What to expect from Remote Year accommodations

One of the most common questions that we get on Remote Year is - “Wait. So where am I going to be staying?”

Unlike on a vacation, where your hotel or Airbnb serves solely as a place to sleep and bathe, you’ll be spending an entire month in your Remote Year accommodation. You’re likely to make breakfast in the kitchen, chill with your housemates in the living room, and maybe even choose to work from your home away from home for a few days.

This is more than a temporary space. You want to know that the room you’ll be staying in will be secure, clean, and comfortable throughout your time in each city. What you may not expect is that each accommodation will also be culturally-unique, giving you the opportunity to live like a local, instead of a tourist who is just passing through.

“The accommodations are anything but ordinary. They give you a taste of what it is like to live in each location, what typical apartments and housing looks and feels like for each city, and wonderfully capture the beauty of each place. Imagine listening to the wind carry soft saxophone melodies while sitting on a Lisbon apartment rooftop at sunset or picking fresh mango from trees lining a RY Retreat property in Costa Rica”

- Coco, 12-month Journey, World & 1-week Retreat in Costa Rica

What can I expect from Remote Year accommodations?

Unless grouped in a Selina setting, accommodations are often in slightly different areas to each other, but are always within a 25 minute walk of the designated coworking space. The housing varies, but always includes a private bedroom in an apartment or house. This private bedroom may be in a multi-bedroom apartment where other Remotes live, often with a shared bathroom(s). Accommodations are clean and secure, and include linen, towels, and an internet connection.

Much like the workspaces that Remote Year coordinates for participants in each city, each destination’s accommodations will have their own individual vibe and layout. No two are the same! 

Private Apartments

In most locations, you will have the option to book a private apartment at an additional cost month by month. The cost of the private apartment can vary a lot from city to city, from $500 to $1,000 in addition per month. Private apartments are booked on the RY Marketplace, which is where you’ll also book Local Experiences and Side Trips.

Every Remote Year accommodation will have:

• A private bedroom

• Linens and towels

• An internet connection

• Support from our team on the ground

Some things vary between Remote Year apartments:

• Private/Common Spaces: size, look, and feel

• Kitchen: availability, size, features, some kitchenettes

• Closet: hanging and storage space - availability, size

• Roommates: number of roommates, shared bathroom, shared common spaces

• Desk/Work: area in your accommodation

• TV and other electronics

• Cleaning services: availability, cost, frequency

• Laundry: availability in unit/in building, cost

• Safe: for valuables

• Building Amenities: availability, cost

• Age: of facilities and building

• Views: ranging from scenic to a wall

• Temperature Control not available vs. centralized vs. in room

• Outdoor Space: availability and size of balcony, patio, terrace

Neighborhoods

Our accommodations are located in safe, centrally located neighborhoods in the heart of each city. Usually, you’ll find these neighborhoods brimming with chic cafes, pop-up markets, fitness facilities, and trendy bars and restaurants serving up some of the best dishes in the city. 

Wifi

Within all our designated cowork spaces we guarantee high speed internet and 24/7 access. In the accommodations, wifi is always installed, suitable enough for emails and browsing at a very minimum (though we of course always aim for more).

Laundry 

This may not always be available in your unit or building. In case no laundry is available in your unit, your local city manager will advise you on the best way to get your laundry done. 

Housemates 

We know this is one of the biggest things that plays on people’s minds before they travel with us, but always turns out to be one of Remotes’ best experiences at the end of their first months, time and time again.

What’s the secret? It’s that we know how important this is for everyone, so we take care to try and match you with housemates we think you’ll be well suited to based on your living habits.And how do we know those? It’s simple, we ask you! Onboarding Survey #2 will be sent to you 60 days before the program start date. You’ll be asked all about what is important to you, whether you’re a light sleeper, if you prefer same sex housemates, how sociable you are, etc. Then, your Community Leader will use this information to best match Remotes with each other and the accommodation.

It is important to keep in mind that your Community Leader will try their best to match your preferences, however, we cannot guarantee that all of your preferences requests will be met. This will depend on the apartment availability in each city. 

Most of the time, you will live with one to three other Remote Year flatmates in your accommodations. Additionally, in some cities we have the opportunity to put larger groups of Remotes together (five or six total), and your Community Leader will communicate when this is an option.

When do I receive information about where I'm living?

Your Community Leader will send you an email one week before you arrive at your next city with the details of your new home (address, housemates, and accommodation notes). This email also includes information about your Travel Day (or Arrival Day, if it's month one) and your workspace. 

Need more information? No problem. Email our Onboarding Team at welcome@remoteyear.com and they can happily either reply or give you details of the next Onboarding Office Hours, held weekly. This is your chance to meet some other Premotes, as well as our friendly Onboarding Team.