Pre-opening OS&E for new hotels and refurbishments

What pre-opening OS&E covers

OS&E, operating supplies and equipment, is everything a hotel needs to run that is not built in or part of the interior fit-out. It runs from the kettle and the hair dryer in each room to amenities, bedding, bath linen, F&B equipment, housekeeping carts and back of house supplies. On a new build or a refurbishment, this list is long, it touches every department, and it has to be on site, unpacked and in place before the first guest checks in.

Suitality lets pre-opening teams buy OS&E from independent European suppliers in one account. Standard items can be ordered online at trade prices excl. VAT. Larger packages go through one quote request that several suppliers answer by email with prices, lead time and delivery.

FF&E vs OS&E: where the line sits

FF&E, furniture, fixtures and equipment, covers the larger items that define the interior: beds, wardrobes, desks, seating, lighting and fitted joinery. It is usually specified by the interior designer and budgeted with the fit-out. OS&E covers the movable operating items that the hotel team uses and replaces.

The split varies by project and by brand standard, so agree it in writing early. Items that often fall in between include minibars, safes, luggage racks, mirrors, wall-mounted hair dryers and decorative pieces. Assign each one to a budget line and an owner, otherwise it gets ordered twice or not at all. Loose furniture for public areas can be sourced from furniture and lighting if it sits in your scope.

Building the pre-opening OS&E list

Start from the room mix and the outlets. Count rooms by type, beds by size, restaurant and banqueting covers, spa treatment rooms and staff numbers by department. Every line on the OS&E list is then a quantity per room, per bed, per cover or per staff member, multiplied out and rounded to the supplier pack size.

Keep public areas, the spa and staff areas as separate sections of the list. Lobby toilets need dispensers and hand towels, staff changing rooms need lockers, bins and cleaning supplies, and the spa has its own linen and amenities. Each section then becomes a lot you can price and deliver on its own.

The guest room package

A room package groups everything that goes into one room type, so that quantities scale with the room count. From guest room equipment, a typical package includes a hospitality tray with a kettle, cups and a coffee storage box, an in-room safe, a minibar, a bedside clock and charging points, and an iron and board from iron solutions. Room accessories complete it: luggage rack, hangers, bins, laundry bags, shoe horn and door stopper.

Write one package per room type rather than one per hotel. Suites often add a second hair dryer, a steamer, more hangers and a larger minibar, and accessible rooms may need different heights and fittings.

The bathroom package

The bathroom package covers a hotel hair dryer, magnifying mirror, towel and bathrobe hooks, scales, bath mat and slippers. Guest amenities sit alongside: either individual bottles and soap bars, or wall dispensers with bulk refill amenities. EU rules on single-use plastics push many new hotels towards dispensers from day one, which is simpler to set at opening than to retrofit later.

Opening stock of amenities is a consumable, so size it on the first weeks of forecast occupancy plus a reserve, and move to regular reorders once real consumption is known. Dry amenities such as dental and shaving kits are often held at reception on request.

Bedding and linen par

From bedding and linen, list duvets, pillows, mattress toppers and protectors per bed, by exact mattress size. Duvets and pillows are usually bought once per bed plus a reserve for the pillow menu and replacements.

Sheets and bath linen are planned as a par: sets per bed or per bathroom covering use, laundry and shelf. Confirm the par with the laundry contract, because an outsourced laundry with longer turnaround needs more sets in circulation than an on-site laundry.

F&B and banqueting

The F&B equipment list is counted in covers. For each outlet, set the number of covers and the turns per service, then size cutlery, crockery and kitchen utensils in multiples of covers with a reserve for breakage and dishwashing cycles. Add buckets and trays for bars and room service, buffet and service equipment for breakfast and banqueting, and small appliances for pantries and the breakfast room.

Housekeeping and back of house

Housekeeping needs carts, linen trolleys and cleaning products before rooms can be prepared for handover. Size housekeeping carts and luggage trolleys to the number of attendants per shift and check widths against lifts and corridors. Add hotel safety items and disinfection equipment to the same delivery wave so that cleaning teams can work from the first room ready.

Timing OS&E procurement

OS&E procurement sits late in the project but cannot start late. Lead times vary by supplier and product, and branded or custom items take longer than stock items. Build the schedule backwards from the opening date.

• Freeze the room mix and outlet concepts, then issue the OS&E list for pricing.
• Send quote requests for the room package, bedding, amenities and F&B as separate lots.
• Approve samples for items guests touch: amenities, pillows, towels, cups, hair dryers.
• Place orders against confirmed lead times from each supplier.
• Plan deliveries in waves: back of house and housekeeping first, then rooms, then F&B and final consumables.

Product pages show the lead time when the supplier gives it, together with the pack size, price per unit, minimum order and carton and pallet data. For project volumes, ask each supplier to confirm the lead time in its quote.

Sending one quote request to several suppliers

A pre-opening OS&E package is the typical case for a quote request: large volumes, several room types, branding, heavy or bulky items and a fixed date. One request on Suitality can go to several suppliers, and each replies by email with prices, lead time and delivery. You compare offers line by line without writing to each supplier separately.

A good request includes:

• Project type, new build or refurbishment, and the opening or handover date.
• Room mix with counts per room type, and covers per outlet for F&B.
• The OS&E list or room package, with references or clear specifications.
• Quantities per item, including spares and opening reserve.
• Branding: logo files, packaging and label language for amenities and printed items.
• Delivery address, site access, dock or crane constraints and whether pallets can be received.

Use the request for quote form and attach your list. Questions on accounts, payment and delivery are covered in the FAQ.

Specifications to check before ordering

Pre-opening errors are expensive because they show up in every room at once. Check each specification against the room drawings and the brand standard before you confirm.

• Electrical items: wattage, plug type, cable length and the position of sockets.
• Safes and minibars: internal and external dimensions against the joinery niche.
• Bedding: mattress size and depth, fill type, warmth and wash temperature.
• Linen: fabric weight, finish and the wash cycles the supplier specifies.
• Amenities: volume per unit, dispenser compatibility, fragrance line and label language.
• Packaging: units per pack and per carton, to match storage and housekeeping routines.

Refurbishments, rebrands and conversions

A refurbishment usually replaces part of the OS&E rather than all of it. List what stays, what is replaced and what is new, room by room. When rooms reopen in phases, split deliveries to match each phase, and ask suppliers in the quote request whether they can hold stock or ship in several drops.

A rebrand or conversion often changes amenities, printed items and bedding to the new standard. Check the minimum quantities for branded items, as each supplier sets its own minimum per product or per order.

Delivery and receiving on site

Each supplier delivers from its own warehouse across Europe, so a pre-opening order arrives in several shipments. Assign one receiving point, agree delivery slots with the site, and check carton counts against the order on arrival. Carton and pallet data on product pages help plan storage space, which is often scarce on a site still under works.

After opening: reorders and consumables

Once the hotel is open, the same trade account handles reorders. Standard items go through the cart and checkout, with Suitality BV receiving the payment and splitting the order by supplier. Keep the pre-opening list as the reference for future reorders and replacement cycles. For other sectors, such as restaurants, spas or yachts, see all venues on Suitality. Suppliers of hotel OS&E can join Suitality as a supplier.