With the advent of high speed information technology, facilitating near-instantaneous communications and transfers of information from any spot on the globe, a new breed of global citizen has emerged. Often dubbed the technomad, this person travels light and often, living and working wherever there is a solid wifi signal. The new long-stay hotel Zoku is trying to provide a home for this population. Opening this fall in Amsterdam, Zoku is trying to be more than a temporary place to stay–it’s trying to be a home, an office, a complete living environment for the “location-independent” worker.
Zoku will have several levels of rooms starting with the basic Zoku bunk and Zoku room. However, their centerpiece is the Zoku loft (it’s also the only room they are offering pictures of at the moment). The loft is a full service apartment with elevated sleeping area, dining/conference table, kitchenette, lounge, enclave desk and a host of clever space saving features like retracting storage and stairs. With the loft, Zoku wants to shift the focus from the bed. Rather than mere place to sleep, the loft is a place to live. As such, the four-person table and sitting area–not the bed which is tucked out of the way–become the focal points of the room.
Rooms have a la carte services like access to a guest pantry, an “office toolbox” with a printer and other office-y stuff, an “art swapping” service that allows you to change out art to customize your room for your stay, laundry and much more.
Amenity spaces include a co-working space, meeting rooms, a bar, a 24 hour (almost) everything shop, gym, decompression room, game room and more. In fact, the amenity spaces look so inviting, I would probably hang out there most of the time and choose a more basic room.
Exact pricing has not been announced just yet, but a representative said rooms will be in the three to four star range, with longer stays enjoying a volume discount. Zoku will start booking in July, and the company says they plan to expand into other cities in the near future. Check out more on livezoku.com.