Maximize Your Workspace Efficiency with Office Hoteling Software: Here’s What You Need to Know

Although the global pandemic is receding in most parts of the world, the big “How are we going to work now?” question is still as hard as it was a year ago. The future of work is difficult and unclear, and unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet.

If you decide on a hybrid work model, then office hoteling (or desk hoteling) is probably one of the tools that can bring a lot of value. This type of software allows employees to easily book offices, desks, and rooms.

But what is office hoteling software?

Quick Summary: Office hoteling software is a platform that enables employees to reserve workspaces as needed, improving space utilization and flexibility.

Implementing office hoteling software requires careful planning, communication, and employee training.

The benefits of office hoteling software include improved collaboration, optimized use of office space, cost savings, and real-time data on workspace utilization.

Businesses should prioritize employee comfort and safety by incorporating safety features into the hoteling process, allowing for a transition period, and collecting feedback.

By following best practices for the implementation of office hoteling software, businesses can create a more efficient, productive, and comfortable work environment for their employees.

How Does Hoteling Work?

Office hoteling is a means of using shared office space and unassigned seating more efficiently. Workers reserve seats using a hoteling software platform. They choose the office space they want for a desired length of time.

Let’s start by clarifying that there’s no difference between “office hoteling” and “desk hoteling” — it all falls under the blanket term, “hoteling.” In short, it is an alternative approach to the more traditional method of permanently assigned seating.

Hoteling is reservation-based, unassigned seating. Employees reserve a workspace via desk booking software before they come to work in an office. Desk hoteling usually refers to booking desks. Office hoteling may refer to either booking office space or could also be used for desk reservations.

Typically, hoteling is used in a flexible work environment with various types of seating strategies like activity-based working, based on office neighborhoods.

Think of it the same way that you’d book a room at a hotel. Employees can book an available workspace, either a desk or an office, or even a cubicle, in advance. Once they’re over and the workspace is vacant, other employees can reserve it.

You can read more about the benefits of hoteling and how it can improve your workplace engagement and collaboration here, or read more about hoteling vs. hot desking here.

The big question, though, is how do you implement it. The simple and easiest way is to use workplace management software.

What Is Office Hoteling Software?

Office hoteling software is a type of reservation platform that allows employees to book office spaces, desks, and rooms for a specified period of time, on-demand, to fit their working needs. It is designed to streamline the complexities associated with hybrid work scheduling and provides companies with a smart way to bring order and insight to their flexible desk strategies, thus reducing their office footprint.

The most important element of the office hoteling software is the desk booking system. In most cases, though, it is part of a larger hybrid workplace management platform.

Let’s break these down.

Desk booking software allows employees to easily book workspaces for a day, a week, or repeatedly over a longer period. The most important part of the process is to make the booking experience fully integrated into the technology stack of your organization.

For example, if you’re using Microsoft, then your workplace management software should be available in Teams, Microsoft 365, as well as Outlook. If you’re using Google, then the desk booking platform should be fully integrated with Google Calendar, Google Workspace, and Google Chrome.

Of course, giving your employees access to an easy-to-use web portal and mobile app is a must too. The more choices there are, the better the adoption will be — and therefore, the more benefits you can gain from utilizing office hoteling.

Of course, even with measures like this, there may be some teething problems when you first integrate office hoteling software. Other strategies you can employ to make the transition as smooth as possible include the following:

• Communicating the benefits: Clearly explain the benefits of workplace management software, such as increased flexibility, improved collaboration, and cost savings, to your employees. This can help motivate the employees to use the new system.
• Providing training: Offer training sessions or tutorials on how to use the office hoteling software. This can help employees understand how to reserve workspaces, access amenities, and use the software effectively.
• Allowing for a transition period: Allow for a transition period during which employees can continue to use their current workspace or desk alongside the new hoteling software. This can help employees adjust to the new system gradually and reduce the stress of the integration process.
• Ensuring mobile accessibility: Ensure that the office hoteling software is accessible from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This can help employees reserve workspaces on the go, making the system more convenient and user-friendly.
• Collecting feedback: Collect feedback from employees on their experience using the office hoteling software. This can help identify any issues or challenges that the employees may be experiencing and can inform future updates or improvements to the system.
• Using an intuitive interface: Use an intuitive interface that is easy to navigate and understand. This can help employees feel more comfortable using the software and simplify the learning curve.
• Addressing concerns: Be proactive in addressing any concerns or questions that employees may have about the new office hoteling software system. This can help alleviate any anxiety that employees may have about the integration process.

