Most current data shows that companies are slowly increasing office attendance requirements, even if hybrid work remains the dominant model. In the coming year, three in 10 businesses plan to eliminate remote work entirely, with many aiming for full time attendance. And nearly half of companies will require employees to be in the office at least four days a week in 2026. Offices themselves need to evolve to meet this cultural change.

Developers, investors, and occupiers alike are being challenged to think differently about the spaces where we work. It’s no longer enough to simply think about square footage or yields – assets are changing from passive, low-risk, long-lease investments to intensely managed shorter-leased buildings with a focus on experience, flexibility, and community. The coming year will see forward-thinking players capitalising on key trends transforming the landscape.

The ‘hotelification’ of offices

The work/life balance has often been used to explain the lure of remote working, but taking work into a domestic setting hasn’t achieved the desired balance either. What’s emerging as an alternative model is the idea of an office as a relaxing environment away from your daily home life, as an enticing place to commute to.

Employers are reimagining offices not as mandatory workplaces, but as destinations that make the commute worthwhile. As a result, the ‘hotelification’ of office design – blending hospitality, service, and experience – is becoming the new benchmark.

The term refers to the adoption of hospitality principles in office design and management to create spaces that people don’t just feel obligated to come to, but actively choose to.

Whether that’s hospitality-style lobbies with art, ambient lighting, and coffee bars, managed communal areas for informal meetings and events or tech integration for things like app-based room booking or personalised climate control. From concierge-style management to wellness amenities, the best office environments in 2026 will feel more like boutique hotels than traditional corporate buildings.

The shift isn’t about luxury for its own sake; it’s about creating spaces people actively want to return to. In 2026, commercial buildings will need to feel healthier, more human and more inviting to entice employees back to the office.

Occupier re-imagination: the era of hybrid work 2.0

If ‘hotelification’ is about revolutionising the experience of coming to the office, ‘Hybrid Work 2.0’ is about asking the question ‘why?’. This is a trend that focuses on the purpose of an office and asks deeper questions about how the space is used.

Occupiers are becoming far more strategic in how they engage with commercial property. The traditional long lease is giving way to shorter, more flexible agreements, allowing organisations to adapt quickly as their workforce evolves. Many now prefer plug-and-play fitouts that minimise upfront costs and downtime, enabling teams to occupy fully operational, tech-enabled spaces from day one. This mirrors the consumer experience of on-demand services – the development of the idea as space as a service, rather than space as a liability.

Technology plays a critical role in this evolution. Smart building systems that monitor occupancy, energy use, and air quality are helping occupiers tailor their space dynamically, improving both efficiency and employee comfort. Video collaboration suites, acoustic pods, and digital booking tools are now baseline expectations, not just luxury extras. Human-centred designs combined with digital intelligence are key to making sure that every square metre works harder for the people who occupy them and delivers measurable value.

Experience combined with efficiency

As we move into 2026, the UK’s commercial property market stands at a defining crossroads. The office is no longer just a place to work; it has become a strategic tool for culture, collaboration, and identity. For developers and occupiers alike, success will hinge on their ability to understand that experience is now as valuable as efficiency, and that flexibility has become the new foundation of long-term value.

Buildings now need to be designed with people, purpose and community at their core. Ultimately, 2026 won’t just redefine how we occupy commercial property – it will reshape the relationship between space and the people who use it.