Professionals fall into two camps nowadays: people with day jobs and the rest of the world. Those in the latter group don’t clock in but work round-the-clock—remaining connected without being attached to a single workplace. They’re called digital nomads, and you’re likely to find them at Roam, a hipster coliving space along the Miami River. A cross between a boutique hotel and a hostel, the complex—which occupies the grounds of the historic 100-year-old Miami River Inn—was the international company’s first U.S. outpost. Roam, whose three other locations include Bali and London, caters to folks who aren’t bound by the rigors of a nine-to-five job. For them, any place with a strong Wi-Fi signal can be an office.
“Roam provides a stage for interesting, kind and funny people from all over the world to make a home together,” says Olivia Sisson, Roam Miami’s community manager. Among its four pastel-colored houses are 38 private suites, thoughtfully remodeled and decked in charming antique furniture (like a vintage Singer sewing-machine table transformed into a functioning sink), rare Dade County Pine flooring and nautical design elements.
Photograph: Patrick Michael Chin
“People come here for the setting,” says operations manager Nick Gutierrez. “It’s a small oasis in the middle of Miami.” Living arrangements are relaxed, with flexible leases that range from weeklong stays to a full year (a minimum one-week stay is required). Prices start at $500 per week or $1,800 per month and include Wi-Fi and use of communal areas such as meeting rooms, lounges and a state-of-the-art kitchen—plus access to residences around the world. Members don’t pay a fee for signing up, though they are asked to create a digital profile and manage their stays online; they can also add optional services such as daily housekeeping.
Photograph: Patrick Michael Chin
With so much freedom, it’s not rare for guests to bounce around from one property to another. “Everyone has interesting stories and a keen sense of adventure—I love that I get to explore Miami with them,” says Sisson. Making the transition from place to place easier is the array of organized programming and group activities available to members, including weekly communal dinners on property and off-site meet-ups.
“Roam completely shaped my perception of Miami,” says Lorenzo Prieto, a Roam member who works for a German-based tech company looking to expand into the Latin American market. “I meet new, inspiring people every day. We not only work [together] but also get to know this vibrant city together.”
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.