Workcation Self Catering Accommodation by the sea in Torquay

Sorry...........

Firstly, a sincere apology for all true lovers of the English language. 'Workcation' is the latest crime to be committed against it and it just seems infinitely worse than its near cousin 'staycation' that has now become an accepted and widely used term. As with all of these words that become accepted the infuriating thing is that they really do neatly encapsulate everything that they are designed to.

Workcation - the Definition

Staycation very neatly brings together the idea of people staying at home for their holiday or vacation. As a term it pre-dated the Covid pandemic but it really found its feet in 2021 when British holidaymakers had little choice but to stay in the UK for a break. Similarly, the pandemic has ensured that 'workcation' became a thing. The explosion in home working and the roll out of ever improving technology to enable it ensured that as a concept it will outlive the pandemic that effectively created it.

So what is a workcation? Well, fundamentally it is a holiday break where one or more members of the party spends at least some of the time engaged in work activities. This is essentially different from the old pre pandemic concept of "working from home" when an employee might tell their employer that they intend to work from home on a particular day or set of days but actually sneak off on holiday. These days the employers are much more flexible in their attitude and have little problem with employees having a 'workcation' provided that the work element does get done.

Workcation Accommodation - the basic requirements

So what are guests' requirements for workcation accommodation? The first and most obvious is a safe and secure internet connection. Download and upload speeds need to be able to support software such as Zoom that enable guests to attend virtual meetings etc. In 2022 at Muntham we improved our internet provision by having fibre installed. This has been a step change in the quality of our internet. One quick example - not work related- of how this has impacted us is Netflix. Pre fibre we generally had buffering issues in the evenings which forced us to abandon films and series quite regularly. Now, with fibre we haven't once seen the dreaded buffering symbol and can watch without interference.

A second requirement might well be a comfortable place to work. All of our Muntham Apartments have dining tables which can neatly double up as work tables. Dining chairs make effective desk chairs. Obviously with much work being done on electronic devices it isn't always necessary to have a traditional workspace and so all of our apartments have comfortable seating such as sofas or armchairs. Our Muntham Town House is the most ideal accommodation of all for a workcation as it has a dedicated study area for guests where they can shut themselves away from the rest of the party. The advantage of this is that the other members of the party don't have to tip toe around worried about disturbing the member of the group working. And the working member does not have the stress of worrying about being interrupted mid zoom meeting.

So, the third requirement might well be a peaceful environment without too many distractions. Our Muntham Apartments are an oasis of tranquility and even when full often seem quiet and very relaxing; being surrounded by our beautiful gardens is very helpful in that regard.

Another key requirement is flexibility. Modern working is complicated and so the old models of arrival at self catering accommodation on a Saturday and departing on a Saturday no longer fit. At The Muntham Apartments there are never any set arrival or departure days. For most of the year our minimum stay requirements are one night or two nights and even in the peak periods this is often no more than three or four nights. We price is such a way that as you stay for longer the nightly rate reduces. We also have discounts for guests making last minute bookings.

Muntham as a workcation destination - a summary

So in summary, The Muntham Apartments and Town House can offer the workcationer (I'm sure that is now a word) everything they need.

Good quality Internet connection
Accommodation ranging from studio apartments up to our three bed town house
A physical space in which to work
A peaceful working environment
Flexibility in lengths of stay and arrival and departure days. Flexibility in pricing and last minute discounts.