Permanent hotelling is becoming a popular way to manage office space more efficiently as hybrid work becomes the norm. With more organisations rethinking how they use their desks, this approach offers a balance between flexibility and structure that supports today’s changing work patterns.
In this article, you will learn about permanent hotelling, its differences from other desk-sharing models, and when it makes sense for your workplace.
Office hotelling is a workplace strategy where employees reserve a desk in advance to come into the office. At its core, hotelling is a way to reduce the number of empty desks companies have and improve the actual utilisation of that office space.
Hotelling relies on a desk-booking system to keep track of reservations. Typically, these systems allow employees to select a workspace (with an office map or floor plan) in advance, usually through an app on their desktop or mobile device.
A key distinction in hotelling is that employees do not have assigned seating. Employees reserve a desk only for the days that they plan to be in the office. This model works well for hybrid teams and part-time in-office employees or teams.
This method of hotelling allows for fewer desks to be underutilised and is most effective when employee attendance is unpredictable or changes frequently.
Permanent hotelling involves employees reserving a desk for a longer time — frequently weeks or months. During the reservation period, the desk is theirs exclusively (not a “permanently assigned” desk).
This produces a semi-fixed seating experience for the user, offering them consistency while also allowing the space to be reassigned later.
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This model model enables employees to feel a greater sense of routine and ownership, while still allowing facility teams to reassign desks in real-time based on employee occupancy.
Hybrid: Hybrid or Blend Both
Many organisations use both forms of hotelling to cater to work patterns:
The hybrid model capitalises on the positives of flexibility and structure—creating the optimum environment in the workplace and responding to each employee’s variable requirements.
Permanent hotelling is an office seating arrangement where an employee reserves the same desk for a long-term period, typically ranging from several weeks to several months. This process combines the flexibility of hotelling with the permanence of assigned seating without outrightly assigning a desk.
In this model:
This provides employees with a familiar space to work while still allowing for operational and dynamic utilisation of office space. It’s useful for employees who work in a hybrid setting, regularly coming into the office on specified days (e.g., every Tuesday and Thursday).
As hybrid work and flexible work-from-home policies become more common, many companies are seeking ways to offer both flexibility and structure at the office. This type of hotelling is a practical compromise.
It’s becoming popular for several purposes:
For employees who come into the office a few days a week (2–3 days each week), they need a designated space that they know will be open and available to them when they arrive. Permanent hotelling allows employees to reserve a desk for specific days (but not have the desk assigned permanently).
Although desk space is not assigned, employees will feel more at ease if they use the same one consistently for weeks or months. That sense of familiarity may help to work with more focus and satisfaction.
With no designated desk, employees may spend time looking for a new desk each day. This type of hotelling removes that complication and saves time!
Managers can group employees and departments by desk allocation into clusters (e.g., long-term booking). Managers can focus on collaboration while still using the space flexibly.
Since desk reservations are made in advance over time, facility teams can see how space is being utilised and make informed decisions about future layouts, capacity, and desk allocation.
For Employees
Employees can benefit from permanent hotelling in various ways:
For Employers
Employers can also benefit:
Unfortunately, there are some challenges organisations need to consider:
Unused desks: A common issue is that even though employees can reserve desks, employees are not guaranteed to show up on the reserved day. This can leave desks empty, even if booked, reducing workspace efficiency.
Technology needed: Companies require a dependable desk booking tool to implement permanent hotelling successfully. Specifically, desk booking systems can support employees in reserving their desks, track desk usage to evaluate needs, and enable the facility team to oversee desk availability. Without appropriate technology, managing desk reservations will become increasingly complicated.
Fair use policies: Without fair use policies, disputes will arise over who has access to desks, particularly in tight spaces when demand is high. Policies should clearly state the duration for which desks can be reserved, the process for cancelling or releasing unused reservations or access, and who receives priority. These policies need to be communicated and enforced.
Change management: Implementing means confronting ways of thinking about their workspace. Many employees may struggle to relinquish assigned seating and fully adopt sharing and reserving desks, even when they consistently occupy the same one. Organisations should plan for this change management strategy using training, support, and communication.
Not all workplaces can successfully implement it. It works effectively under a few criteria:
For remote employees, those with irregular work patterns that may not be consistent in the office, or those who come to the office infrequently, long-term reservations for desks don’t work in the same way.
In highly flexible or unpredictable environments, where work schedules or office days may change on a daily basis, reserving desks for longer periods could be more trouble than it’s worth.
Implementing hotelling in your office isn’t exactly a plug-and-play exercise. It takes some thought and preparation beforehand. Here are some of the more important steps to executing successfully:
You will need to understand the work patterns of your employees when they are in the office. You will want to track who and how often comes into the office on a regular basis. This data will help you assess how many workstations to reserve permanently and who (teams or individuals) require permanent desk support. Understanding work patterns helps safeguard against over-booking or wasted space.
A desk-booking software system should allow employees to reserve desk space for weeks or months and be easy to modify or cancel. It should either provide an app or be mobile-friendly, allowing employees to make these bookings on the go. It may also be beneficial if the system provides an integrated approach to identifying desk bookings through a calendar or messaging system.
Establish guidelines for how permanent hotelling will function in your office. Determine:
Defining clear policies will help avoid conflict and create fairness.
Launch the new system with clear instructions and support. Show employees how to use the booking software, explain your company’s policies, and address any questions they may have. Employee training will limit confusion and support buy-in.
After launching, keep track of how desks are being used. Look to identify desks that remain empty or areas that are being underutilised. Use your bookings data to make adjustments to the system, such as loosening restrictions for desks that remain unused, or changing your booking rules. Regular monitoring ensures the system is performing optimally and helps you provide a more responsive system.
To further improve permanent hotelling, consider integrating your desk booking system with other workplace systems, such as:
These integrations help create a seamless and convenient experience for employees, enhancing their overall workplace experience.
When companies assess their office seating options, it is essential to thoroughly understand the variety of models available and their corresponding levels of ownership, flexibility, and optimal use cases. Here is permanent hotelling in comparison to the other primary models:
Assigned seating means that each employee has their own desk, assigned for their exclusive use. This is how most offices have traditionally operated for many years.
Assigned seating works well for employees who want a stable and personal spot; however, it often leads to many unused desks, particularly in hybrid and flexible workplaces.
Hot desking is the opposite of assigned seating and permanent hotelling in that employees do not have assigned or booked desks; instead, they take any available desks they settle into.
Hot desking is a very efficient use of space. However, it can create anxiety for employees who lack a consistent seating spot within the office and must find a desk each time they come into the office.
Traditional hotelling involves employees reserving desks ahead of time for their use. Usually, employees reserve this for a short timeframe (like a day or a few days).
This method strikes the best balance of flexibility and predictability, but employees must reserve a desk in advance.
Permanent hotelling is a hybrid combination of assigned seating and traditional hotelling. Employees can reserve the same desk for longer periods, such as weeks or even months, but the desk is not theirs to keep permanently.
This type of hotelling offers the reliability of a fixed desk, combined with the space-saving benefits of flexibility. It reduces daily stress on booking and allows teams to sit together while still enabling offices to flex and adjust to shifting needs.
By identifying these differences, organisations can determine the proper seating model to serve their workforce and align with their work culture, thereby creating a more productive and enjoyable office environment.
Permanent hotelling offers a balance of flexibility and stability. It accommodates hybrid working arrangements while also controlling for the management of office space. If your team regularly comes in but is not assigned desks, then this workplace model may be a great solution for you.
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