How to Use a Hoteling System As a Module to Enhance the Workplace Experience

As mentioned, the office hoteling software, which in essence is a desk booking tool, is part of a larger workplace platform.

Some of the other important elements you can expect from such a solution are:

• Space booking system: Usually, integrating office hoteling software with your meeting room scheduling system can significantly improve the employee experience. This way, people can book desks, conference rooms, and parking spaces within the same platform.
• Visitor management and reception app: Integrating your office hoteling solution with a nice reception app can also improve the workplace experience for all. Furthermore, you can save a lot of time for your employees and keep your workplace safe.
• Health and safety management: Office hoteling is all about sharing workspaces, so some people might feel uncomfortable in terms of health and safety. A good hybrid work software platform will let you track the physical presence of employees. Also, it can let you enforce limits on the number of people in the office and create more intuitive employee schedules.
• Space and floor plan management: One of the core modules of every workplace platform is managing your office assets, desks, rooms, parking spots, and any other resources available.
• Integrations & 3rd party apps: Connect all the platforms you need to ensure a seamless hybrid work experience for your employees.
• Extensibility and APIs: Have access to a well-documented and public API so that you can extend the platform the way you need.
• Workplace analytics: Last but not least, you should collect, measure and analyze all data about your space utilization. This way, you can adjust your space to the needs of your employees.

Best Practices for Implementing Office Hoteling Software

It’s essential to follow best practices to ensure the successful implementation of your office hoteling software solution. This will help you maximize the benefits of the software and minimize any potential challenges.

Here are some of the best practices to consider when implementing office hoteling software:

Communicate Office Hoteling Guidelines and Etiquette Ahead of Time

To ensure a smooth transition to the new system, you should communicate office hoteling guidelines and etiquette to employees in advance. This can help them understand how the system works, what to expect, and how to use the software effectively.

Offer a Variety of Office Hoteling Furniture and Layouts

To cater to your employees’ different needs and preferences, plan to offer a variety of office hoteling furniture and layouts. For example, if some of your workers have disabilities or physical differences, opt for desks and chairs that accommodate the specific needs of these individuals.

More inclusive furniture can help create a comfortable and productive work environment that meets the needs of all your staff.

Choose an Intuitive Desk Reservation System That Is Easy to Use and Integrates With Other Workplace Technologies

A proper, functional desk reservation system is essential to the success of office hoteling software. The system should be easy to use, integrate with other workplace technologies, and provide real-time data on workspace utilization.

Use Interactive Floor Plans

Interactive floor plans and workspace maps can help employees quickly find available workspaces and resources. This feature can also help you to optimize your company’s use of office space and resources.

Ensure Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility is crucial for employees who work remotely or travel frequently. Your office hoteling software should be accessible from a mobile device, allowing employees to reserve workspaces and resources on the go.

Build Safety Features

With many office workers concerned about the potential impact of transmissible diseases nowadays, businesses must prioritize the health and safety of their employees.

Your office hoteling software solution should accommodate social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, and contact tracing to ensure a safe and healthy workplace.

Couple Your Hoteling System With a Cloud-Based Document Management System

A cloud-based document management system can help employees access documents and files from anywhere, regardless of their physical location. This can help improve productivity and collaboration among employees, particularly when different workers are onsite at different times.

Collect and Analyze Space Utilization Data

Collecting and analyzing data on workspace utilization will allow you to make the most out of office space and other resources. This data can also provide valuable insights into employee behavior and preferences.

