Pre-opening OS&E checklist: list, timeline and budget for a new hotel
Operating supplies and equipment, or OS&E, are everything a hotel needs to run that is not built in: linen, amenities, tableware, housekeeping carts, small appliances. A 2013 practitioner article in the New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) puts OS&E at about 4 to 5% of a hotel project cost. It is a small share, but it is bought last, by teams hired late, and mistakes show on opening day.
OS&E or FF&E?
FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) covers what is installed or placed for the long term: beds, furniture, lighting. OS&E covers what is used and replaced in daily operation. The line varies between owners and operators, so write down early who buys what.
The list, by department
| Department | Main items | On Suitality |
|---|---|---|
| Rooms | Bed linen, pillows, mattress protectors, towels, bathrobes, slippers, hangers, kettles and tea trays, irons, safes, luggage racks | Bedding (pillows, duvets, protectors), guest room |
| Bathrooms | Dispensers or amenities, hair dryers, mirrors, scales, bins | Bathroom, amenities |
| Housekeeping | Trolleys, laundry bags, cleaning tools, minibar trolleys | Housekeeping |
| Food and beverage | Tableware, glassware, cutlery, buffet and banquet equipment, refreshing towels | F&B, oshibori towels |
| Public areas | Luggage trolleys, signage, umbrella stands | Quote request |
Working back from opening day
A Drees & Sommer white paper describes the pre-opening phase, when the operator gradually takes over the building from the contractor, as typically lasting six to nine months. The schedule below is an example over six months: start earlier for a large property or many custom items.
- Six months before: confirm the brand standards, room count by type and F&B concept. Build the list by department with quantities per room or per cover.
- Five months before: request quotes. Custom or logoed items go first: NEREJ notes that they can take up to 12 weeks just to produce.
- Four months before: approve samples, place orders for long lead-time and imported items.
- Three to two months before: order standard stock items. Agree delivery windows with the site team, since storage on a construction site is limited.
- One month before: receive, check against orders, stage by floor. Wash new linen before first use.
- Opening: keep a small reserve and a list of reorder points for the first weeks.
The traps that eat the budget
- One shared spreadsheet emailed around. NEREJ describes lists emailed between departments with no clear current version. Keep one owner and one file.
- Starting from zero. Independent hotels often build the list from scratch. Start from a template and adapt it.
- Panic buying in the last weeks. Late orders cost more and arrive late. Lock long lead-time items early.
- Forgetting replacement stock. Plan the first reorder of linen, amenities and glassware in the opening budget.
Buying from several suppliers without several projects
Suitality groups suppliers of hospitality supplies in one place for buyers across Europe, with prices excluding VAT and lead time on each product, and the minimum order when the supplier sets one. For a pre-opening, one quote request can cover several departments: we pass each line to the suppliers concerned. See also our pre-opening OS&E page.
