Office hoteling: Pros and cons, and how to enable it in your workspace
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Improving efficiency at your workplace – or rather, getting rid of inefficiencies – is crucial for staying competitive. Office space is one of your most expensive resources, and if it’s not used well, it’s a money drain for your company. To make the most out of every square foot and ensure your workplace serves your team well, you can use the principle of office hoteling.
What’s hoteling, you’re probably wondering? And how do you implement it?
We’ll unpack all this below, see what its pros and cons are, and explain how you can use it to create an office where everyone thrives.
Understanding the concept of hoteling office space
Hoteling is a new approach to using office space, where your team can book desks or workstations on an as-needed basis, rather than having dedicated desks. This enables you to optimize the space you have available, accommodate team members’ schedules and work-location preferences, and build a hybrid culture where everyone feels engaged and seen.
But what exactly does hoteling office space mean?
In short, office hoteling is a flexible desk booking system for the office. Instead of having a permanent desk, employees can book a spot when they need it, a bit like checking into a hotel. It’s handy for hybrid workspaces and enables people to reserve desks, meeting rooms, or even quiet zones, for example via a desk booking app like Officely.
It has become an integral part of many modern offices and helps cater to different working styles and preferences.
Key features of a desk hoteling reservation system
For a smooth hoteling experience for everyone, you need a dedicated desk booking system. Here are the key features to look for:
Digital desk reservation: Desk booking should be straightforward. Look for options to reserve desks, meeting rooms, equipment, quiet areas, or any workspace you need in just a few taps.
Workspace amenity filters: Having filters for things like quiet zones, standing desks, or proximity to windows is a big plus, so employees can pick a spot that best suits their work style or task.
Real-time availability updates: Instant updates on which spots are free helps your people make the right choices and decide when to come into the office.
Integrations: Integrating with your collaboration tools (like Slack or Microsoft Teams) and calendars (like Outlook or Google Calendar) means that employees don’t need to open yet another app – and this, in turn, guarantees high adoption rates.
Analytics and usage reporting:Attendance visibility and reporting helps admins understand booking trends, optimize office layout, and improve everyone’s experience.
Notifications and reminders: Automatic reminders for bookings keeps everyone on top of their reservations and helps everyone know when’s the best time to come to the office.
With hoteling, employees reserve a specific desk or workspace in advance, almost like booking a hotel room. It’s structured, and people know exactly where they’re going to sit before they arrive.
Hot desking functions on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees show up and pick any available spot. It’s a bit more spontaneous and works best when people are in and out without needing a set desk.
In practice, however, in both cases it’s best if you have a desk booking system in place to avoid chaos and inefficient office space use. So, today both terms are used nearly interchangeably.
The benefits of office hoteling
Office hoteling has a lot of advantages that can make a big impact in a flexible work setup.
Maximizes space efficiency and helps you cut costs
Hoteling provides a system that supports flexibility without requiring permanent desks for everyone. By letting people book desks only when they need them, hoteling reduces unused workstations and makes the most of every square foot, helping you save on rent.
Improves the employee experience
Employees crave location freedom and are even willing to change jobs for it. Hoteling helps you provide your team with enough space to work together when they need it, have enough desks for everyone, and use the equipment they need, but without forcing them to come to the office daily.
Boosts collaboration and networking
With hoteling, people can book spots close to team members they’re working with, which helps them chat whenever they need it, without crossing the entire office or disturbing others. With the right app, they can also instantly see who’s coming in and when, and know when is the best time to go to the office.
Spontaneous conversations are essential for innovation
And, if you plan your office layout well and design strategic common areas, you can create a fertile ground for spontaneous interactions – which really help with coming up with new ideas.
Simplifies workspace management
Hoteling apps with usage data and analytics give you insights into desk use, peak times, and workspace needs, helping you improve your office layout, plan for growth, or make adjustments as necessary.
Plus, as your company grows, it becomes easier to accommodate extra employees without needing more office space.
Challenges to overcome to benefit from office hoteling
While office hoteling is a great option for many businesses, it does have its challenges.
Overcoming employee resistance
Handling employee resistance can be difficult. Resistance can come from:
People who like working remotely all the time and would rather not come to the office
People who love working in the office and would rather not work remotely
People who like having their own desk and don’t like switching workstations
Each group requires a slightly different approach – but in all cases, talking to your people and understanding where they’re coming from is a must.
