The world as we know it is constantly changing and evolving, and the rise of remote and hybrid workers is upon us!

Traditional office layouts are becoming a thing of the past, as remote workers think about which spaces put them “in the zone” to turn out their best work.

So with all these changes and updates to the office, is there any way to minimize wasting office space, while still helping your remote workers find their “zen” workplace?

There certainly is, and that’s why we’re here today, to look at the benefits of “office hoteling” and figure out if it would work for your company. So grab your coffee and come with us as we go office hoteling.

So what exactly is “office hoteling”?

Office hoteling is an office space management technique, where employees reserve desks, rooms and other resources ahead of time.

The traditional office workspace is slowly but surely being turned on its head. Offices now benefit from having creative spaces, dedicated tech rooms and arenas for collaborations. When done well, the modern workspace lets the company’s in-house, hybrid and remote workers collaborate seamlessly.

So when an office is completely renewed and kitted out with multifunctional rooms, do they sometimes go unused?

The short answer is yes, sometimes these spaces do go to waste, and this is where office hoteling comes in. 

Already we’re seeing surveys (pg. 7) showing that over 30% of employers were considering an office hoteling model, and demand continues to rise.

Office hoteling is a system that lets employees book a workspace for a specific period, just like they would book a hotel room. Workers make reservations for one part of a work building and clock out when they no longer need it. This makes the most out of a smaller workspace instead of a company having to rent an entire building.

More companies than ever are using hybrid and remote workers, so what’s the point in having the traditional, permanent desk set up for workers who get the job done from home? In 2023, a Forbes report showed that 13% of full-time employees work from home, while almost one-third work in a hybrid model. Future trends suggest over 30 million American workers to be remote by 2025.

In a few ways, it’s similar to “hot desking,” where a company gives its employees the freedom to swap desks on-the-fly in the office. The thing with hot desking is that sometimes it can become a bit of a free-for-all and can be confusing for employees in the long run.

So let’s take the principles of office hoteling and figure out how useful it could be for you and your company.

Is my company suited to office hoteling?

Think for a moment about the car rental and airline industries, as examples. Modern work practices and technological advancements have resulted in both of these industries placing a massive emphasis on making the most out of their resources. Sometimes airline companies won’t fill every seat on a flight. A car rental company often doesn’t expect every vehicle to be used at the same time. The same principle applies here: make the most of the resources you have!

Not all companies will be perfectly suited for the new functions and capabilities of office hoteling. Debbie Donley, owner of Vocon Office Designers, made an insightful point that office hoteling is better suited for particular jobs and industries. Law offices, for example, need much higher levels of confidentiality than most, so shared office spaces are a no-no. On the other hand, I.T. companies greatly benefit from office hoteling. Here you can see how hoteling works for some companies better than others.

So if you’re wondering if office hoteling would work for your company, three are a few things to consider, based on your current setup and company goals. Office hoteling works particularly well for: 

Businesses looking to scale up: For all you small businesses and startups out there, we know that in the early stages, it’s often just not feasible to invest in a large office space. Using an Office hoteling reservation system is a great way to grow the workforce without having to grow one specific place!

‍Heavily remote and hybrid companies: If you’re mostly or completely hiring remote workers, you might not even operate with a traditional HQ. The thing is, there are still massive benefits from having your workers together face-to-face, so two or more workers in a similar geographical location can both “office hotel” to socialize while collaborating. You can help them with this!

Globalizing workforces: If you’re expanding into brand new cities, countries or even continents, joining a global office hoteling system can benefit you. As your remote workers in faraway countries start looking for new places to work, you don’t face the massive risks and investments that come with setting up a new office.

‍Companies with ESG in mind: So as global business practices continue to emphasize the importance of a good ESG score (Environmental, Social and Governance), an office hoteling system offers strong benefits. You save on space, utilities, and upkeep, so bear these points in mind if your green output is key.

And what are the specific benefits of office hoteling?

So if you’ve finished weighing up whether your company is suited for office hoteling, let’s take a deeper look into exactly what benefits you can expect it to bring:

Improved networking

One aspect of work showing particular signs of improvement through office hoteling is employee networking. So your remote workers are scattered around a whole host of different locations. What this means is that these workers have the freedom to collaborate with whoever they want, naturally and socially. Coworking spaces, when they’re at their best, work as incubators for creativity. New freedoms and workspace flexibilities let workers move freely from assigned spaces to open spaces, and many remote workers enjoy this. They often mingle with other remote workers and build new bonds in new locations, which results in new possibilities for collaboration. 

