Swindon & Wiltshire News
Work space with Tardis and Hobbit Hole ends year with bulging trophy cabinet
A Bristol work space with quirky features including a full-size Doctor Who Tardis and a Hobbit Hole is ending the year on a high with four award wins and a host of further nominations.
With an ambition to become the city’s go-to coworking environment, founder Tom Ball opened the first DeskLodge in the former Evening Post building in Bristol in 2015 after visiting Google’s new office in London.
Since then, the original building has closed and two further DeskLodge workspaces have opened – DeskLodge House on Redcliffe Way and the new Beacon Tower in the city centre. They are currently home to over 200 companies and a further 2,000 regular individuals and organisations.
After scooping several awards last year, including being named as one of the top 10 Best Places to Work by the Sunday Times, it has beaten last year’s results, with awards including:
- Founder Tom being crowned ‘Business Leader of the Year’ last month for his outstanding contribution to the industry
- Best Coworking Space Provider 2024 for South West England in the UK Enterprise Awards
- Coworking Space of the Year 2024/5 in the Corporate LiveWire Awards
It was also ranked in the Small Biz 100 list of the UK’s top 100 small businesses and placed #13 in the Tally Awards 2024 Top 100 Workspaces.
Jamie Ellis, managing director of DeskLodge, said: “DeskLodge began with the belief that the space you work in has a big impact on how you work.
“Inspiring productivity through imaginative work zones is still what drives us today, but we’re about much more than just quirky spaces – we make sure we’re in handy locations, with incredible teams who really look after our users, and bucketloads of the best coffee.
“So, while our fairy booth and submarine room might put a smile on your face, they also help you get the most out of your day.
“We are delighted with how much Desklodge has achieved in Bristol, particularly with the opening of Beacon Tower this year, we’re looking forward to building on this success next year, with the aim of becoming the number one workspace for Bristol’s best teams.”
Desklodge’s customer base has a broad mix of clients, including from IT and software businesses, tech and engineering firms, as well as marketing, finance, charity, public services, recruitment sectors.
As well as some more traditional workspaces, it also offers an Alice in Wonderland solo working zone complete with upside down picnic set and the Hobbit Hole, which comes with a hobbit cloaks, plus the Beacon roof terrace, where the team held a huge summer party earlier in the year. The team hosts monthly breakfast and evening socials, annual Easter Egg hunts, and an array of free activities, workshops and treats.
Jamie said: “We truly believe that getting the workspace right can be the difference between success and failure for organisations. We love playing a part in our members’ growth and successes – and we know that what we’re doing works. 85 per cent of our members say they plan to stay working here for the next five years or more.”
Latest: Bristol business owners look to flexible space as office rents soar
