From Black Tie to Broadband: Hospitality Wisdom from the Fuchs Siblings

What happens when you cross one of London’s most respected coworking brands with a legendary art deco hotel on a private island? You get the magic of Giles and Niki Fuchs — the sibling duo behind Office Space in Town (OSiT) and the iconic Burgh Island Hotel. In our latest GCUC Podcast, we dug deep into how their passion for impeccable service, elegant design, and team-first leadership is transforming both coworking and hospitality. And, yes — there were laughs, champagne references, and even a tiara or two.

The Burgh Island Surprise

Niki and Giles never expected to become hoteliers. After a serendipitous coffee meeting and a compelling sales pitch, the siblings fell in love with Burgh Island — a place straight out of an Agatha Christie novel (literally — she wrote two there). What began as an island adventure quickly became a hospitality deep dive. With a black-tie dress code for dinner, 75+ staff in high season, and no TVs, it’s not your typical guest stay — it’s an experience. And that’s exactly the point.

Hospitality Is the New Backbone of Coworking

“People often think we took hospitality into the hotel, but we brought our coworking learnings to Burgh,” says Niki. At both OSiT and Burgh, the foundation is built on culture, team care, and the relentless pursuit of great service. Whether you’re booking a private office or a seaside suite, the same principles apply: recruit the right people, train them well, and treat them even better. “We learned to look after our people, and they look after our guests,” says Giles.

Don’t Expand Until You Own the Block

One of the most valuable pieces of advice shared? Stay local until you’ve saturated your city. The Fuchs model is hyper-focused on London’s Zone 1, a deliberate choice backed by deep operational strategy. “You can walk to all your buildings by lunchtime,” Giles says. That proximity enables a consistent guest experience and prevents the operational drift so many multi-city operators face. As Liz noted, “People fail when they leave their city too soon.”

Owning Your Real Estate = Coworking Superpower

Niki and Giles own their buildings. This long-game approach makes their coworking business not just viable — but wildly profitable. They average 50–55% gross margins with 90% occupancy, and clients stay an average of 40 months. “If you can buy part of a building, do it,” Niki advises. “It’s about income stream robustness.”

Data Sharing and Industry Transparency

The Fuchs aren’t just innovating in hospitality and coworking — they’re reshaping how the UK industry measures success. Through the Workplace Intelligence Network, they’ve created an operator-owned data initiative with 30 operators and 250 locations already contributing. “You can’t argue with data,” says Niki. “If we want to be taken seriously, we need to show real numbers.”

It’s Not Real Estate. It’s Hospitality.

Liz was clear — the future of coworking is not in real estate. It’s in hospitality. And she’s got the battle scars (and accolades) to prove it. “I cold-called CEOs on LinkedIn and told them to take ‘real estate’ off their profile and put ‘hospitality’ instead — and they did.” Giles and Niki couldn’t agree more.

The Future? More Buildings, More Joy, and a Beverage Empire

What’s next for this powerhouse duo? A push to scale with new investment, expand their in-house cleaning and FM services to other operators, and launch their own beverage line — including a non-alcoholic ginger-based drink called Gunner. They’ve also got Burgh Island vodka, gin, and a whole lot of glamor.

Liz’s Takeaway

“I think once I figured out that promoting spaces where people find community and belonging could help change the loneliness epidemic, I was all in. This is it.”

Coworking isn’t just open spaces and Wi-Fi — it’s a movement, a mindset, and, in the hands of the right people, a hospitality revolution.

A Message to the Next Generation of Operators

“You don’t know what you don’t know. So get on the ground, meet the people, learn the culture—and listen.” – Giles Fuchs
“Don’t forget why you started. The magic is in the details.” – Niki Fuchs

Tune in now to hear how this sibling duo is shaping the future of work, one thoughtful experience at a time.

Listen to the full episode on the GCUC Podcast and connect with Giles Fuchs and Niki Fuchs on LinkedIn to learn more about the inspiring vision behind Office Space in Town and the iconic Burgh Island Hotel.