Comments on: Workspace of the Week: Office away from the office

By: Prakash

Prakash — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:02:09 +0000

Check out the COMFORT SUITES DFW AIRPORT IN Irving, Texas
the hotel was designed with a living room that seperates from the bedroom by a door that provides a big desk and the television that can be useful to watch the daily stock performance while working on the computer via high speed internet available free without turning in other direction and the room can be used for interviews etc.

By: Krys Slovacek

Krys Slovacek — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:41:12 +0000

Most of my tips and tricks have already been discussed. One I didn’t see is this: I always bring a power strip, since there are never enough outlets, or the outlets are poorly positioned. This keeps me from having to crawl under the desk every day to plug/unplug my laptop (I manage meetings and need to bring my laptop to my traveling office).

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 07:52:27 +0000

Funny that most of the comments here criticise the setup in the photo for not having removed the hotel literature… I agree that there are several unneeded items on the desk (coffeemaker, telephone), but my first reaction when I saw the literature was how cleverly it had been arranged to avoid sitting opposite a reflection of yourself, which can be quite disconcerting. Something I would recommend bringing if you intend to work at the desk is an item that can be propped up to cover the mirror, or a sheet that can be draped over if possible.

By: Travel Master

Travel Master — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:11:19 +0000

Basics for when I travel, as for the last 15 years or so I’ve generally spend more than 100 nights per year in hotels …
1) all of the hotel flyers, books, comment cards, ‘for sale’ water – immediately ‘file’ in the dressor or ontop of the credenza to get out of the way
2) if possible, turn the desk so it faces the TV
3) technology -
- small wireless Linksys Travel Router – so that I’m not ‘tied’ to the desk
- small Belkin surge protector (3 power ports plus 2 USB ports, with swivel wall jack) – so I have power for everything
- small Creative Labs web camera – so that I can keep in touch with home, cheaper than lond-distance calls, better than Skype & ‘feel’ more at home when talking to my wife as we can see each other
- small RadioShack USB FM transmitter (typically used for using an MP3 player in your car) – so that I can redirect my home radio stations online broadcast from my PC to the clock radio in the hotel room (so I can go to sleep & wake up to the same radio station as home)
4) non-technology -
- Bodom Travel Mug/French Press & freshly ground coffee – heat the water from the hotel room coffee maker but use my own better quality coffee
- small bowl & cutting board – to have cerial & fresh fruit from a local store in the morning (prefer over breakfast at the hotel or cafiteria at work)
- bathroom scale – as surprisingly few hotels have them, weighing yourself every morning/evening is a good way to keep a handel on what your eating (as can easily start to over eat & eat less healthy foods when away)

And most times I’ll be in the same city for several weeks, so I’ll try & stay in the same hotel -
- so leave my luggage at the hotel on the weekends when I go home (so less to drag around, no checked luggage & easier to accomidate the ’stuff’ I travel with)
- laundry soap – as try to stay at a hotel with a washer/dryer, as easy to do a load of wash one evening & not wasting time at home doing the wash or have to drag home dirty clothes
- small nylon dirty clothes bag – to take a couple of items home/back so its not all the same clothes each week

All this makes it more tolerable

By: kazza

kazza — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:11:01 +0000

I agree that taking everything off the table is the place to start.

A laptop bag that is a little bigger than it needs to be is useful (a deeper bag so you can put things ontop of the laptop). I add in a zipper cloth bag containing a pencil case containing a few stationery essentials, a thin mousemat, a very thin notebook, and a light-weight inflatable pillow to make the chair more comfortable and the right height. (Very handy for times when there’s no where comfortable to sit while in transit).

If there’s a spare blanket in the room use it instead of the inflatable pillow.

Also, I take a yard or so of light cloth with me. It’s handy when I need to wrap something fragile but it also doubles as a tablecloth, mirror hider, extra bag, etc.

By: Tania

Tania — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:03:09 +0000

oh and the old-skool phone (and corresponding description) were Classic. LOL!

By: Tania

Tania — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:02:18 +0000

I prefer the desk and I agree with Nick that it makes a difference whether you’re driving or flying (since I often do both). But basically, yeah, I’ve had to deal with the hotel desk/table situation. Immediately my mind wondered ‘why did they not move all that foolywang nonsense off of the desk’ – as many others have stated. So I’m wondering if there’s a reason they left all the hotel literature and the coffeemaker there?

Other than that there’s not a whole heck of a lot one can do. Gotta work with whatcha got!

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:26:42 +0000

I use the exact same laptop desk that LOR1 uses. I love it. I use it at home on the couch or in bed, or hotel bed. My laptop is not as wide as the desk so I shove it to one side and the grey padded area works great as a mousepad.

