What Is Office Hoteling And How Can It Benefit Your Org?

Office hoteling is a growing trend as organizations adapt their ways of working to support greater flexibility, efficiency, and collaboration.

Implementing hoteling can help support hybrid schedules or mobile teams and make more efficient use of office space. 

Use this guide to help you discover how hoteling could benefit your organization with some best practices for implementing it.

What Is Office Hoteling?

Office hoteling is a flexible workspace management strategy that empowers employees to reserve desks, offices, or meeting rooms as needed, rather than having permanently assigned workspaces.

Office management platforms are essential for managing hoteling processes, helping businesses create efficient hybrid work environments.

This approach is common in companies that use flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or hybrid models, where employees may not need a dedicated workspace every day.

As well as ‘pure’ hoteling, some organizations implement a hybrid approach. For example, only a portion of workspaces might be designated for hoteling or there are designated zones for each department where employees can choose desks within their team's area.

Office hoteling benefits greatly from using office space management platforms to handle reservations, resource usage reports, and other practical consideration.

Office Hoteling Versus Hot Desking

Office hoteling allows employees to reserve desks or spaces in advance, providing predictability and better space management through a booking system. 

Hot desking, on the other hand, operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with employees choosing available desks when they arrive, offering more spontaneity but less structure. 

Hoteling is more suitable for planned office visits, while hot desking works for flexible, unplanned workdays.

You can read more in our article on hoteling vs hot desking.

Office Hoteling Benefits And Challenges

I believe that most organizations can take advantage of hoteling on some level. Potential benefits include:

• Space optimization. Reduces the need for a large office footprint by allowing companies to use space more efficiently. Of course, less space generally means lower rent and maintenance costs.
• Flexibility. Workers can choose where they work based on their needs for the day (e.g., quiet areas for focused work or collaborative spaces for team meetings).
• Encourages collaboration. Workers from different departments or teams can sit in proximity to each other on any given day, encouraging cross-functional communication and collaboration.
• Employee satisfaction. Hoteling provides flexibility and autonomy for employees to choose their work environment, which can improve job satisfaction and work-life balance.
• Better data on office usage. Organizations can track space utilization patterns and adjust accordingly, optimizing the office layout to better meet the actual needs of their workforce.
• Environmental benefits. With fewer resources needed for heating, cooling, and maintaining large office spaces, companies can reduce their environmental footprint by embracing office hoteling.

On the flip side, some potential challenges of hoteling include:

• Booking conflicts: Employees may face difficulties securing their preferred workspace, especially during peak office days, leading to frustration.
• Loss of personal space: Employees may feel disconnected or less comfortable without a dedicated workspace to personalize.
• Desk hoarding: This happens when employees reserve desks unnecessarily for extended periods, limiting availability and reducing the efficiency of space utilization.
• Technology dependence: Hoteling relies heavily on hot desk booking systems (bit of a misnomer there), and technical issues can disrupt the process.

How Do You Know If Office Hoteling Is Right For Your Business?

As mentioned, most organizations can take advantage of hoteling on some level. Here are a couple of signs to look out for:

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1. Workforce composition

• Hybrid or remote workforce: If a significant portion of your workforce is remote or hybrid, implementing hoteling can help you make the most efficient use of space.
• Mobile or traveling employees: If your team frequently travels for work, office hoteling can reduce the need for permanent desks, saving space and costs while still providing flexibility when they return to the office.

2. Office space utilization

• Underutilized space: If you notice that your office has many empty desks or meeting rooms during the day, especially with hybrid or remote work becoming more common, office hoteling can help you maximize the use of your available space.
• Real estate costs: If you’re paying for large office spaces but find that they’re not being fully utilized, hoteling can reduce your real estate footprint, lowering overhead costs without compromising employee productivity.

3. Flexibility needs

• Changing team sizes or locations: If your business is growing rapidly or undergoing frequent reorganization, office hoteling can offer the flexibility needed to scale up or down without committing to long-term leases or reconfiguring permanent workstations.
• Project-based work: Teams that form and dissolve based on specific projects can benefit from hoteling, as they can book spaces as needed, fostering collaboration and reducing the need for permanent seating.

4. Employee preferences

• Desire for flexibility: If your employees have expressed interest in flexible working arrangements, office hoteling can support this by allowing them to choose where they want to work when they come into the office.
• Collaborative work culture: If collaboration across departments or teams is essential, office hoteling can encourage cross-functional interaction by allowing employees to book workspaces near colleagues or project teams.

