Collection: Reception / Host Desks

The reception desk is the first piece of furniture a visitor meets, and often the only one they stand at for any length of time. Here you will find reception desks in several widths and materials, from a small reception desk for a salon with a narrow entrance to wider models for hotels and offices. The furniture type is sometimes also called a host desk or a welcome desk.

What a reception desk needs to handle

A reception desk has two sides with entirely different demands. The outside has to be representative and take someone leaning against it several hundred times a week. The inside is a workplace and needs to work like one.

Working height on the inside, usually around 72 to 76 centimetres, with standing height on the outside
Cable management for terminal, computer and phone, so that cords do not hang loose
Storage within reach for booking books, cards and materials
A surface on the outside where the guest can put down a bag, phone or keys

Depth is easy to underestimate. A desk that is too narrow leaves no room for both a screen and a card terminal on the inside, which in practice means the equipment ends up on the guest side.

A small reception desk in limited spaces

Many salons and hairdressers have entrances where a full size reception unit will not fit without blocking the way through. A small reception desk solves that by working upwards rather than outwards, with the storage behind the front rather than to the side. St. Louis is one example of a model in that format.

Place the desk so that whoever is working can see the door without turning, and leave at least ninety centimetres of clear passage beside it. That is the single most common shortcoming when a reception is planned into existing premises.

Reception desks for salons and hairdressers

In a salon the reception desk often has a third job beyond booking and payment: it sells products. Models with a glazed front or open shelves on the guest side put hair care and accessories on display while the customer is waiting for the receipt anyway.

The material should take water and cleaning agents, since stains from colour and product are part of everyday life. Lacquered and laminated surfaces are easier to keep clean than oiled wood, which stains along the edges over time.

Reception furniture for hotels and offices

In a hotel the desk counts as a workstation that is staffed for many hours a day. The inside then matters more than the shape: legroom, sockets at the right height, and a surface that takes two people when several guests check out at once. Wider models can often be combined with a low section, so that the desk works for guests in a wheelchair as well.

Several models can be ordered in a made to measure version when the standard dimensions do not suit the premises. That is usually a better choice than building in a standard desk with loose panels, which rarely stay put over time.

Width and number of positions

Width governs how many people can work at the desk at the same time. Count on around one hundred centimetres per working position if two people are to stand comfortably side by side, with room for a screen and a terminal each. A desk under one hundred and twenty centimetres is in practice a one person position, however the surface is divided.

If the reception is staffed by several people during certain hours, two separate desks at an angle are often better than a single wide one. Guests can then form two queues instead of one, and those working do not get in each other’s way.

Material and lighting

Dark wood with brass details signals tradition and suits hotels and older premises. Light surfaces and clean lines work better in salons and offices where the room should feel open. Stone and stone composite take the most wear but also weigh the most, and need a base built for the weight.

Lighting in the front or under the counter edge makes more difference than you would think. It marks where the visitor should stand and brings out the material, particularly in entrances without daylight. If you need help with dimensions or with a larger reception project you are welcome to contact us before ordering.