Hot desking can feel messy if you do not have a system, but it does not need to. A simple, structured template is often enough to help a small team get organized. That is why we created a free hot desk booking template in both Excel and Google Sheets, ready to use, no email required, no strings attached.
Download it today, set it up in under 30 minutes, and by tomorrow your hybrid office will already feel more structured.
Get Your Hot Desk Booking Template
Why Use a Hot Desk Booking Template?
Many companies start flexible working by letting employees choose where they sit each day. It sounds simple, but without rules and a system, you end up with confusion. People arrive at the office and cannot find an available desk. Others accidentally book the same desk twice. Office managers spend too much time solving conflicts.
A desk booking template in Excel or Google Sheets solves this quickly. If you are managing shared desks, desk hoteling, or hybrid work with a small team, it is the fastest way to get organized.
Instead of investing right away in a desk booking app or a full desk booking system, you can test your hot desking policy, see how many desks you really need, and get clarity before scaling.
A spreadsheet booking system is:
- Quick, since you can set it up in less than half an hour.
- Cost-effective, since there is no need for new tools or licenses.
- Accessible, since Excel works offline and Google Sheets makes collaboration easy.
Most importantly, your team gets clear visibility of desk availability without confusion or unnecessary back-and-forth messages.
Structure of the Template
We designed this template with clarity, simplicity, and a visual-first approach in mind. Instead of a plain list of desks and dates, the sheet uses the grid itself to represent your office space. This way, employees can “see” the workspace layout as they book, making the process more intuitive and less error-prone.
Key Features
Floor Plan Layout
- Each cell (or block of cells) represents a real desk in your office.
- You can arrange the cells to match your actual floor plan—rows and columns become hallways, zones, or clusters of desks.
- Desks can be labeled directly on the grid (e.g., Window Desk A, Pod 3, Standing Desk 1) so employees instantly recognize what they’re booking.
Visual Cues
- Color-coded formatting makes availability crystal clear:
- Green = Available
- Red = Booked
- Yellow = Out of service
- Orange = Reserved for facilities/cleaning
- The visual grid lets teams scan the office layout at a glance, just like they would on a real map.
Customization Options
- Add icons, labels, or merged cells to mark special zones like meeting pods, phone booths, or lounge areas.
- Shade weekends or holidays in gray to avoid accidental bookings.
- For teams that book by half-days or hours, you can duplicate the floor plan per slot (e.g., AM/PM or hourly).
The goal is to give you a light but spatially accurate system. Employees can book desks directly on a layout that mirrors the real office, while managers spend less time troubleshooting and more time ensuring the workspace runs smoothly.
How to Set Up Your Hot Desk Booking Template (Step-by-Step Guide)
Set Up Desks and Dates
Start by recreating your office layout using the cells of the spreadsheet. Instead of just labeling rows Desk 01, Desk 02, arrange cells so they mirror how desks are positioned in real life: clusters, rows, pods, or zones.
Label each desk with a recognizable name, such as Window Desk A, Standing Desk 1, or Corner Workstation. This makes it easy for employees to identify where they’re sitting and reduces booking errors.
You can also add practical details to each desk label, like:
- Whether it has a single or dual monitor
- Phone access or docking station availability
- Proximity to printers, windows, or meeting rooms
- Reserved desks for specific needs or roles
Tip: Leave 10–20% of desks unassigned as a buffer. This gives you flexibility for visitors, temporary staff, or desks undergoing maintenance.
Configure Booking Status and Visual Formatting
The strength of this template lies in its clarity. Color-coded formatting makes the desk map instantly readable:
- Green = Available
- Red = Booked (with the employee’s name in the cell)
- Yellow = Out of Service
- Orange = Reserved (maintenance, cleaning, etc.)
These visual signals let anyone scan the floor plan and see availability in seconds.
To prevent errors:
- Conditional formatting applies the right color automatically.
- Dropdown menus can be set up for booking statuses or employee names so no one types “Availble” by mistake.
- For accessibility, the colors are paired with text to ensure clarity for all users.
The current day can also be highlighted in bold, so employees always know which dates to focus on.
Share with Your Team and Set Access Controls
A booking template only works if everyone can access it, but access needs to be controlled.
- Google Sheets:
- Office managers get Editor rights so they can manage the template.
- Employees get Commenter rights to prevent accidental edits while still being able to book.
- Revision history allows you to see who changed what and when.
- Excel:
- Use SharePoint or OneDrive for real-time collaboration.
- If you use email distribution, establish version control rules so there is no confusion.
Always assign one or two template admins. They are responsible for maintaining the system, adding desks when needed, and resolving conflicts. Backups are also important, so set up at least one backup admin.
Establish Clear Booking Rules and Prevent Conflicts
Without rules, even the best booking system will fail. We suggest setting clear rules that employees must follow.
- Maximum advance booking of two weeks.
- One desk per employee per day.
- Clean desk policy so no personal items are left overnight.
- A 24 hour cancellation policy for fairness.
To prevent conflicts:
- The template automatically highlights double-bookings.
