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A quiet spot in Hong Kong for the price of a coffee? TheDesk’s co-working booths are coming to a mall near you

  • The size of a typical phone kiosk, theDesk’s booths or studios come equipped with a desk, bar stool, power sockets and Wi-fi access
  • The initiative has been launched in partnership with Link Reit and the booths will eventually be set up in 18 districts in shopping centres managed by the trust

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The first set of booths have been launched in seven shopping centres across Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
Cheryl Arcibal

Working from home and in a dire need of a suitable space to get some work done without distractions?

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Booths launched by Hong Kong co-working space operator theDesk in malls across the city might just be what you’re looking for.

The size of a typical phone kiosk, these booths or studios come equipped with a desk, bar stool, power sockets and Wi-fi access. And, as part of a pilot programme, access is free as of now. Users just need to download theDesk2Go app, register and book a booth.

“It’s free of charge for this starting phase,” said Bernard Shek, marketing director at theDesk. “We will continue to monitor usage to determine when to begin charging. But the price per hour will be close to that of a cup of coffee.”

The coronavirus pandemic has created the need for flexible arrangements such as working from home and hybrid and remote work policies, as companies implement social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the disease. More than a year on, organisations are still trying to figure out their real estate requirements and ideal working arrangements for employees.

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“We all know that online meetings are held almost every day under the new normal brought on by the pandemic. We observed very early on that many Hong Kong people, especially employees, do not have access to a quiet space appropriate for conducting online meetings, without the usual distractions of children, pets and even construction noises in the background,” said Thomas Hui, CEO and co-founder of theDesk. “In view of this, we decided to break some new ground by rolling out hourly mobile co-working studios, which offer a creative and practical choice for employees, while still supporting a more integrated community.”

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