Enjoy a ‘summer special’ at the on-site hotel: Google's newest tactic to lure in employees back to the office

Who would say no to a relaxing stay at a hotel in the scorching heat? No sweating and facing the heat as you commute to work? Please sign me up!

But this offer is valid only for Google employees. Google offers its staffers a “summer special” at the hotel located on the Mountain View campus in California with 240 fully furnished rooms, hoping that this new scheme will lure them back to the office.

What does the Google employe scheme entail?

The search giant requires the workers to come into the office thrice a week, but through this offer which begins on September 3, it hopes that living near the office, and the reduced commute and time, will “make it easier for Googlers to transition to the hybrid workplace.”

The full-time workers can book a room at the hotel for $999 per night as part of the seasonal discount which can be availed by using their personal credit cards, as obtained by CNBC. Also found, is that the promotion is only valid for unapproved work trips and will not be reimbursed by the firm.

From home to office

Getting the employees back to the office has been a bit of a struggle for the tech top since April of the last year when it made the three-day-a-week mandate.

This June, the business tightened up on office attendance and began tracking employee badge swipes, which outraged the workforce and led to some grumbling “we're being treated like schoolchildren.”

It seems this time, the company wants to pursue a gentler approach, as visible in the description of the scheme.

"Imagine not having to commute to work in the morning and instead getting an extra hour of sleep and less friction," the special's description says.

“Next, you could walk out of your room and quickly grab a delicious breakfast or get a workout in before work starts.”

However, it seems the message is not reaching across, as per the conversations on its internal discussion forum, Memegen.

Pass or fail?

"If it was approximately $60 per night, it may be a reasonable option to flats, but $99? "No thanks," one employee wrote. While the forum also included a meme from the movie “Mean Girls” where Lindsey Lohan says “No, thank you.”

According to Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont, "We regularly run accommodation specials for local or travelling Googlers to take advantage of our spaces and amenities." We publicize these in a regular Perks email, which also includes staff discounts on other services and entertainment opportunities."

Watch out

The same facilities can also be availed at the Bay View canopy campus, which debuted in May 2022 following five years of construction. Spread over 1.1 million-square-foot, its futuristic constructions, courtyards and hotel complex are hard to be missed.

About 4,000 employees report to the Bay View Campus. Will this new tactic succeed in bringing the employees back to their desks from the comfort of their couches? We will have to see.