Hartford Business Journal

8 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 13, 2026 A private office inside East Hartford Flex Space, a coworking facility scheduled to open in August inside the dual-branded Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites by Marriott (shown upper right) in East Hartford. Contributed Photos Room Service New East Hartford hotel pairs with West Hartford coworking firm amid emerging trend network across the Connecticut River into a community she believes has untapped potential. While some suggested expanding into neighboring Glastonbury, Teich said East Hartford is a better match. "Glastonbury doesn't need me," she said, adding that she prefers "periph- eral neighborhoods or towns" where her business can attract others. "We've been watching East Hartford from across the river for years," Teich said. "There's real energy here — busi- ness, families, people passing through — and we want to give people a real place to grow." Farese's move into East Hartford comes amid growing competition in the coworking industry. International Workplace Group, the world's largest provider of flexible workspace, has expanded rapidly in Connecticut in recent years, growing to more than 30 locations statewide, including Regus and Spaces locations in East Hartford and West Hartford. Several smaller independent oper- ators also compete in the Greater Hartford market. 'Learning curve' Hotels across Connecticut are increasingly looking for ways to make better use of existing space, according to Suzanne Cahill, executive director of the Connecticut Lodging Associ- ation, who cited the Sheraton Hotel at Bradley International Airport and the Hotel Marcel in New Haven as other examples of properties offering flexible workspaces. "I think work patterns are continuing to evolve, and hotels having the flex- ibility to develop coworking, remote and flexible meeting spaces definitely complement their lodging operations," Cahill said. Opening hotel workspaces to local entrepreneurs and remote employees also creates economic opportunities without requiring construction of additional commercial office buildings, she said. For Patel, success will be measured by the occupancy of the coworking space itself. His goal is to keep it at 90% or better, but also to find what works and what doesn't. "This is a learning curve," he said." By David Krechevsky davidk@hartfordbusiness.com W hen Annisa Teich received a phone call from Gary Patel while working late one night four years ago, she thought his idea was "bonkers." Teich is a principal with Farese & Co., a West Hart- ford-based firm that owns and operates coworking spaces, including West Hart- ford Co-Working and Windsor Worx. At the time, Patel, chairman and CEO of New Jersey-based hotel owner Kautilya Group, said his company was considering buying and redeveloping a former hotel property in East Hart- ford and wanted to ask Teich some questions about her business. "In my brain, I was like, 'nothing will ever come of this,'" Teich recalled. "But he was seeing trends, and we just kept talking." Patel saw two trends converging: Remote work was reshaping demand for office space, while hotels were seeking new ways to attract guests and generate revenue. So opening a coworking space inside an East Hartford hotel wasn't crazy after all. The result is East Hartford Flex Space, scheduled to open in August inside the new dual-branded Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites by Marriott on Roberts Street. It will offer hourly, daily and monthly work- space memberships to hotel guests, business travelers and members of the public. Rather than leasing space from the hotel, Farese & Co. will manage and market the coworking oper- ation while incorporating it into its existing membership network and programming. 'Outside-of-the-box thinking' Patel's company completely rebuilt the former Ramada Inn into the state's first dual-branded Fairfield Inn & Suites and TownePlace Suites by Marriott, which opened in early June. The coworking space was part of the redevelopment plan from the outset, Patel said. The hotel features 145 guest rooms, including 80 extended-stay suites with full kitchens. The extended-stay component made coworking a natural fit, Patel said, since many guests stay for weeks while working on projects at nearby employers. Aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and companies in its supply chain are located nearby. Rather than working exclusively from hotel rooms or public lobbies, guests can now rent private offices or meeting rooms offering greater privacy. At the same time, opening the facility to local entrepreneurs, remote workers and small businesses allows the space to remain active even when hotel demand fluctuates. "It's outside-of-the-box thinking," Patel said. "Everybody has the same question: 'Why a coworking space in a hotel?' But here it has a different vibe." Unlike traditional hotel business centers, the coworking facility is designed as a standalone operation. Members receive 24-hour access through digital entry and can access high-speed internet, private offices, shared workstations, meeting rooms and networking events. The space includes nine private 11-by-11-foot offices, open coworking areas and two meeting rooms that can accommodate roughly 30 and 55 people, respectively. Farese also plans to bring to East Hartford the community-oriented programming offered at its other locations, Teich said, including small-business workshops, networking events, wellness activities and informal gatherings. Farese's first coworking location, which it acquired from the original owner, was based in West Hartford Center. Teich moved it to New Park Avenue, an area she said many questioned at the time but which has since experienced significant redevel- opment. Last year, the business relocated again to Prospect Avenue. Windsor Worx opened in September 2023. East Hartford was the compa- ny's next logical move, Teich said, because it extends her company's Annisa Teich Deal Watch

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