5. Space management complexity

• Multiple office locations: If your business operates in multiple locations, office hoteling can help standardize the space management process across different sites, providing a consistent experience for employees no matter where they are working.
• Meeting room and resource booking: Office hoteling often integrates with other booking systems, such as meeting room scheduling and resource management (e.g., monitors, projectors). If your current process for managing these resources is complex or inefficient, hoteling may simplify it.

How To Evaluate If Office Hoteling Is Right For Your Business

• Conduct surveys: Gather input from employees regarding their preferences and work patterns. Understand if they prefer flexibility in choosing workspaces or if they feel more productive with assigned desks.
• Run data analysis: Look at office space utilization data to see how much of your office is being properly used. If many desks or rooms are consistently unoccupied, reducing the size and/or tweaking the layout plus implementing hoteling may be a solution.
• Test workflows: Simulate or run pilot tests to understand if the workflow, including booking spaces and accessing resources, aligns with your operational needs.

How To Choose An Office Hoteling Solution

To make hoteling work you’re going to need some kind of specialist office technology. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing the best solution for your needs.

1. Ease of use: Look for a platform with a simple, intuitive interface that allows employees to easily book desks, meeting rooms, and other spaces without confusion.
2. Integration with existing systems: Ensure the solution integrates with your current software, such as calendars, communication tools, and office space management software. Look for solutions such as Deskfound that support single sign-on (SSO) and other security measures to align with your IT infrastructure.
3. Mobile accessibility: Look for a solution that supports mobile access, enabling employees to book spaces on the go and check availability in real-time.
4. Real-time space management: The system should offer real-time insights into desk availability and office occupancy, allowing for better space optimization and tracking. For example, OfficeSpace has some useful tools for managing office layouts, optimizing occupancy, and tracking utilization data.
5. Customizability: Consider solutions that can be tailored to your business’s specific needs, such as designating zones for teams, supporting fixed and flexible desks, or offering recurring reservations. Eden’s neighborhooding feature is a good example of this.
6. Analytics and reporting: It’s useful if the solution provides detailed reports on space usage, helping you make data-driven decisions to optimize office space planning including formatting and resource allocation. 
7. Vendor support and scalability: Read reviews and tap into your network to help choose a vendor with strong customer support and a solution that can scale as your business grows or changes its workspace needs.

Office Hoteling Best Practices

Remember the challenges mentioned earlier? Hoteling can be great but it requires thoughtful office space management. 

Follow these best practices to help you avoid them and take full advantage of the benefits of hoteling in your organization.

1. Plan for employee needs

• Understand work patterns: Conduct surveys or interviews to assess how employees prefer to work (remote, hybrid, or office-based). Tailor hoteling to meet those needs by providing varied workspace options (quiet zones, collaborative areas, etc.).
• Segment the office: Designate specific areas for different types of work (e.g., collaboration spaces, individual workspaces). This ensures employees can easily find suitable workspaces based on their daily tasks.

2. Create clear policies and guidelines

• Define booking rules: Set clear rules on how far in advance workspaces can be reserved, booking limits, and cancellation procedures.
• Assign time limits: Encourage employees to book only for the hours or days they need, preventing desk hoarding. Implementing a time limit for workstation use can promote fair access to shared spaces.
• No-shows management: Establish a protocol for handling no-shows, such as automatically releasing unoccupied desks after a set period.

4. Provide adequate amenities

• Ergonomic furniture: Ensure workstations are equipped with comfortable, adjustable furniture. ‘Floating’ workers should have access to the same level of ergonomic support as those with permanent desks.
• Standardized technology: Equip all hoteling workspaces with standardized equipment like monitors, docking stations, power outlets, etc.
• Personal storage: Offer locker or storage solutions where employees can securely store personal items and work materials when not in the office.

5. Offer flexible workspace options

• Varied spaces: Modern offices provide a mix of work environments, such as open desks, private offices, collaborative areas, and quiet zones. This ensures employees can find the right setting for their specific tasks.
• Hybrid meeting rooms: Ensure meeting rooms are equipped with video conferencing and other collaboration tools to support hybrid meetings with both in-office and remote team members.

6. Monitor and Optimize Space Utilization

• Track usage data: Use analytics provided by the hoteling system to track workspace utilization and identify trends, such as underused areas or peak occupancy times.
• Adjust layout based on demand: Based on usage data, reconfigure office layouts to meet demand, adding more collaboration spaces or quiet zones as needed.
• Analyze cost savings: Regularly analyze the financial benefits of hoteling, such as reduced real estate costs and energy savings, to assess the program’s success.
• Gather feedback regularly: Use surveys or focus groups to gauge employee satisfaction with the hoteling system.

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