Hotel Room Stocking: Par Levels and Linen Quantities
Housekeeping runs on one concept, and it is not a shopping list — it is par level. Par is how many complete sets of an item you own per room. The industry standard is three par: one on the bed, one in the laundry cycle, one on the shelf. Get par right and rooms turn on time every day. Get it wrong and you are washing sheets while a guest waits at reception.
Why three par, and when to buy four
At two par, one laundry delay stops a room turning. At three par you always have a clean set ready even if yesterday's wash is still drying. Move to four par if any of these apply:
- Laundry is off-site, so turnaround is measured in days rather than hours.
- You are in a humid coastal or lakeside location where drying is slow.
- You run near-full occupancy for long stretches.
- Power or water interruptions regularly delay laundry.
For most Kenyan lodges and small hotels, three par is the working minimum and four is the comfortable answer.
Linen by property size, at three par
| Item (per room) | Per room | 10 rooms | 20 rooms | 40 rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedsheet sets | 3 | 30 | 60 | 120 |
| Duvet covers | 3 | 30 | 60 | 120 |
| Duvet inners | 1 + 20% spare | 12 | 24 | 48 |
| Pillows | 2 + 20% spare | 24 | 48 | 96 |
| Pillowcases | 6 (2 × 3 par) | 60 | 120 | 240 |
| Bath towels | 6 (2 × 3 par) | 60 | 120 | 240 |
| Hand towels | 3 | 30 | 60 | 120 |
| Bath mats | 3 | 30 | 60 | 120 |
| Blankets / throws | 1 + spare | 12 | 24 | 48 |
Duvet inners and pillows are not three par — they are not laundered every turnover. One per position plus roughly 20% spares for damage and deep cleaning is the norm.
Buy white, and buy one specification
Two decisions that cost nothing at purchase and save continuously afterwards:
- White linen only. It can be bleached, it always matches, and cleanliness is visible. Coloured linen fades unevenly and within a year your rooms are subtly mismatched.
- One specification across the property. Same sheet, same towel, same size, from a supplier who will still stock it in a year. The moment you own two specifications, housekeeping has to sort rather than grab, and every room becomes slightly different.
- Cotton or high cotton-blend. It survives repeated hot washing, which is what commercial laundry does.
- Buy in one order where you can. Dye lots differ between batches, and white is not always the same white.
In-room inventory
| Area | Standard room |
|---|---|
| Bed | Sheets, duvet + cover, 2 pillows, throw |
| Bathroom | 2 bath towels, hand towel, bath mat, soap dish, bin, mirror |
| Tea station | Kettle, 2 cups, 2 glasses, tray, tea/coffee, sugar, spoons |
| Storage | Hangers (min 6), luggage rack, wardrobe shelf |
| Comfort | Bedside light, socket access, mosquito protection where needed |
| Safety | Torch, door lock, fire notice |
| Waste | Bin in room and bathroom, both lined |
Hangers are the most-complained-about missing item in guest feedback anywhere, and among the cheapest to fix. Six per room minimum, more for a lodge where guests unpack for several nights.
The Kenya-specific additions
- Water: on-site storage sized to full occupancy, plus a covered container and jug in the room during known rationing.
- Power: a torch in every room, and battery or solar lighting in corridors. Guests forgive an outage; they do not forgive being left in the dark.
- Mosquito protection: essential at the coast and around the lake.
- Kettle in the room: expected by Kenyan domestic guests, and it removes a lot of small requests from reception.
- Drying space: a rack or line for guests staying several nights, or towels end up on furniture.
- Hard water: if you are on a borehole, budget descaling for kettles and showers into the maintenance routine from opening, not from when they fail.
The housekeeping trolley
One properly stocked trolley per housekeeper saves more time than any other single investment:
- Clean linen for the rooms on that round, stacked in order
- Separate bag for soiled linen — never mixed with clean
- Cleaning cloths, colour-coded by area (bathroom cloths never touch a glass)
- Cleaning products, bin liners, amenities
- Gloves, and a separate set for bathrooms
Colour-coding cloths is the detail that separates a professional operation from an improvised one, and it costs almost nothing.
Replacement rhythm
| Item | Replace | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Bath towels | Annually, as a full set | Thin, grey, or losing absorbency |
| Bedsheets | Every 1–2 years | Thinning, pilling, or permanent staining |
| Pillows | Every 1–2 years | Flat, lumpy, or no longer springing back |
| Duvet inners | Every 2–3 years | Clumped filling, thin patches |
| Kettles | As they fail | Slow boiling means scale — descale before replacing |
Replace towels as a complete set, never individually. Mixed-age towels look tired even when spotless, and guests read that as a property that is slipping.
Frequently asked questions
What is par level in housekeeping?
How many complete sets of an item you own per room. Three par is standard — one in use, one in the laundry, one on the shelf.
How many sheets does a 20-room hotel need?
At three par, 60 bedsheet sets and 60 duvet covers, plus 120 bath towels for two per room.
When should I use four par instead of three?
With off-site laundry, in humid coastal locations where drying is slow, at sustained high occupancy, or where power and water interruptions delay laundry.
Should hotel linen be white?
Yes. White can be bleached, always matches, and shows cleanliness. Coloured linen fades unevenly and rooms stop matching.
Are duvet inners and pillows also three par?
No — they are not washed every turnover. One per position plus about 20% spares is normal.
How many hangers per room?
At least six, and more for lodges where guests stay several nights. It is one of the most common complaints and cheapest to solve.
How often should towels be replaced?
Roughly annually, and always as a complete set rather than one at a time.
Stock your property
Browse bedding, bedsheets, duvets and covers, pillows, blankets and throws, bathroom, hangers and wardrobe organisers, kettles and appliances and laundry and cleaning. Opening or refitting a property? Tell us your room count on WhatsApp and we will calculate par levels with you.