digital nomad – Image Credit Unsplash+
Despite global backtracking on remote work policies, hospitality brands catering to digital nomads and remote workers remain optimistic. They point towards a new normal marked by the rise of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and corporate retreats.
The global retreat from remote work policies has led to a new phase for hospitality brands focused on digital nomads and remote workers, following the rebrand of Selina to Socialtel. Despite the changing landscape, many of these brands remain positive, seeing opportunities in the evolving work patterns.
Selina, a brand that targeted millennial and Gen Z travelers who wished to “stay, travel, and work abroad indefinitely,” encountered financial difficulties after its public listing, leading to its insolvency in July 2024. In August of the same year, Singapore’s Collective Hospitality subsequently acquired Selina, purchasing the majority of its operating subsidiaries.
Despite the reversal of remote work policies, membership-based hospitality company Outsite, which targets a similar market, plans to expand. Outsite’s founder and CEO, Emmanuel Guisset, noted that while there is less demand from company employees, there is a growing trend of entrepreneurs and freelancers choosing their services. Guisset plans to expand Outsite’s footprint into Africa and Asia by creating a new membership model, using a ‘curated list’ strategy, akin to the model used by Design Hotels.
The shift towards a new normal in remote work is evidenced by the surge in “return to office mandates,” as Business Travel News Europe noted in its 2025 Hotlist. A poll in the annual 2025 Inside the Workplace Report by FM:Systems reported a significant drop in the number of companies allowing employees to work fewer than three days in the office, from 17% the previous year to just 8% in 2025. The report also noted a stabilization in office attendance, with 57% of employers now requiring in-office work five days a week, up from 48% the previous year.
Maxime Eduardo, co-founder of French startup Naboo, which specializes in corporate retreats, believes that a new normal has been established, with clients reducing remote working as much as possible. Despite this, Naboo recently secured €20 million in Series A funding, indicating the strength of the corporate retreat market.
Eduardo’s comments echo those of J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who earlier in the year suggested that younger employees were suffering socially due to hybrid and remote work arrangements, driving the need for corporate retreats.
Despite many companies canceling fully remote work policies, there is still a strong demand for remote-worker friendly accommodation. Guisset noted that organizations are increasingly using outsite properties for corporate retreats and offering remote work as a perk for their employees. Furthermore, Claudia Gualdi, travel intelligence data team lead at Riskline, noted that startups and smaller companies tend to be more flexible in adopting remote working arrangements.
James Tomlin, co-founder and CEO of VisaDoc, predicts an increase in short-term business travel trips requiring visas for these smaller companies as the need to work in offices rises. He noted a significant increase in small and medium-sized firms realizing they can hire employees globally, providing them with access to cost-effective labor and in-demand skills outside of their home countries.
Despite the closure of Selina’s Remote Year division, which organized “work from anywhere” programs for digital nomads, Sally Bunnell, founder and CEO of travel marketplace NaviSavi, does not see this as a sign of diminished interest in the digital nomad lifestyle. She pointed out that organizations like WiFi Tribe are gaining new members, with some individuals preferring to change careers to maintain their nomadic lifestyle rather than return to an office.
While larger firms may be scaling back flexible work policies, it’s likely that remote-first businesses and increased demand for corporate retreats will shape the next phase of digital nomad hospitality.
Discover more at PhocusWire.
