What do a former Sicilian convent and a hotel in the Dolomites have in common? At first glance, nothing. The first is in Ortigia, inside a 17th-century building. The second is in San Vigilio di Marebbe, in the heart of the Dolomites.
On paper, they belong to the same category. In practice, they feel like places designed for completely different people. And this is exactly where the term coworking starts to feel too narrow.
In recent years, many spaces have moved beyond the traditional formula of desks, Wi-Fi and meeting rooms, creating something more distinctive. Some cater to sustainability professionals, others to the tech world, while others attract people looking for a workation between the mountains and the coast.
The destination matters. Identity matters even more. Have you ever worked in a coworking space that was much more than just a coworking space?
Spaces for those who want to work and connect (with themselves, with others and with the environment)
In 2025, the estimated number of remote workers in Italy is 3.575 million, with a potential audience of around 6.5 million people. Meanwhile, working while on holiday is already a growing reality: in 2022, 9.7% of employed tourists worked from their chosen destination. The figure rises to 18.5% among graduates, 16.5% among self-employed workers and 30.5% among those working in information and communication services.
Another significant factor is the destination itself: seaside locations account for 49% of holidays, while mountain destinations represent around 25%. For companies, HR departments and distributed teams, this means growing demand for places that combine productivity, quality of stay and professional relationships. Spaces equipped with high-speed internet, meeting rooms, phone booths, hospitality services, events, local partners, training opportunities and networking activities.
As work becomes increasingly flexible, interest is growing in places that offer much more than a fast internet connection.
AMA Stay, for example, combines coworking, accommodation, a spa, outdoor activities and events. Impact Hub Sicily has transformed a former convent into a meeting place for entrepreneurs, creatives and innovators from different countries. In Rovereto, Progetto Manifattura brings together startups and companies working on the ecological transition. In Cagliari, Open Campus has developed around a digital community just minutes from the sea.
This is why increasingly diverse spaces are emerging. Some choose the mountains and create an offering that combines work, hospitality and outdoor activities. Others specialise in digital innovation near the coast. Some transform historic buildings into meeting places for entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals.
More and more often, people choose a place based on what it offers beyond work itself: connections, initiatives, expertise, quality of the surrounding area and opportunities to meet others.
Flexible workspaces for your company
In such a broad market, simply adding addresses to a map is not enough. For NOD, a partnership makes sense when a space creates real value for the companies using it: operational reliability, high-quality environments, useful services, accessibility and a distinctive offering.
We select places that give people a reason to go there, return, meet other professionals and work better. As we build our network, we ask ourselves: what kind of experience can this place offer a company, a team or someone travelling for work?
More and more companies are including workspaces and coworking spaces among the services available to employees, not as an alternative to the office, but as an additional opportunity.
With NOTONLYDESK, teams can access a nationwide network of coworking spaces, choose where to work according to their needs and use professional, ready-to-use workspaces.
NOTONLYDESK, NOD, provides a single dashboard to manage coworking spaces across Italy, using Nodey digital tokens to book desks, meeting rooms or private offices. If your company uses smart working, this concerns you.
Discover how NOD works and activate a trial for your team.
If your company uses smart working
Today, you can ensure suitable working conditions even outside the office. With NOTONLYDESK, you can provide your employees with professional, safe and compliant workspaces, reducing operational risk and simplifying the management of flexible work.
Unique price everywhereWith NOTONLYDESK the price is fixed throughout Italy: same cost in Milan, Rome and Bari, without surcharges for large cities.
