Would you have considered these seven points when choosing a property for your next workation?
The idea of a workation – a combination of work and vacation – is becoming increasingly popular. A new place can not only inspire, but also boost productivity. However, there are a few things to consider when choosing the right vacation property for a workation to ensure that your stay is both relaxed and productive.
Many hosts attest to their vacation properties providing good conditions for digital work. However, a closer look at the advertisements quickly reveals that a simple Wi-Fi connection and a kitchen table are not enough to make a good home office.
Also, cafés in Spain are better known for their high noise levels than for ergonomic seating. Not everyone is a fan of coworking spaces, especially since they are not available in many places and incur additional daily costs.
So put your workation under a lucky star from the start and book the right vacation property for your needs with our checklist. Below you will find the most important points when choosing accommodation.
1. Stable & fast internet connection - with sufficient signal strength
Of course, a stable internet connection. This is usually indispensable for working from your home office at your vacation destination.
Good news first: in 2024, Spain replaced Iceland, the long-standing frontrunner, and crowned itself Europe's fiber-optic king. So many hosts in Spain can answer yes when asked about a stable & fast internet connection.
The crux of the matter here is that not only the internet connection must be good, but the signal strength must also be taken into account. If no signal amplifiers, so-called repeaters, are installed, the signal in the next room will already decrease rapidly. This means that, especially in larger holiday homes, outdoor areas or bedrooms, which are often ideally suited for online meetings and concentrated work due to their quiet location and space for a workspace, cannot be used.
Most of the time, the router is located in a common area such as the living room. If poor signal strength means that only this room can be used for the home office, this circumstance can quickly lead to stress and a loss of productivity when traveling with more than one person or children.
So, in addition to checking the general internet quality in advance, find out which area of the vacation property is suitable for your daily work and whether the wifi strength there is sufficient for your requirements. With an app like Speedtest, the host can clarify this in a few minutes and, if necessary, retrofit a repeater.
2. a comfortable workspace
If you want to work comfortably and with concentration for many hours at a time over several days and also hold many online meetings, you should have your own quiet workspace.
Breakfast leftovers first have to be cleared from the dining or kitchen table, and then work utensils have to be cleared from it again. This means that there is no clear separation between work and relaxation. In addition, these are located in common areas. Depending on the travel group, you may have to work alongside children or other working people. This can quickly lead to distraction and stress.
A comfortable workspace, quietly located in front of a window with a beautiful view, significantly improves the workation (working while on vacation) experience.
3. air conditioning and heating
An optimal indoor climate is particularly important if you are going to be working productively from the vacation property for several hours a day over a longer period of time.
Off-season
In contrast to households in Central Europe, central heating is not standard in holiday properties in many Spanish regions. Heating is either not provided or is provided by the air conditioning system.
If the holiday home does not offer any heating, you should not consider the property for the winter.
Since temperatures usually remain well above freezing, air conditioning is a perfectly viable option for keeping your holiday home comfortably warm in winter. It is important that the air conditioners are installed in all the rooms that are relevant to you. Even if it is rather unusual in your home country, a modern air conditioning system in sufficient numbers as a heating option in southern regions of Spain or on the islands does not have to be an obstacle for a winter migration.
Depending on the insulation of the exterior walls and the efficiency of the air conditioners, however, high energy costs can arise. For longer stays, it is not uncommon for hosts to want to bill you based on consumption. Ask the host about their experience with other winter rentals to plan with confidence or try to agree on a flat rate for utilities.
High season
For concentrated work and a restful sleep during workations in the summer months, there should of course be an air conditioning option in the vacation property. Cafes and coworking spaces are often overcrowded, especially on warm days, and therefore do not offer a good alternative. Mobile or ceiling fans only provide relief on hot days in very modern, well-insulated vacation properties.
4. noise impact
The location of the vacation rental has a major influence on the workation experience. Especially in resort towns, it is important to check before booking whether the property is part of a vacation complex or is located near a main road, shopping street, airport, party area or other noisy areas. If you can't open a window because of the hustle and bustle outside, or if you can't sleep because the pub two doors down is one of the best in town, it can quickly get on your nerves. Especially during the season, other vacationers tend to pay little attention to the noise level.
Therefore, find out in advance whether sleeping and workspace in particular are subject to high levels of external noise.
5. Bed quality
Workation trips are often longer than pure vacations, and the next day is the start of the working day. A decent bed quality is therefore essential. Although very few vacation apartments offer height-adjustable box spring beds, the basic quality should be right: comfortable, non-sagging mattresses and sturdy slatted frames are a must.
Are you used to sleeping in big beds? Beds in Spain often have smaller standard dimensions than those in Central Europe. Some hosts are aware of this and therefore offer larger beds for their guests from the north – but unfortunately not all of them.
So it makes sense to keep the type and size of beds in mind when planning your workation and to ask if necessary.
6. kitchen equipment
Especially apartments in popular cities were originally designed for short stays and therefore lack extensive kitchen equipment.
This may be sufficient for a city trip over the long weekend. However, if you are staying longer as part of a workation, enjoy cooking and have not planned a trip to Ikea during your stay, you should go into detail when choosing your accommodation in the kitchen equipment section.
A word of warning for coffee lovers: only an espresso maker, a French press or no coffee machine at all are not uncommon in Spanish vacation properties. In Spain, most cafés don't open until the time when many guests usually already have their second caffeinated hot drink in their hands. So keep your eyes open so that the morning isn't tougher than it needs to be!
7. Additional amenities
The infinity pool, the roof terrace with a sea view or the large garden with a barbecue area – many hosts in Spain advertise the great features of their vacation property for the summer. In the off-season, the weather is still significantly better on average than in Central Europe, but unfortunately not always as stable as in the high season. So you should plan for a few rainy days if you are going on a longer workcation.
The good news is that if you look hard enough, you can find affordable vacation rentals in Spain with amenities for overcast days, such as a hot tub, sauna, large smart TV or cozy fireplace.
Conclusion
Take your time when booking and consider all the important requirements for you and your fellow travelers. Don't let the great roof terrace or large pool area influence your decision.
When on vacation, it's annoying when the accommodation doesn't meet expectations. When on a workcation, this becomes an absolute stress factor that can negatively affect the entire trip or even cause you to abort it.
When planning a workcation, it is strongly discouraged to book the first vacation property you come across with beautiful pictures, because the huge selection on the well-known booking portals can quickly become overwhelming.
Unfortunately, the filter options on many well-known booking portals are limited in terms of the above-mentioned features. This increases the search effort for a vacation property that meets all your requirements enormously.
To make your research easier, you will find a pre-selected range of suitable vacation properties from professional and highly rated local hosts who have embraced the workation concept at Soulwork. With our detailed search filters, you will quickly find what you are looking for.
Comfortable workspaces are often included for free or can be booked for a small extra charge – even in larger numbers.
Take a look at our exclusive selection here. If your desired region is not included, we hope that our guide has still helped you plan your next workcation!
Best regards
Your Soulwork team
