They sit in the cubicles around you, commiserate with you about the bad company coffee, trash talk yesterday’s losing sports teams, dish about what you’re all binge-watching. They are your work family — and to celebrate this often-overlooked familial bond, Comfort Hotels has launched its Comfort Brings Work Families Together initiative to spread awareness of the importance of business relationships and the role travel can play in strengthening them.
Kickstarting the effort is a head-turning contest: the company is offering an entire hotel to one person, their current and former work families and their personal families, for one weekend for free. Workers who want to enter the Comfort Hotels Ultimate Work Family Trip Contest, which will be accepting submissions until August 13, can visit the contest website and explain why their work family deserves a leisurely break from the office.
Comfort Hotels, an upper midscale brand of Choice Hotels International, is the largest 100% smoke-free hotel brand in North America, with more than 2,100 locations worldwide. The contest comes just as Comfort Hotels puts the finishing touches on its multi-year transformation initiative that has upgraded its guest rooms, refreshed its public spaces, and replaced its old logo with a more modern one.
“The Comfort Brings Work Families Together initiative is inspired [in part] by Choice Hotels’ new advertising campaign, Our Business is You, and seeks to reach business travelers,” Megan Brumagim, vice president, brand management, design and compliance, at Choice Hotels told The Drum. “Our goal is to connect with our customers in a meaningful way while showing that our recently refreshed Comfort Hotels provide the perfect environment to strengthen relationships of all kinds – both personal and professional.”
The contest also was inspired by guests and what they care about, which Brumagim said is to connect with their families – personal and professional. “Comfort Hotels provide a warm and welcoming guest experience to help you with your travel purpose, no matter what your business is, and giving away an entire hotel for a weekend is the perfect way to celebrate work families,” she said in a statement.
According to a survey Comfort Hotels conducted in coordination with Pollfish, nearly 90% of Americans have colleagues they consider their “work family,” feel happier as a result, and agree that business travel is a great way to bond.
“Strong relationships with coworkers are key to professional growth and fulfillment at every career stage,” said Rachel DeAlto, relationship expert and Comfort Hotels spokesperson. “They can evolve into mentorships, open doors, expand an individual’s network, and lead to more opportunities. Business travel provides an opportunity to build these relationships in a fresh environment with unique experiences that differ from employees’ day-to-day interactions with each other.”
With almost 60% of those surveyed saying they spend the same amount if not more time with their colleagues as they do with their families at home, why shouldn’t they put effort into kindling healthy and vibrant connections with both? It could foster a friendlier, more productive work environment and improve the overall quality of life for all involved.
