„Peace and quiet to work and relax in the city? I live on the coast and enjoy the current possibilities of the many escapes in the big city.” Corinna Döpkens, Consultant for Travel Management und Guest Author of Bleisure Traveller
Summer 2021 – it feels like all of Germany is spending its holidays in its own country. Tourist destinations such as the Baltic and North Seas, Lüneburg Heath or Lake Constance are currently at the top of the list of travel destinations. Out of the city, into nature! That’s the trend.
For me it’s exactly the opposite. Because I live in one of these tourist destinations and ask myself how one can put up with the crowds on the promenade, the overcrowded beaches and the traffic jams. Crowds everywhere, and after the long period of lockdown and emptiness. Extreme!
Summer in the City
But to each his own! You always want what you don’t have and what you had to do without for a long time. And above all, I want more peace and quiet and a good working environment. That’s why I’m going to German cities again and again this summer. Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf – the relaxed atmospheres there inspire me (photos above: breaks and after-work walk in Hamburg). Even Berlin-Mitte suddenly seems like an oasis of calm to me. Since everyone is on holiday, you can easily find a parking space here and go out to eat without making reservations in advance. Great! Stylish city dwellers, international guests, business types and above all a good atmosphere – that’s what magically attracts me!
So my new pastime is “choosing city hotels in great locations where you can work well”. Because for me, a holiday doesn’t mean switching off from my job, just not reading any emails and switching off my mobile phone. For me, a holiday means that I can combine business and free time, that I can find my balance here. And that works best in the city in summer 2021.
My home away from home
As you know, the pandemic meant that no face-to-face appointments were possible for a long time. This is now possible again, and I am happy that I can meet clients and business partners again and enjoy life at the same time. Bleisure, after all!
I find the new perspectives and many changes exciting. For example, many shops and cafés are new or have been renovated. A lot has also happened in the hotel sector. I’m making new discoveries and rediscoveries, and I’m noticing that my requirements have changed. A large room is important to me, maybe even with a balcony. A kettle or, even better, a coffee machine, a fridge for cold drinks and some crockery should not be missing. “My home away from home”, my place of retreat – that is what I now expect from my hotel.
A nice lobby or lounge or maybe even a roof terrace. After all, I’m in the city to get inspired and don’t always want to work alone in my room. Above all, I now understand the concept of serviced apartments and am becoming a real fan. For my next summer trips, I like to book aparthotels and serviced apartment buildings and I’m already looking forward to my first coffee in a hotel bed. Just like at home, but quieter! After that, the home-away-from-home work can start.
Corinna Döpkens …
is an expert and consultant for Business Travel & Mobility Management and has rediscovered her love for Bleisure Travel & Workation this summer. When she is not in her adopted home on the island of Rügen, she works from around the globe – preferably in St. James near Cape Town. She has already reported on this in Bleisure Traveller.
Photos: © Döpkens
