February 25, 2022 - As the remote work revolution continues, meet the Zagreb hotel co-working space which is proving to be a huge hit with digital nomads - Canopy by Hilton.
Have you ever been to a hotel that feels like it is a living part of the community?
A place where you pop in for a meeting and find a hive of activity from a wide cross-section of society?
A hotel which has the look and feel of a living room, rather than a 4-star hotel chain?
It is less than a year since I first visited Canopy by Hilton Zagreb in the Branimir Centre. We were on the hunt for some cool locations in the city to host Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2021 - 7 themes, 7 locations, 7 days. A few people had told me that the vibe at Canopy was different, and that it might be a great choice for the opening day.
And so it proved.
June 21, 2021 was an historic day in the Zagreb digital nomad story, with the opening of Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, an opening attended by Zagreb Tourist Board CEO Martina Bienenfeld and State Secretary for Tourism and Sports, Sandra Herman, among others. Less than 4 months later, the Croatian capital had been named in the top 5 most-liked cities in the world for nomads in the influential 2021 Nomad List survey.
And so the digital nomad love affair with Canopy by Hilton began.
There was that very scary presentation on cybersecurity by Marko Rakar, which will not be quickly forgotten by anyone who attended. This took place in one of the several themed conference rooms in the hotel. A hotel which really does feel like home.
And so when September's Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador, Dean Kuchel, wanted to host a community-building event, Canopy was his number one choice of venue. Over 50 nomads, locals, expats and wannabe nomads came to enjoy the Canopy hospitality and a great evening of fun.
An enjoyable evening with friends in a large living room.
But the thing that has really struck me was how many remote workers are drawn to Canopy as a great place to remote work. Four-star hotels are perhaps not the most obvious co-working spaces, but Canopy has managed to attract a growing chunk of the market. All six of our Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassadors tried co-working at Canopy, and they all loved it, so much so that one of them, Anna Maria Kochanska, even organised a co-working day there.
In addition to the facilities on offer within the hotel, the gym and restaurants at Branimir Centre were additional reasons to co-work there.
But perhaps the biggest endorsement of Canopy by Hilton as a co-working space came yesterday, as I was working there with colleagues, and this young man came to say hi.
Hermes Arriaga is a titan in the Croatian remote work scene. Originally from Mexico, Hermes co-founded the very first co-working space in Croatia, back in 2013. And Impact Hub has been a major player on the scene ever since. The pandemic has necessitated a change in business strategy, and Hermes is not on the lookout for a new space for Impact Hub. And as he searches, he has found a fantastic option for co-working.
"I love Canopy," he told me, and I have been coming since September and spend 2-7 hours a day working here, maybe 3 times a week.
"It is different from any other co-working space in Zagreb in that it is public - or at least semi-public - and I find the ambiance really cool. And there are lots of interesting characters. It has a very international feel, with lots of foreigners, but also local students preparing for their tests. It has a really great atmosphere, and there is definitely a sense of community.
"Last week, there was an international start-up company here for a week, 7-8 of them with two local staff. The service is really good, and an espresso is not that much more than elsewhere. I really recommend it."
And I do too. A wonderful institution, and a great place to get a sense of the local community against the backdrop of a hotel stay.
For more information about Canopy by Hilton Zagreb, visit the official website.
For more news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, visit the dedicated TCN section.
