gleamed issue no. 14
The best NYC hotel lobbies to work from, and creating a productive ambience at home.
As the weather heats up, our willpower to work through the afternoon becomes even more difficult to maintain. Every New Yorker I’ve spoken with in the past week can attest—it’s that time of year when you can’t help but leave your desk for several little walks, or head out early to make happy hour.
I also had a friend recently ask me about my choice spots to work from, and it inspired me to focus this week’s issue on ways to be productive, that still make it feel like you’re treating yourself. Scroll down for one of my favorite ways to create a vibey working environment, and some of the best hotels in the city to plant yourself for a productive afternoon.
xx,
Austa
I’m feeling…ambient background scenes
There are so many ways to curate the ambience in your home: burning a candle, shifting the brightness or color of your lighting, putting on your favorite playlist. I also love clearing the air with incense, which I just wrote a story about for Robb Report. Creating ambience isn’t something that only has to happen when you have company over, either, and I’ve found that it’s one of the best ways to shift my mindset when it’s time to get into work mode at home.
Going for a walk or to the gym before you begin working, and then shifting the ambience once you return, can really help to renew your surroundings. I think a lot of people are aware of the fireplace videos on Netflix, which turn your television into a burning and crackling yule log, but I love taking it one step further and turning on an ambient background video before I start working, which plays pretty much all day.
I just can’t concentrate while there’s too much silence, and it doesn’t hurt that the beautiful scenery in these videos helps add to the vibe in your space. Some of my favorites include cafe ambience, fantasy scenery, rainy scenes, seasonal scenery, or even medieval tavern lofi to play while cleaning up at night.
A petite story…WFH (working from hotel)
Being self-employed, I don’t necessarily have an office I go into on a regular basis, unless you count grotto. Don’t get me wrong—I love that sense of freedom, but sometimes it fuels my productivity to be around other life forms besides my cat.
There’s just something about hearing commotion around you, feeling the energy of others, and not being able to crawl into bed for a nap or spend an embarrassing amount of time on TikTok, that is very motivational for getting shit done. I feel like, naturally, one might think of coffee shops as the go-to for remote work, but most of the time their wifi is spotty (or non-existent), it’s extremely loud and it’s never guaranteed that you’ll find a good seat, especially if you need to be close to an outlet.
While I do love the membership club I work from often, my other favorite choice for remote working is a good hotel lobby. Hotel lobbies almost always provide free, super reliable wifi, with tons of outlets and cleaner, more comfortable seating than cafes. Some of the best have coffee shops attached for staying caffeinated, and regardless won’t fault you for bringing in your own cup. Spending the afternoon in a hotel lobby also feels like a mini staycation of sorts, with top tier people watching capabilities, and a bar for rewarding yourself with a martini when you’re finished working.
In a city like New York, we’re also spoiled for choice when it comes to beautiful hotels, but not all of them are perfect for bringing your work to. Here, I’m sharing with you some of my tried-and-true favorites.
In my opinion, the Brooklyn version of the Ace (located in Downtown Brooklyn), is much better to work from than its Chelsea counterpart. It’s right down the street from a Devocion, with an attached Black Seed Bagel, and has its own restaurant that serves coffee and breakfast pastries as well. I love working from their long wooden table, usually occupied by other remote workers, but those who prefer arm chairs won’t have a problem finding one of those, either. The design of the hotel is also stunning, the bathrooms are clean, and they have a water bottle fill station that makes it easy to stay hydrated.
There are so many reasons why 11 Howard, in Soho, is one of the best hotels to work from. One is their Latin-inspired cafe, La Rubia, which has incredible coffee (and several nut milk options at no extra cost), as well as the best avocado toast I’ve ever had—no exaggeration. If you want a quieter option, you can also walk up the spiral staircase to a stylish lobby-esque space with tons of seating for getting work done. Walking into the hotel, you might also recognize it as the home of The Blonde—a trendy bar with very covetable coasters.
This Williamsburg hotel has an impeccable lobby vibe, with tons of seating and a very WFH friendly attitude. I love any space with a fireplace, which the Hoxton has, and coffee can be attained straight from the cafe bar in the open lobby. The building is very industrial chic, but the furniture is still comfortable and cozy, with bistro seating as well as sofas. It’s nestled right between McCarren and the waterfront, making it great for midday walks when you need some fresh air.
In next week’s issue…all things fragrance