Seek Employee Feedback

To ensure the success of your approach to office hoteling software, seek employee feedback regularly. It can help you identify potential areas of improvement and make changes to the software or user workflows accordingly.

Implementing office hoteling software requires careful planning and execution. By following best practices, you can maximize the benefits of the software and create a comfortable and productive work environment for your employees.

What Is a Workspace Hoteling App?

An easy-to-use desk hoteling app is an essential part of the modern hybrid work software, particularly if your office’s space type makes space management a key priority. In general, the app should allow employees to reserve a workspace in any company office and enable employees to collaborate in person. Some of the key features of such mobile apps are:

1. Easily find a workspace – Allow teammates to determine which hot desks are available to book, permanently assigned, or unavailable at the moment.
2. Book the right desk – Employees can book a desk for the day in advance or recurring right from their mobile app. Interactive floor plans give them the flexibility to choose their desk location, depending on what they need to get done that day.
3. Smart team scheduling – Using a more advanced office hoteling app will allow you to pre-configure neighborhoods so employees can work near each other. Furthermore, some workplace systems will provide desk booking options based on function, activity, or historical data while still giving them the full flexibility they need.

Workspace hoteling apps can be integrated with other workplace management tools, such as calendar software, email systems, and facility management systems.

This integration enables businesses to streamline their workspace management processes, track workspace utilization, and make data-driven decisions about office space allocation and resource management.

Workplace hoteling apps are key to improving the overall employee workplace experience because they simplify the management of desk availability in a very collaborative way.

What Are the Benefits of Using Desk Hoteling Software?

Well-integrated office hoteling solutions can significantly enhance the workplace experience for your teams and so represent a great investment of office resources.

The adoption of hybrid work increases the scheduling complexity. Using a proper system will streamline internal operations by bringing everything office-related into one solution.

Furthermore, by using the desk space reservation and conference room scheduling modules, you can build and rely on data to optimize your workspace utilization and get more out of your office floor plan. In a nutshell, the four most important benefits of using hoteling are:

• Increased space optimization and cut costs – With flexible workspaces on the rise, does it really make sense to designate a desk for every employee if the employees won’t be in the office 40 hours per week? That’s a lot of poorly utilized real estate.
• Reduced overhead – Having fewer people in the office at any given time reduces energy consumption and utility costs. This is particularly true when you also make productive allowances for remote workers and hybrid employees.
• Employee flexibility – Aside from freeing up real estate, office hoteling offers workers a sense of freedom and flexibility, which can, in turn, improve employee productivity. According to Forbes, 92% of millennials see flexibility as a top priority when looking for new job opportunities. In fact, some studies show that more than 50 percent of employees are considering leaving their jobs post-pandemic in favor of flexible workspaces.
• Increased collaboration – Office hoteling gives teams the flexibility to book desks together in clusters or just sit next to other teams. Having this flexibility in relation to seating arrangements can create interactions that can be key to speeding up projects and making sure teams are on the same page.
• Improved tracking and analytics – Desk hoteling software provides businesses with real-time data on workspace utilization, which can help them make informed decisions about office space allocation, layout, and design. This data can also help businesses identify trends and patterns in workspace usage, allowing them to further optimize their office space and resources.
• Increased transparency and communication – Desk hoteling software provides employees with a clear understanding of which workstations are available, who is using them, and when they will become available. This transparency can help reduce conflicts and misunderstandings among employees and promote better communication and collaboration.

As a result, you’ll save time, increase your employees’ engagement, and reduce your real estate costs.

The Health & Safety Advantages of Hoteling Software

Hoteling software has become increasingly popular in the modern workplace due to the enhanced flexibility and more efficient use of office space it offers. Another crucial advantage of hoteling software is the protection it provides to employees in terms of combating the transmission of harmful illnesses.

With hoteling software, employees can quickly and easily see how crowded the office is, who will be sitting where, and when colleagues are scheduled to use shared resources.

