Question: Senior management at my company are talking about possibly introducing hot desking\*, which might be introduced at the same time as an office move planned in a few months. The new location will be large enough to accommodate the company size; there will be enough desks for everyone, space is not a problem.

What problems does hot desking strive to solve, apart from not having enough desks?

Does it actually solve those problems?

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\*From [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_desking): *"Hot desking is an office organization system which involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods. The "desk" in the name refers to an office desk being shared by multiple office workers on different shifts as opposed to each staff member having their own personal desk."* 

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*Update*

Etiquette is: I select only one answer, but several answers here answer this question; there are several other excellent answers.

Answer: 
If some employees are not regularly at that office (e.g. mostly-remote workers), a hot desking system allows the desk space to be used more efficiently. I believe this was the original reason for the system; it allows the company to save on office space that goes unused. Also, if a worker has multiple office locations, s/he might not need a dedicated space at all of them; hot-desking can help accommodate. 

When there is a consultant or consulting team coming in and regularly working at the client site, it is easier for them to work with the regular staff in a hot-desking arrangement, on the days when the consultants are in. 

On days when there are several people out (e.g. popular times of the year to take holidays), the ones who are in can sit closer together for collaboration instead of feeling like the place is a ghost town. 

If people are on teams that change relatively often, or on multiple teams, they can have the close desk proximity to one team while they are working with that team, and then easily change when working with a different team (e.g. a different day or a different week) without disruption of moving offices.

If people aren't allowed to keep things at the desk, it also makes for a tidier workspace and reduces the probability that an important paper will get buried under a mound of others on someone's desk.

Of course, hotdesking introduces new challenges such as the time cost of getting things set up every day and having to access a closet or cubby for the things one might otherwise keep in/at/on a desk. However, forcing people to get up and walk around more might also reduce healthcare costs and associated loss in productivity from the health issues caused by long constant sitting.

If there aren't actually enough desks for the staff who show up on a given day, competition is likely to burn resources and staff are unlikely to have the space they need to be most effective.
Hotdesking solves the problem of having a happy workforce who can come in to work every day to a familiar, comfortable environment and get down to productive pursuits aided by the dependability of a consistent routine. Thank goodness!

Honestly, it might seem petty, but I'd be out — I rely on a routine and a predictable work environment and the instigation of hotdesking would entirely throw me off my game, for no benefit.