Who decides on hotel linen? Why the guest should have the final say

When I come to a hotel as a supplier to present bed linen or towels, it's rarely just the director at the table. Often he brings in the head housekeeper, sometimes the housekeeping team too, and lets them have a say. That's as it should be – these people work with the linen every day. But as a hotelier, owner and general manager, I also know: their interests are not always the same as the guest's.

Two legitimate perspectives

Housekeeping wants linen that is quick and easy to process: as crease-free as possible, easy to iron, without piping. A double-layered piping is harder to put through the mangle than a flat edge. And with towels: the lighter the towel, the more fit into one machine – instead of 40 towels at 500 g, it's only 33 of the heavy 650 g quality.

These are understandable arguments from everyday work. The hotelier, however, has a different task: to offer guests an experience that sets the hotel apart from an ordinary budget hotel. And these very differences often lie in details that take a little more work.

Facilities and comfort: this is where the rating is decided

On review portals such as Booking.com, guests rate not only location, value for money and Wi-Fi, but also facilities and comfort. A hotel can hardly change its location and floor plan. With facilities and comfort, on the other hand, it has its hand on the lever every day – and bed linen and towels are what guests feel most directly.

• Bed linen: sateen made from long-staple cotton feels smooth and silky – a completely different feel in bed from an easy-iron blended fabric. The coloured piping gives the bed a recognisable accent.
• Towels: guests notice a substantial terry towel of 600 to 650 g/m² immediately. A thin towel, too.

These things quietly contribute to guest satisfaction. They often cost only a few per cent more to buy – and can make the difference in exactly the categories that count for reviews and therefore for bookings. More on this in our article Better reviews & more bookings for your hotel.

Long-staple cotton pays off over the wash cycles

Another point that often gets lost in the discussion: in our experience, high-quality bed linen made from long-staple cotton in a good quality with 300 or 400 TC withstands considerably more wash cycles than conventional cotton. Long fibres produce a stronger yarn with fewer loose ends that break or form pills over time. The higher purchase price is thus spread over a longer service life.

For a quality hotel of 4-star superior and above, the decision for long-staple cotton is therefore, in my view, beyond question. The extra effort when mangling can be managed well with the right process: mangle the linen at around 25% residual moisture and, if necessary, smooth freshly made beds with a handheld steamer. You can read how best to care for sateen in our Knowledge & FAQ.

An example beyond linen: the minibar

The same principle applies to other details. Many hotels are abolishing the minibar because it doesn't pay. I think that's a mistake. Anyone who comes back to their room late after a long evening may want a small snack, a water, a Coke Zero or a nightcap – without someone from room service having to come and a service charge being added.

My recommendation: don't abolish the minibar, but stock it well and introduce proper checks. It doesn't have to be a money-maker – but it shouldn't become a loss-maker either. Above all, it should be part of the guest experience. The same goes for a TV to which guests can stream content from their own device: small things that show someone has thought of them.

Conclusion: listen to everyone, decide for the guest

The experience of the head housekeeper and the housekeeping team belongs in every decision – their knowledge of processes is valuable. But the final question should always be: what does the guest experience? Bed linen, towels and all the small details are the moments when a hotel shows what it stands for. It is getting harder and harder to surprise guests. All the more reason not to compromise on the things they touch every day.

How many grams a hotel towel should weigh and how to plan mangle and dryer properly is covered in our article Hotel linen is a management decision.

Do you run a hotel and would like to get to know our bed linen or towels? You'll find all the information on initial furnishing and our reorder guarantee on our For hotels page. Our products: hotel bed linen and First Class towels with 600 g/m².

Jens Liebhauser
Founder of Cottonbabe, 5-star hotelier and interior designer, among other things a master upholsterer/interior decorator with a certified examination in textile science