- Use the Notes column for waitlists or special requests.
- Create an emergency desk reallocation process for unexpected needs.
Office managers should spend no more than five minutes each morning reviewing bookings. That small effort ensures smooth operation.
Practical Use Cases
This template works in several scenarios:
- Hybrid work when employees split time between home and office.
- Desk hoteling when employees need to book desks for a specific day or trip.
- Small offices with shared desks where flexibility matters more than assigned seating.
- Short term pilots when you want to test hot desking before adopting a full desk booking system.
If you are wondering how many desks you need, this template can help. By tracking bookings, you see whether employees book desks consistently, whether certain desks stay empty, and whether you need to add or remove capacity.
Excel vs Google Sheets For Hot Desk Booking
Choosing between Excel and Google Sheets depends on your company setup, your hot desking policy, and your technology stack.
Why Choose Excel?
Excel is a natural fit for companies that already use Microsoft 365 and want a booking tool that blends into their existing workflow. Many employees are already comfortable with spreadsheets, so the learning curve is practically nonexistent. It is also one of the few options that works reliably offline, which is helpful if your office has spotty Wi-Fi or operates in a secure environment where cloud access is restricted.
Excel tends to work best in offices where most employees are on site and where the office layout does not change often. If your policy is straightforward and you do not need real-time collaboration, Excel is a reliable choice.
Key advantages include:
- Offline access without depending on internet connectivity.
- Deep formatting and formula options that allow more customization.
- Smooth integration with Outlook calendars for scheduling.
- Familiar interface that most employees can use immediately.
Where Excel shows its limits is in collaboration. Without SharePoint or OneDrive, file sharing quickly becomes messy, and version control can become a headache. Mobile editing is possible but not ideal, so it is harder for employees to make reservations while on the move. For larger teams with hybrid schedules, Excel can start to feel rigid and difficult to manage.
Why Choose Google Sheets?
Google Sheets is designed for collaboration, which makes it a great choice for hybrid workplaces and distributed teams. Because it is cloud-based, everyone always sees the most up-to-date version of the booking sheet, and changes appear instantly. This real-time visibility reduces confusion and helps prevent double-bookings.
For teams that already use Google Workspace, the benefits are even greater. Sheets connects seamlessly with Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive, creating an ecosystem where everything works together. Employees can book a desk in Sheets, then see the reservation reflected in their Google Calendar with a simple integration.
What makes Google Sheets appealing:
- Real-time collaboration that allows multiple employees to book at once.
- Automatic backups and revision history that protect against mistakes.
- Easy mobile access through the Google Sheets app.
- Simple sharing options where office managers can set permissions.
However, there are a few trade-offs. Google Sheets requires internet access, which may not suit every environment. Its formatting and formula options are strong but not as advanced as Excel, so it is less suited for very complex customization. Finally, every employee must have a Google account to participate, which could be a barrier if your IT policy restricts external tools.
For most small teams testing flexible working, Sheets is the more practical choice. It keeps everyone connected, supports hybrid schedules, and eliminates the friction of emailing updated versions back and forth.
When It's Time to Upgrade from Templates to Desk Booking Software
Spreadsheets are a great starting point, but they are not a long-term solution for every company. As soon as your team grows, your office layout evolves, or your booking rules become more complex, the cracks begin to show.
Clear signs that you have outgrown templates
- Your team has more than 30 employees using the system.
- You are coordinating bookings across multiple office locations.
- Office managers are spending more than two hours per week maintaining the template.
- Booking conflicts and errors are happening every week.
Signals of added complexity
- You want to manage both meeting rooms and desks in the same tool.
- Employees request mobile apps and calendar integration.
- You need reporting on desk usage and space utilization for compliance.
- Your company is hiring quickly and your template needs constant updates.
At this point, moving to a dedicated desk booking system saves time, reduces errors, and improves employee experience.
What Desk Booking Software Brings That Templates Can't
A desk booking app or system goes beyond spreadsheets in several ways.
- Interactive floor plans let employees see the office layout and pick a specific desk visually.
- Mobile apps make it easy to book a desk while commuting or working remotely.
- Automated conflict prevention ensures that no two people can book the same desk.
- Analytics dashboards provide insight into how much office space is actually being used.
- Calendar integration with Google or Outlook blocks time automatically.
- Automated emails and reminders reduce no-shows and cancellations.
The return on investment comes from time saved by office managers, reduced booking conflicts, and better use of office space. Employees also feel more confident about coming into the office when they know they will have a desk waiting for them.
elia: Beyond Basic Hot Desk Booking Templates
We created elia to take the best parts of a spreadsheet booking system and extend them for modern hybrid workplaces. With elia, office managers can automate bookings, visualize office space with interactive floor plans, and give employees mobile access to reservations.
- Templates are perfect for small teams under 30 people.
- elia is ideal once you need a scalable desk booking system with automation and analytics.
If you are starting small, download our free template today.
If you are already feeling the limits of spreadsheets, book a demo with elia and discover how much easier office management can be.
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