One effective way to support adoption is by involving employees in the decision-making process. So, make sure everyone can all participate in building a system that works for them, rather than a system that they need to work for and that doesn’t feel intuitive.
Provide training and ask for feedback
Quick training sessions or workshops on desk organization and booking, desk sharing etiquette, and time management can make employees feel prepared and comfortable in the new setup.
Regular feedback is key, too, and workshops are a great way to collect it. See how employees feel about hoteling and make improvements as needed. This continuous feedback loop helps create a workspace that aligns with everyone’s needs.
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New Office Management Handbook for Flexible Workplaces
Packed with actual experts insights and pro tips, this guide is here to help you find out all about managing a flexible office!
Improving efficiency at your workplace – or rather, getting rid of inefficiencies – is crucial for staying competitive. Office space is one of your most expensive resources, and if it’s not used well, it’s a money drain for your company. To make the most out of every square foot and ensure your workplace serves your team well, you can use the principle of office hoteling.
What’s hoteling, you’re probably wondering? And how do you implement it?
We’ll unpack all this below, see what its pros and cons are, and explain how you can use it to create an office where everyone thrives.
Understanding the concept of hoteling office space
Hoteling is a new approach to using office space, where your team can book desks or workstations on an as-needed basis, rather than having dedicated desks. This enables you to optimize the space you have available, accommodate team members’ schedules and work-location preferences, and build a hybrid culture where everyone feels engaged and seen.
But what exactly does hoteling office space mean?
In short, office hoteling is a flexible desk booking system for the office. Instead of having a permanent desk, employees can book a spot when they need it, a bit like checking into a hotel. It’s handy for hybrid workspaces and enables people to reserve desks, meeting rooms, or even quiet zones, for example via a desk booking app like Officely.
It has become an integral part of many modern offices and helps cater to different working styles and preferences.
Key features of a desk hoteling reservation system
For a smooth hoteling experience for everyone, you need a dedicated desk booking system. Here are the key features to look for:
Digital desk reservation: Desk booking should be straightforward. Look for options to reserve desks, meeting rooms, equipment, quiet areas, or any workspace you need in just a few taps.
Workspace amenity filters: Having filters for things like quiet zones, standing desks, or proximity to windows is a big plus, so employees can pick a spot that best suits their work style or task.
Real-time availability updates: Instant updates on which spots are free helps your people make the right choices and decide when to come into the office.
Integrations: Integrating with your collaboration tools (like Slack or Microsoft Teams) and calendars (like Outlook or Google Calendar) means that employees don’t need to open yet another app – and this, in turn, guarantees high adoption rates.
Analytics and usage reporting:Attendance visibility and reporting helps admins understand booking trends, optimize office layout, and improve everyone’s experience.
Notifications and reminders: Automatic reminders for bookings keeps everyone on top of their reservations and helps everyone know when’s the best time to come to the office.
With hoteling, employees reserve a specific desk or workspace in advance, almost like booking a hotel room. It’s structured, and people know exactly where they’re going to sit before they arrive.
Hot desking functions on a first-come, first-served basis. Employees show up and pick any available spot. It’s a bit more spontaneous and works best when people are in and out without needing a set desk.
In practice, however, in both cases it’s best if you have a desk booking system in place to avoid chaos and inefficient office space use. So, today both terms are used nearly interchangeably.
The benefits of office hoteling
Office hoteling has a lot of advantages that can make a big impact in a flexible work setup.
Maximizes space efficiency and helps you cut costs
Hoteling provides a system that supports flexibility without requiring permanent desks for everyone. By letting people book desks only when they need them, hoteling reduces unused workstations and makes the most of every square foot, helping you save on rent.
Improves the employee experience
Employees crave location freedom and are even willing to change jobs for it. Hoteling helps you provide your team with enough space to work together when they need it, have enough desks for everyone, and use the equipment they need, but without forcing them to come to the office daily.
Boosts collaboration and networking
With hoteling, people can book spots close to team members they’re working with, which helps them chat whenever they need it, without crossing the entire office or disturbing others. With the right app, they can also instantly see who’s coming in and when, and know when is the best time to go to the office.
