Two new expressions have emerged in the vocabulary related to travel and vacations: staycation and workation (or workcation). In both cases, it is a contraction with the word vacation. Staycation refers to taking a vacation at home or not far from home while workation refers to the idea of working while traveling. While both concepts are very interesting and increasingly popular, I will focus on the concept of workation in this blog.

According to various definitions found on the Web, workation is the combination of vacation and work and can be experienced in two ways:

1. Traveling away from home and taking advantage of the opportunity to visit sites while maintaining regular work periods.

2. Temporarily relocating to a holiday destination to combine work and vacation.

This formula provides the opportunity to work away from one's usual place while integrating leisure elements that allow to relax, unwind and be more productive.

The main idea behind workation is to take a vacation from the workplace, but not from work itself. Thanks to sophisticated technologies and the Internet, which is increasingly accessible around the world, this trend is experiencing a strong craze, especially since the beginning of the pandemic when a very large proportion of employers are allowing employees to work from home.

Carrying your office with you is now as simple as carrying a laptop and connecting to the Internet. Various software and applications as well as messaging and virtual meeting platforms do the rest. So the only question to ask is: where would I like to work today?

Often, all it takes to feel like you're on vacation is a change of scenery. Here are some of the benefits of a workation:

• Being in a new and pleasant place energizes and spices up your life by allowing you to discover a new region and what it has to offer.
• A change of scenery and routine is a great way to find new inspirations and motivations, to refresh one's creativity and worldview.
• Most holiday destinations include housekeeping and meal services, which frees up even more leisure time and helps reduce the stress related to chores.
• Most holiday destinations are located on sites that are pleasant to explore, which encourages people to take more health breaks which in turn revitalizes energy and productivity.
• Looking at your work from a different perspective helps you find ways to improve it.
• Being able to work wherever you want allows you to choose a destination according to your personal tastes. For example, in the winter, one can choose a sunny destination or a place close to the ski slopes.
• Research shows that workers on workation are happy and productive.

There are thousands of beautiful places around the world where you can land your penates to work while taking a vacation - or to take a vacation while working ;-). But since the work component is of primary importance in the concept of workation, we recommend that you take into account the following elements:

Make sure that the location you choose offers high-speed Internet and an excellent network connection. Find out if this service is offered free of charge or if there are additional charges for using it.

Make sure you have enough space to work. Ideally, these spaces should be quiet, well-lit and well-ventilated. If you need to attend virtual meetings, make sure you have space for your exclusive use so that you do not disturb or be disturbed during a conference or meeting.

Does the location offer meal service? If so, make sure that the menu is varied, in your tastes and in your prices. If you have dietary restrictions, check to see if the facility can accommodate you. Find out if there are other restaurants and cafés nearby or within walking distance to provide a variety of experiences.

Having a nice, comfortable and fully equipped room is good, but being confined to it without access to extra space may be less pleasant after a while. The ideal is to have additional indoor and outdoor seating areas to change the decor in your new setting. :-)

Choose a location that offers opportunities for interesting exploration and discovery, either on site or within a short distance, to escape for a coffee break or a full afternoon. What are the sites to visit? Is it possible to practice outdoor activities such as walking, biking, skiing?

In light of the COVID pandemic that is affecting most hotels around the world, it is now of utmost importance to verify what measures are being taken to provide you with a safe and secure place to stay. Check how protocols are communicated to guests and how they are reinforced with those who are not following them. How many people will you end up sharing the space with? What is the quality of indoor and outdoor air? Prepare a series of questions to ensure that you will stay healthy throughout your stay.

At Auberge Tom B&B, we offer all this and more. We are the place to be for a fantastic, safe and secure workation. Our fully equipped bedrooms are highly comfortable, well ventilated and tastefully decorated. However, our guests are not confined to their bedroom as they have access to additional indoor and outdoor relaxation areas.

Each room has a work desk. Guests who require additional, enclosed workspace have access to the Fortune Room, a room that can be used as a private office or as a spare room.

In addition to the gourmet breakfast included in the overnight rate and adapted to your dietary requirements, we offer an interesting and varied menu for other meals and snacks.

We offer high speed internet and wifi is available throughout the house including on the outdoor terraces and balconies. 

Our guests do not have to deal with strangers, whether they are guests or employees of the establishment. Our team of employees is limited to one person, namely me, your host. :-) The house is divided into two distinct sections and each of them is reserved for the exclusive use of guests who have booked a room in this section.

We are located in Chelsea in the Gatineau Hills, a picturesque and bucolic area that attracts art, outdoor and good food lovers. The Chelsea Community Trail along the Gatineau River runs under our property while Gatineau Park is practically in our backyard. This vast playground will take your coffee breaks to a whole new level.

Our special offers allow you to save on the overnight rate when you stay longer.

Finally, thanks to the adoption of specific measures and a clear protocol that is properly communicated to our guests, we offer the safest possible living space. Our blog on this subject will explain why, in these times, you have nothing to fear from establishing your workation with us, whether for a few nights or for a longer period of time.

Whether you live 10 minutes from the B&B or 5 hours away, a change of scenery and a relaxing stay at Auberge Tom B&B where you will be pampered and cared for can only make you live an extraordinary workation.