In an era where Outlook follows us poolside and Slack pings don’t pause for sunsets, the rise of “bleisure” – a hybrid of “business” and “leisure” – has become both a travel trend and a philosophical minefield.
Defined as the practice of extending a work trip to include personal downtime, bleisure is not to be confused with workcations or digital nomadism, where work follows the traveller. Here, work comes first and leisure piggybacks.
It’s a hybrid mode that’s quickly becoming mainstream. But are we optimising our time or losing sight of where work ends and play begins?
These questions came into focus during a recent tour arranged by Custard Communications of four distinctly positioned Clermont Hotel Group properties across London. Each one capturing a different facet of the city and attracting a different kind of traveller, but together they highlight how hotels are reimagining the bleisure experience for a hybrid world.
Marble Arch Hotel by Thistle: Functional, Frictionless, and Wellness-Driven
Popular with solo travellers, younger professionals and of course shoppers, The Marble Arch Hotel by Thistle serves guests looking to maximise London with minimal faff. Situated near Oxford Street, it attracts international travellers to start-up teams who might squeeze in a pre-meeting Hyde Park run, an early dinner in Marylebone and shopping on Oxford Street before a red-eye flight. These travellers value speed, flexibility, and the freedom to toggle between Zoom calls and window shopping. Less about pomp, more about practicality.
The Clermont Victoria: Grandeur Meets Gateway
With Gatwick Express links next door and a direct line to Westminster, The Clermont Victoria is a draw for senior executives, civil servants, and those attending major corporate events. Its Grade II-listed stature appeals to those who want a touch of London elegance without straying far from transit routes. Here, bleisure looks more strategic, guests book meetings with built-in recovery time, using late check-outs and smart concierge support to transition smoothly from the boardroom to the theatre or a “Wicked” afternoon tea.
The Clermont Charing Cross: Central, Stylish, and Always-On
At The Clermont Charing Cross, it’s all about location. Above one of the city’s key rail hubs makes it popular with travellers who blend high-energy conferences with immersive city moments, be it gallery-hopping in Covent Garden or catching last-minute shows. Bleisure travellers here tend to be creatives, media types, and marketing execs, people whose deadlines follow them and whose evenings double as networking opportunities. In-room mood lighting and mobile-controlled amenities reflect that fluid rhythm.
The Royal Horseguards: Diplomatic, Discreet, and Distinctive
Then there’s The Royal Horseguards where bleisure borders on luxury. With neighbours like Whitehall and the National Gallery, its guest list is dotted with diplomats, high-net-worth individuals, and production crews needing privacy and polish. These aren’t guests tacking on a spare afternoon they’re extending with intention. For them, leisure isn’t an add-on; it’s a requirement for recovery and reflection.
A New Traveller Identity
So how is a bleisure traveller different from a standard business guest or tourist? It’s about mindset. The business traveller arrives with a schedule. The tourist arrives with a wishlist. The bleisure guest? They arrive with “both” and expect the hotel to support that duality. They need fast Wi-Fi and flexible check-out but also spa menus, local recommendation, and perhaps another room for the family to tag along.
Designing for Duality
That fluidity is underpinned by tech the hotels are using like Obvlo, which enables guests to personalise their itineraries on the go. It’s not just about what to do in your downtime, it’s about choosing when downtime starts.
Where to From Here?
Bleisure might be born from convenience, but it survives on intention. The best hotels like those across the Clermont portfolio know that helping travellers shift gears without changing postcode is the secret to delivering modern hospitality. And while some worry bleisure has gone too far, perhaps it just hasn’t been defined clearly enough.
Because when business enables better leisure and not overshadows it, that’s when we truly get the best of both worlds.