The Rise of Bleisure and Extended Stays

Traditionally, business and leisure travel existed in very separate worlds. However, in today’s post-pandemic world the way people work and travel have changed dramatically. Remote work trends, digital nomads and changing traveller expectations have given rise to one of the hospitality industry’s most exciting opportunities: bleisure travel.

But what on earth is bleisure? It’s a trip that combines both professional obligations and personal downtime. Think working remote from a beach destination, calls in the morning and surf in the afternoon or someone attending a conference that might stay the weekend and explore the city. 

This shift in traveller behaviour is also powering demand for extended stays, longer bookings that justify travel costs and allow guests to live like a local. For hotels, serviced apartments, resorts, and even restaurants, understanding this trend is key to unlocking new revenue streams, improving occupancy rates, and building guest loyalty.

Several trends have converged to fuel the popularity of bleisure and extended stays:

• Remote and Hybrid Work Culture: with more people working from home (or anywhere), there’s less need to rush back to the office after a meeting. The lines between workdays and weekends have blurred, making longer trips more viable.
• Cost-Conscious Corporate Travel Policies: companies seeking to reduce costs often encourage staff to combine work and leisure, avoiding multiple flights.
• Value-Driven Travellers: consumers want to get the most from every trip, especially after pandemic-era travel restrictions. Bleisure offers a way to maximise the personal value of business travel.
• Better Infrastructure: hotels and rentals now offer reliable Wi-Fi, dedicated workspaces, and flexible check-in/out times, making working from a destination seamless.

The appeal of bleisure is clear for guests, but why should hoteliers and hospitality marketers care?

Because bleisure travellers are high-value guests:

• They stay longer than typical corporate travellers.
• They spend more on dining, experiences, and amenities.
• They often bring family or partners.
• They’re likely to book directly to access loyalty perks or special packages.

Plus, targeting this segment helps address seasonality challenges. By appealing to remote workers and extended-stay guests year-round, properties can smooth out off-peak occupancy dips.

To win in this space, hospitality brands need to reimagine their marketing strategies. Here are some practical tips:

• Offer discounts on extended stays (e.g., ‘Stay 4 nights, pay for 3’).
• Bundle perks like airport transfers, late checkout, or dining vouchers.
• Provide flexibility to add leisure nights to corporate rates.  

Example: CitizenM Long Stay / Hybrid Work Packages

What they did: CitizenM offers special rates for extended stays.

• Monthly membership for remote workers
• Hybrid packages with coworking, sleeping, and meeting rooms
• Global network—appeals to digital nomads, corporate teams on projects

Bleisure hook: highly designed communal spaces + local city guides make it easy for guests to blend work and play.

Make sure to highlight any remote amenities you might have that makes it ideal for those looking for a bleisure stay. 

• High-speed Wi-Fi (the obvious one!). 
• Market in-room desks, ergonomic chairs, printing facilities.
• Showcase communal coworking lounges or private meeting rooms.
• Emphasise quiet zones or soundproof rooms for calls.

Highlight these features in PPC ads, website landing pages, and OTA listings.

Example: Marriott International “Work Anywhere” Packages

What they did: Marriott launched “Work Anywhere” packages to explicitly attract remote workers and bleisure travellers.

• Day Pass: Access to hotel rooms as private offices (desk, Wi-Fi, food & beverage credits).
• Stay Pass: Combines overnight stay + extended checkout for work + leisure.
• Play Pass: Family-friendly longer stays with kids’ activities and remote-work amenities.

Bleisure hook: Marriott’s marketing talks about “working remotely without the usual distractions” and “turning any stay into a mini vacation.”

Bleisure travellers are looking for more than just a bed and some nice breakfast in the morning. They want stories and memories.

• Curate city guides with recommendations for dining, culture, and entertainment.
• Partner with local tour operators for discounted excursions.
• Offer culinary classes, wine tastings, or guided walks on property.

Example: Airbnb — Work from Anywhere Campaign

What they did: Airbnb launched a “Live and Work Anywhere” initiative.

• Curated long-stay friendly listings with reliable Wi-Fi and workspaces.
• Partnerships with cities to promote remote work tourism.

Bleisure hook: Marketing focuses on exploring the world without taking time off. Tagline: “Work from a beach. Or a cabin. Or anywhere.”

Bleisure travellers are planners, but they’re value-conscious.

• Offer best-rate guarantees on your site.
• Include loyalty perks for booking direct.
• Run retargeting ads aimed at people who searched for multi-night stays.

The lines between business and leisure travel have permanently blurred. For hospitality brands, this isn’t a niche, it’s the future of travel demand. By embracing bleisure and extended-stay strategies, hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments can capture higher-value guests, improve occupancy during off-peak times and build loyalty through genuinely guest-centric experiences

Ultimately, selling rooms is no longer enough. Hospitality brands must sell possibilities: the chance to work, rest, explore, and make memories, all in one stay.

Ready to tap into the Bleisure trend?

If you’re a hospitality business looking to develop targeted marketing strategies for bleisure and extended-stay travellers, our agency can help. From digital campaigns to direct-booking strategies, let’s turn this trend into bookings.