Where We Work Best: Reflections from Breweries, Hotel Lobbies, and the Road
An unexpected stop at a neighborhood brewery sparked reflections on remote work, productivity, and the environments where focus and creativity often emerge - from Charlotte cafés to hotel lobbies around the world.
Tales From Around the World
Earlier today I had a client meeting in Plaza Midwood in Charlotte - something that doesn't happen often given how much of my work now happens remotely.
With my final meeting finished, I stopped at a nearby brewery before heading home. While sitting at the bar, I noticed someone quietly reading a novel, completely absorbed and relaxed. It struck me how comfortable she seemed occupying that space without urgency.
It made me think about how differently people now approach work and productivity. Friends of mine, Bryson and Julie, owners of The Hobbyist on North Davidson Street, often talk about how remote workers fill their coffee shop / bar throughout the day, sometimes treating cafés as offices. At the same time, modern apartment developments increasingly include co-working spaces that barely existed a decade ago.
Work has become untethered from place.
Personally, I've never worked well from coffee shops. My days are filled with meetings, multiple screens, and constant collaboration. But there is one environment where I've consistently found productivity: hotel lobbies.
During heavy travel periods, including sixty nights spent at the Hyatt Regency Irvine last year, I often worked evenings from lobby bars rather than returning to my room. The ambient energy, movement, and quiet activity created momentum that extended productive hours naturally.
Similar experiences followed globally.
The Sheraton WTC São Paulo offered constant energy above a bustling underground retail complex. The W Hotel Bogotá became a workspace during periods when evening travel outside the hotel was discouraged. The Makati Shangri-La in Manila provided a practical base amid heavy congestion, while frequent stays at the Sheraton on Nathan Road in Hong Kong reinforced how shared environments can stimulate focus.
Looking back, people seem to fall into different categories: those who read in breweries, those who work from cafés, and those who inevitably end up working from hotel lobbies somewhere in the world.
Remote work offers flexibility, but sometimes productivity comes not from better tools, but from changing environment.
Today's unexpected stop at a neighborhood brewery served as a reminder that where we work often shapes how we think.