This information can help employees feel more comfortable in the workplace, especially those who are particularly nervous about contracting transmissible infections.

In addition, hoteling software allows for more frequent and thorough cleaning of shared workspaces, which is essential to preventing the spread of illnesses.

With the ability to track which employees have used specific workstations or meeting rooms, cleaning staff can focus their efforts on high-traffic areas — thus reducing the risk of exposure to germs and viruses.

Related read: Free Meeting Room Booking Template in Excel [2023]

A New York Times article from March 2022 highlighted the disparity between workers and employers in the context of the return to in-person work since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While bosses and company owners were keen to have as many employees on site as possible, many workers felt apprehensive about returning to the office, particularly where remote options were available and workable.

The report noted the availability of alternative solutions to this problem, such as masks. However, it also noted that masks pose a “psychological barrier” in terms of the social culture of offices.

If, as a company owner, you find yourself in this position, hoteling software could give you the means to strike a balance between these two competing interests.

Choosing the Right Office Hoteling Software

There are a number of features you should look for when deciding between hoteling software service providers. These include the following:

• Intelligent presence tracking: You should be able to track check-ins and check-outs using QR codes or some other mechanism.
• Integration: The best software solutions integrate seamlessly with your existing tech stack rather than requiring your team to start using new apps.
• Intuitive platforms: Your employees will be much less enthusiastic about a new tool like this if it’s not easy to use. The floor plan and booking functions should be intuitive to prevent problems from occurring right from the get-go.

For example, hybrid work software such as OfficeRnD Hybrid offers all these features and more. This is one of the reasons why it stands out when it comes to hoteling software that’s easy to use and fully integratable.

Watch the short video below to learn more.

Get Started With OfficeRnD Hybrid for Free Today!

If you want to start managing shared office space more efficiently and with less stress, it might be time to consider a hoteling software solution.

By enabling employees to reserve workspaces as needed, you can optimize your use of office space, reduce real estate costs, and provide employees with the flexibility to work from anywhere in the office.

A software solution can enhance collaboration among employees, improve workspace utilization, and provide real-time data on workspace availability, enabling you to make data-driven decisions about office space allocation and resource management.

Implementing office hoteling software requires careful planning and execution, including communicating guidelines and etiquette, offering a variety of workspaces, using an intuitive desk reservation system, and ensuring mobile accessibility.

You should also prioritize employee comfort by providing training, allowing for a transition period, collecting feedback, and addressing concerns.

Considering implementing office hoteling for your hybrid workplace space? Get started for free with OfficeRnD Hybrid or book a live demo with one of our workplace experts.

FAQ

1. What Is the Difference Between Hoteling and Hot Desking?

The terms “hoteling” and “hot desking” are often used interchangeably, but there are important differences between the two.

Hot desking typically involves the sharing of office space and workstations on a temporary or as-needed basis, with spaces distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hoteling, on the other hand, allows employees to reserve specific workspaces in advance, typically with the aid of hoteling software.

2. What Is a Hoteling Model?

A hoteling model is a flexible office arrangement that allows employees to reserve workspace as needed rather than be assigned a specific workstation. With a hoteling model, employees can reserve desks, offices, or meeting rooms using software, which helps to ensure that they have access to the resources they need.

This type of model is ideal for businesses with a remote or mobile workforce who don’t require fixed desks or offices or for companies that are expanding but are not in a position to buy or rent enough additional office space to meet their needs.

3. Does Office Hoteling Work?

Office hoteling gives businesses a highly effective way to maximize the use of their office space and provide a more flexible working environment for their employees. However, it’s essential to implement a hoteling system that is user-friendly and easy to navigate to ensure that employees can easily reserve the resources they need.

4. Are There Negative Impacts of Hot Desking?

As with everything in the world of business, there are risks to manage when it comes to hot desking. That’s why it’s essential to manage hot desking sensibly and ensure that employees have access to the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.