As the traditional office goes out the window, workers have more options than ever for where to sit down, absorb the vibe and get their work done. Utilize the power of office hoteling to have your staff networking in new and productive ways!

It saves you money

For workforces increasing their hybrid and remote workers, traditionally assigning one person to one desk is becoming rarer and rarer. On top of this, over a year new employees might come and go, teams can grow and shrink, and so there’s no way to keep track of completely optimized work areas. 

Office hoteling gets into cutting down costs like rent, utilities and office upkeep. The principle of using hoteling is that your employees use fewer desks more often. They find a place they like, and it becomes their shrine of productivity as they go remote. In fact, a Global Workplace Analytics report from IWG shows how employers can save on average $11,000 per worker, per year, for each staff member who goes remote for half of the work week.

So as the numbers come in, it’s clear to see why so many companies are taking remote and hybrid work so seriously. If an employee feels more productive working in their special place, and your overheads are coming down, it’s win-win!

A greener overall footprint

Another benefit of a well-thought-out office hoteling system is that it helps improve the green footprint of the company. Naturally, as more workers use the opportunity of remote work, office space can be optimized.

In your traditional office space, you can start to identify underutilized space. Areas that you used to think were essential might start to become free, so perhaps you’ll be able to scale down your office size while you scale up your teams. 

Office waste and supplies are decreased, as well as utilities like water usage and all the bills that come with it. Your remote workers spend less (or even zero) time commuting to and from work. So hey, your teams will be happier while your ESG score keeps improving. That’s a killer combo!

More specialized resources

If you implement office hoteling effectively, your remote workers might even get the chance to improve the way they use their resources. In order to get the most out of an office, many companies try to create specialized areas for work like programming, engineering and designing. 

However, when the doors of office hoteling possibilities are opened, the amount of resources they can use grows. Workers can start choosing locations that specialize in one particular area of work. As a quick example, if an employee constantly needs to be on calls, or work with auditory resources, they can start looking for places with good acoustics.

The same principle applies to teamwork. Teams might need a private area they can simply clock in and clock out of for a week, and then be done with the temporary office. Designers can choose to hotel at an office with highly specialized software. The possibilities are endless!

So if your small business or startup is growing, and the idea of costly investments scares you at the moment, office hoteling could be right up your street! Make the most out of specialized resources.

Improved collaboration, productivity and efficiency

In a 2024 Gallup Poll Report, more than half of remote-capable employees are currently working in a hybrid or exclusively remote job. They listed the advantages of hybrid work as “improved work-life balance,” “higher efficiency” and “less burnout and fatigue.”

There are countless more reasons employees would still rather work in a hybrid or remote system. They might have extensive commute journeys, the weather might really suck, or they could even have super chatty coworkers (sorry to say, but it could be true!). These workers truly feel their best work is done off-site, and if it’s working for you, more power to them! 

Office hoteling gives them new chances to get “in the zone” in a setting that works for them. Office hoteling even keeps the door open to new possibilities in collaboration. If you get behind them with a hoteling system, you could dedicate one day in the week or month to meet in person, or let teams choose their own partners to go office hoteling with. There are so many new possibilities and fresh perspectives to be found!

You know how important a work location is. Use us for a company retreat!

As a manager, you understand the importance of location for team building. Remote and hybrid workers collaborate with in-office staff in new ways, but those who are far away can feel isolated and detached from the team. This stops your teams from reaching their full potential.

So get rid of those remote-work blues and bring everyone together, strengthening their team bonds while on a productive work retreat! 

We organize work team retreats that work wonders for team building. A twice-annual retreat solidifies team bonds, and for new members of staff, it’s an amazing way to break some ice!

We've had the pleasure of organizing over 700+ retreat experiences, including remote teams, for many different companies. Here’s what we offer:

• Stress-free transfers? We got you! ✅
• Quality-assured accommodations? Check! ✅
• Engaging team-building activities? Our speciality ✅
• Restaurant reservations? That's on us! ✅
• Expert retreat planning assistance? Of course, we have this covered! ✅
• Onsite support, tailored to your needs? Absolutely ✅

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Not only this but we also have access to 160+ locations around Europe, APAC, the US, Latin America, and now Africa, meaning the sky is your limit when it comes to choosing the right location for you and your team.

We’ve heard how Team Managers believe “Company culture is created at retreats,” and we couldn’t agree more!

So as you plan your evolution into the possibilities of office hoteling, use the power of a team retreat to bring everyone closer! You can leave us to take care of the tricky logistics for an unforgettable experience. Spaces are limited, get in touch now!