There has been a lot of talk recently about the lifestyle of digital nomads -- folks who work from wherever they might roam. HotelChatter has been covering hotel wifi since the beginning, but as we cited in our 2009 annual hotel wifi report times they are a changin'.
The biggest change on the tech side is the growing popularity of the usb broadband card. As more and more people buy into these cards (and more and more GMs pray to the hotel gods they do) there are a growing number of digital nomads that no longer tap into a hotel WiFi network.
Instead, these nomads are in search of killer hotel lobbies to comfortably work in. That's right, digital nomads have no problem coming in, kicking back on hotel lobby couches and doing an hours worth of work. So once again hotels have a choice -- welcome these folks, pay no mind to them, or actively try to kick them out.
With this in mind, we figured it was time for us to start rating hotel lobbies on their digital nomad quotient. In our latest edition, the The Smyth Tribeca Hotel.
The sectional seating area.
Hotel: Smyth Tribeca Hotel
Location Layout: Lobby. You walk through the front entrance, staffed by handsome young men, and make a right. There is a front desk in front of you, a sort of lounge/bar on your left and big seating area on your right with both soft banquette seating (with tables) and a huge sectional sofa facing out onto Broadway.
Outlets: We found one next to the wall on the banquette+table side.
Furniture: Verrrry comfortable. Sit back and relax.
Digital Nomad Tolerance: They will tolerate you, but it helps to order a drink or food from the bar/temporary restaurant, Jour et Nuit.
Phone Calls: You can make 'em, but the reception in here was god awful. And we have no idea why. It was on the ground floor right next to some large windows.
Overall Mood: Pleasant. It was quiet and professional with just the right touch of design flair. Nothing too ostentatious like the Gramercy Park Hotel and nothing to cold and scary like the Thompson LES hotel. It reminded us a lot of 60 Thompson but fresher. Oh and without the constant groups of models/wannabes sashaying throughout the place.
Digital Nomad Grade: B, if you have a WiFi card and don't need to make phone calls. We can't wait to head back to this lobby with our shiny new WiFi card. The food was tasty, the seating comfortable and generally, very digital-nomad friendly. But if you don't have a WiFi card and are a hotel guest trying to rely on the hotel's WiFi, forget about it! The hotel charges $10 a day and it kept dropping our signal. Also, dropped phone calls? FAIL. You're better off at the Starbucks across the street. by juliana - HotelChatter
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