Peter Fabor, CEO of Surf Office, on Innovation, Pivoting Businesses, and Nomading with Family

In our latest podcast, **Peter Fabor**, CEO of Surf Office and a pioneer in the digital nomad movement, shares his journey and perspective. From the evolution of coliving to redefining team retreats, his expertise is reshaping how we think about hospitality, work and community. Key takeaways: ## 1. Innovation in Hospitality: Hotels Need to Adapt Peter highlights the untapped potential for hotels to embrace digital nomads. Simple innovations — turning underused lobbies into coworking spaces — attract a new demographic and create revenue. > "Hotels have so much unused space, especially in lobbies. Just calling it a coworking space and inviting locals can create a cool vibe, free marketing and additional revenue. It's such an easy win." Accor Hotels stands out as a leader, with brands like Joe&Joe and Vojo pioneering coworking-friendly environments. > "Accor's long-term strategy to turn hotels into neighbourhood coworking spaces is visionary. They're testing, learning, and scaling." ## 2. Pivoting a Business: From Coliving to Retreats Surf Office began as coliving for digital nomads, then transformed into a global company-retreat powerhouse. The lesson: adaptability and listening to demand. > "The coliving model was ahead of its time. But once we started running retreats for remote-first companies, we realised that's where the real value was — and where we could build a real business." ## 3. Why Remote-First Companies Need Retreats With distributed teams, in-person time isn't a luxury — it's strategic infrastructure. Surf Office now runs retreats for companies like Buffer, Doist, and dozens of YC-backed startups. Key ingredients of a great retreat: - A location that takes effort to reach (filters out distractions) - A mix of structured work, unstructured bonding, and physical activity - Local culture integration, not generic hotel programming ## 4. Nomading With a Family Peter shares the realities of raising kids while running a global business from the road. - Slower travel, longer bases - Choosing destinations with healthcare and schools you'd trust - Building rituals that travel with you - Rejecting hustle culture in favour of sustainable rhythms > "Nomading with kids isn't about more freedom. It's about more intention." ## 5. The Future of Work Peter's prediction: hybrid wins, but the centre of gravity moves toward "asynchronous + intense in-person bursts." Retreats become the company-building moments. Office-as-headquarters dies. Hotels, colivings and curated retreat venues become the new corporate real estate. ## Listen to the Full Episode The full conversation with Peter is on the NomadX podcast — Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. Worth your commute (or your beach walk).