By: Anita

Anita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:00:48 +0000

@LOR1: I love those things! Ikea carries one, and I’ve been debating whether to get it for a couple of weeks now (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/cata...../80115790), but I have to say yours looks more comfortable…

By: Sangiometti

Sangiometti — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:14:46 +0000

I’ve been doing this for years and I think it’s all about the appropriate gear.

Get an airport express for instant Wifi. Belkin mini-surge for extra outlets and usb chargers. Nice noise cancellation earphones from Bose or Sennheiser to reduce distraction and you are set. With this setup I’ve even worked sitting on the floor, with all the space I needed for copious printouts.

(P.S. I occasionally bring along a portable scanner and/or printer depending on where I’m going and how long I’m staying. My current choices are from fujitsu and cannon)

By: jennifer jane

jennifer jane — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:40:48 +0000

Oh what a neat idea for a blog post!
I had never considered the layout and preferences for working in a hotel room.
Pretty soon this is something I’m going to be doing -
so I will take this project with me and share what my set up was!

By: peardown

peardown — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:28:00 +0000

I often use the upside down drawer technique as a laptop table on the bed while traveling. And I also use the often found tray under the coffee works as a flat surface between the pillows and the laptop to keep the vents free. And yes, they do melt if they are blocked too long as in when you fall asleep while working in bed…

By: Deborah Marchant

Deborah Marchant — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:15:20 +0000

I keep it simple.
http: //images.inmagine.com/img/gogoimages/ggis045/ggis045057.jpg

By: L0R1

L0R1 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:43:05 +0000

Speaking of beds, pillows, and boards – for my birthday a couple of weeks ago I got a computer lap desk and love it! (I used pillows before, too.) It’s very comfortable. It even has a padded wrist rest. Here’s the link; scroll down to third item:

http://www.lapdesk.com/products.jsp

By: Anita

Anita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:26:38 +0000

Laptop + bed = my ideal setup. If I could replace the desk in my office with a bed, the world would be a much nicer place. So really, working on the road would be wonderful

Also, @ Ruth and others, I would advise against using a pillow as a laptop table. Most laptops I’ve seen have their fans/vents somewhere on the bottom or to one side; covering them up that tightly prevents air from getting to them, which can lead to overheating, which can do all manner of nasty things to your laptop and your lap. Macs are especially susceptible to overheating, in my experience. If you can, use some sort of a board (even if it’s a flat piece of cardboard on top of your pillow) to hold your laptop; the flat surface will leave enough room for the fan to cool down.

By: RJFerret

RJFerret — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:14:33 +0000

Just be careful when using a laptop on pillows or bedspreads to not block the fan/cooling vents! -Randy

By: Zenlihood

Zenlihood — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:02:35 +0000

I agree with ABM – Remove everything unnecessary from the workspace (i.e., pint-size coffee machine since Starbucks cup is readily available), menus, brochures, etc. I’d even do away with that hideous cinder block of a telephone. Perhaps bringing along a single framed 3×5 photo of a favorite calm, peaceful zen-type place for viewing while in a Motel 8 environ would, while add to the “stuff”, also add a sense of “your space”.

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:25:43 +0000

What an excellent topic!

You might be able to create a desk space by removing the “belly drawer” of the vanity,turning it upside down and reinserting it in the slot. (This won’t work if the drawer is on glides.)

If you travel with a car on business, you could carry a folding laptop table or a board to use as Thom mentioned above.

If you don’t listen to music or TV, it is also nice to have foam earplugs to screen out the noise.

Usually there is a second chair at any table in the room and I turn it sideways facing me. I carry a pocketed vanity case with a little hanger built in. It serves as a “tool kit” and if I hang it off the back of the chair, I can access it easier while using the chair seat as paper space. The vanity case has enough room to carry chargers, cables and the music as well, so when I pack up the case I know to re-pack the electronics that get scattered around.

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:18:28 +0000

One big difference is whether you’re driving or flying on business. If you’re flying, and you’re uncluttered, you are not going to have a checked bag, so the conveniences of home are not in place. But if you’re somebody who drives for business heavily, then it’s not unreasonable to pack a sturdy clear plastic box in your trunk with duplicates of accessories of home.

I also find that if I’m going to have to do a lot of work in a hotel room, I prefer getting a room with two double beds instead of one king bed. I can use the 2nd double as an extended desk space for papers and computer accessories.

By: Cammy@TippyToeDiet

Cammy@TippyToeDiet — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:52:25 +0000

The first thing I do after check-in is move everything that I don’t need from the desk and vanity to the top of the room’s closet. (I always put it back before I leave so that housekeeping doesn’t have to do it.) If I don’t like the position of the desk and it isn’t attached to the wall, I turn it or move it somewhere more tolerable. Or I sit on the sofa and work off my lap.