About 15 percent of their members also joined their flex program, a loyalty scheme that helps participants get priority bookings and better prices.
A Roam spokesperson told CNBC they are not concerned about targeting demographics or the “proverbial late-twenties marketing freelancer.”
“We don’t have any age limit or preference as it goes against what we believe. At Roam, we think that the proper definition for community is a rich mix of people coming together for a diverse range of experiences.”
“We have all sorts (of people) living at Roam, from 32-year-old racecar drivers to 72-year-old retired explorers.”
Aaron Bryson, an American cybersecurity consultant who has been traveling the world for more than a year, stayed at Roam in the Balinese town of Ubud for a month. Having stayed in Airbnbs, hotels and hostels, he said he sees co-living as becoming more popular than co-working.
While co-working may not be a staple for digital nomads because “many can just work out of a cafe,” co-living has more potential to catch on if the providers get the culture and amenities, such as good internet connection, right, he said.
Meanwhile, Alcock joked that he probably shouldn’t have just bought a couple of long-term stays at Roam without trying it out first.
But nine months into his global sabbatical travel trip, and staying in different forms of shared working and accommodation spaces, he said he has learned more about what he needs from a conventional office as well as his own working preferences.
“Those skills are going to be invaluable for the next ten years,” he said.
