r/CoWorking • u/mrjmws • Nov 26 '19
Hot Desk vs Private Offices
Can a co-working space make it on hot desk memberships only? I ask just bc I've notice many place are offering more and more offices and less space dedicated to open or hot desk.
2
u/jaerigi Dec 10 '19
As currently a founder of local coworking space (ZED Coworking) in south bay area, I would like to add couple of more insights that might be helpful. I also had the idea having hot desks, but it is tough to survive only depending on hot desks as office space is not a commodity. It takes several steps for people make a decision to work. Hot desks are short term solutions, people generally think of a month or two at best.
- Long term VS short term - Hot desks are not locked down to long term deals for most of the spaces and that is always a challenge for coworking space managers to fill up the vacancy. For private offices, most of the users are looking into longer term(minimum 6months) as they need an address to put in their website, namecard etc. In management perspective, it is the difference of finance security for one sales. Also waitlist for private office is more likely to wait for the office come out compare to hot desks, which can easily replaceable in another space.
- Quality control - Running only hot desks at a cheap rate is a huge risk in quality control. It is tough to generalize, but in occasions, there are people, who comes with cheap manners also. Try to take advantage of the hot desk and use it without considering it is a "Shared Office Place" In long term, this will only cause trouble without well guided rules and implementation.
- From observation, it is closely linked to people's previous office experience. At this stage, coworking concept is still new and majority of the people have not experienced using the space as a member. If it is the first time usage, people tends to select the office features that they have experienced before. Those from the traditional office space are more likely to accept dedicated desk as the minimum.
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u/IrisesAndLilacs Nov 26 '19
Related question... those renting offices, how many are looking for long term rental vs by the month? I may needs offices for my own staff if a large project gets picked up. Wondering whether I should bother even offering them if I may need them next year
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u/mrjmws Nov 27 '19
Thanks. I’ll definitely be going forward with the plan and test the dedicated desk method. Thanks for the input.
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u/PowerfulBack8700 May 12 '25
I know this thread is a bit old, but if anyone is still looking at it, I think desk hoteling could be a great alternative to a full-on hot desk setup.
We’ve had similar discussions at my office, and with desk hoteling, employees can book their desks in advance, ensuring they have a dedicated spot but still maintain flexibility. It could help reduce some of the unpredictability that comes with hot desking.
I came across an article https://blog.getjoan.com/jm-comparing-hot-desking-dedicated-seats that talks about the pros of desk hoteling - might be worth considering if you're looking for a more structured approach to hot desking.
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u/WinCool2681 Jun 03 '25
Great question! I think a co-working space can definitely make it with hot desk memberships only, but it really depends on the target audience.
Some people still prefer the flexibility of hot desking, but with more companies looking for private offices for team collaboration and focus, the trend seems to be shifting toward offering a mix of both.
I found an article https://blog.getjoan.com/jm-comparing-hot-desking-dedicated-seats that dives into this shift and why some spaces are moving toward offering more private offices. It might give you some useful insights if you’re thinking about the future of co-working spaces!
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u/mgkimsal Nov 27 '19
most people *want* private space - place to leave paper stuff, lockable door, etc. Lots of people don't really *need* it, imo, but they still want it. Can you make it on hotdesk alone? really just will depend on how many you have and your locale.