Spontaneous conversations are essential for innovation
And, if you plan your office layout well and design strategic common areas, you can create a fertile ground for spontaneous interactions – which really help with coming up with new ideas.
Simplifies workspace management
Hoteling apps with usage data and analytics give you insights into desk use, peak times, and workspace needs, helping you improve your office layout, plan for growth, or make adjustments as necessary.
Plus, as your company grows, it becomes easier to accommodate extra employees without needing more office space.
Challenges to overcome to benefit from office hoteling
While office hoteling is a great option for many businesses, it does have its challenges.
Overcoming employee resistance
Handling employee resistance can be difficult. Resistance can come from:
People who like working remotely all the time and would rather not come to the office
People who love working in the office and would rather not work remotely
People who like having their own desk and don’t like switching workstations
Each group requires a slightly different approach – but in all cases, talking to your people and understanding where they’re coming from is a must.
One effective way to support adoption is by involving employees in the decision-making process. So, make sure everyone can all participate in building a system that works for them, rather than a system that they need to work for and that doesn’t feel intuitive.
Provide training and ask for feedback
Quick training sessions or workshops on desk organization and booking, desk sharing etiquette, and time management can make employees feel prepared and comfortable in the new setup.
Regular feedback is key, too, and workshops are a great way to collect it. See how employees feel about hoteling and make improvements as needed. This continuous feedback loop helps create a workspace that aligns with everyone’s needs.
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Necessary tools for a successful office hoteling
There are a few tools you need to pull off office hoteling successfully.
A desk booking app
One essential tool for effective hoteling office space implementation is a reliable desk reservation system that enables people to easily book and manage their workspace reservations.
Officely is an intuitive and user-friendly app that makes the desk booking process as easy as it gets – for your employees and your admin staff.
With it, everyone can see desk availability in real time, book a spot, respond to an invite for a workshop or a lunch, and even book a parking space. And, the best of all, Officely lives where your team works, in Slack or MS Teams. No need to open extra apps or build complex processes for that.
Officely lives where your team is – in Slack or MS Teams
Attendance visibility app
Next, you need to make sure you’re aware of how your space is used – and how to improve it. Typically, desk booking apps do that, as well; Officely has an easy-to-use attendance visibility feature that gives you all the details of who’s in, when, and what desk booking patterns you should be aware of.
Visitor management app
If you often have visitors in your office, you might need a separate visitor management app for an efficient check-in process and to help them find their way.
Some desk booking apps include visitor management features, but if you’re looking for a comprehensive solution, you might need a separate software tool.
Best practices for boosting the effectiveness of hoteling office space
Ready to implement hoteling at your workplace? Here are the most essential best practices to keep in mind.
Measure key performance indicators (KPIs)
There are a few KPIs you can use to evaluate the efficiency of office hoteling, such as:
Desk use rates
Adoption rates of your desk booking system
Employee satisfaction
Energy consumption
Productivity and performance
By tracking and analyzing at least some of those metrics, you can make sense of usage patterns and see what’s working and what isn’t.
Continuously improve office space efficiency
Efficiency is an ongoing effort. Always look for ways to improve your hoteling processes and office space.
For example, you might do workspace audits, collect employee feedback, and use the reporting and analytics features of your desk booking app to make sure you’re using your office in the right way – and, most importantly, in a way that makes sense for everyone.
If hoteling is right for your business, kick it off with Officely
Adopting office hoteling can help you build a workspace where everyone thrives – but for this, you need to be intentional and give your employees the freedom to choose how they want to work and from where.
Although remote work is still a top choice for many, hybrid models are gaining traction this year; many people actually like coming to the office a few days of the week to work with others face-to-face, exchange ideas, and simply grab lunch and share a room with their coworkers.
And, with the right setup, hoteling can create an efficient and modern workplace that supports everyone’s needs.
Officely is designed to make the transition to hybrid work as smooth as possible. With its simple desk and room booking, usage insights, and easy integration with Slack and MS Teams, you can make the most of your space and ensure everyone’s able to actually benefit from it, rather than come in because they have to.
Max is one of the cofounders and CEO of Officely, a flexible work enablement platform. He has helped thousands of businesses not only transition to flexible work but instil it at the core of their culture and brand.
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