Guide
Planning amenity stock for peak season and festivals
Peak weeks are where stock-outs hurt most and where late orders are slowest. A simple forecast made two months ahead removes most of the stress.
Start from last year's records
Pull occupied room nights for the same period last year, and the units issued. Divide issued by occupied room nights to get your use per room night. Adjust for any change of policy or product since then. If there are no records, use the weeks just before the peak as a base.
Look at the shape of the peak as well as the total. Weekend spikes, early check-ins and departures all change how often rooms are turned and how much stock moves in a day. Plot the daily room nights if you can, and note the busiest three days.
A worked forecast
For example, a 60-room hotel expects 95% occupancy over a 10-day festival, with an average of 1.8 guests per room. That is about 57 rooms x 10 nights = 570 occupied room nights. If you use 3 soaps and 2 dental kits per room night, you need 1,710 soaps and 1,140 dental kits, before a buffer. A buffer of 15% adds 257 soaps and 171 kits. These figures are illustrative; build yours from your own data.
Test your forecast by asking two people to do it independently, for example the housekeeping head and the purchasing manager. If their numbers differ widely, find out why before you order. Agreement gives confidence, and disagreement reveals a hidden assumption.
Work backwards from lead time
If a supplier needs four weeks to produce and a week to deliver, and you want stock in hand two weeks before the peak, order at least seven weeks ahead. Add time for sample approval if you are changing a product. Ask about their own busy periods, since festival seasons affect factories too. See our notes on product availability and pack sizes.
Confirm the supplier's capacity early with a short email: expected order, delivery date and who will confirm. Ask also what the cut-off date is for changes. A supplier who knows a large order is coming can plan materials and labour, which reduces the risk of delay.
Include events, not just rooms
Weddings, banquets and conferences add guests who may use amenities in changing rooms and guest rooms alike. Talk to the events team about expected numbers and any special requests, such as welcome gifts. For gift items, give extra lead time for packing.
Remember special guests too. Weddings often bring early arrivals and extra requests for the same rooms, and VIP guests may expect a fuller set. Ask the events team for room lists with special notes as early as they can supply them.
Space and handling
More stock needs more space, and humid stores need care; see our article on storing amenities. Plan where extra pallets go and how floors will be replenished more often. Increase the frequency of floor deliveries rather than the size of floor stock.
Brief the housekeeping team before the peak: expected rooms per day, any change to restocking rules and where extra stock is kept. A short briefing prevents the confusion that creates waste and missed rooms when everyone is rushing.
Keep a contingency
- Hold a reserve of the fastest-moving items.
- Identify a second approved source or a substitute item.
- Agree with the supplier how urgent top-up orders would work.
Substitutes should be approved in advance, so no one is choosing under pressure.
Write down your contingency in one page and share it with the duty managers. When a shortage arises at ten at night in the middle of a festival, the answer should already be on paper, with names and phone numbers.
Review afterwards
After the peak, record actual use against forecast and note why they differed. That record makes next year's plan better. For fast-moving formats, consider refills, which hold more product per carton; see refill systems. To plan early for the next peak, you can ask for samples or a quote ahead of the season.
Share a one-page summary with the owners or general manager showing forecast, actual, stock left and any emergency orders. It shows the value of planning and justifies the time you spend on it.
Questions on this topic
How much buffer should we add?
Ten to twenty per cent is a common range; set yours from the volatility you have seen.
When should we order for a festival?
Work back from your delivery date using the supplier's real lead time plus a safety margin.
Can we use substitutes?
Yes, if approved in advance and consistent with your standard.
Keep reading
- Setting up the housekeeping trolley for amenities
- How much time restocking takes per room and how to cut it
- Amenity inventory control that doesn't need software
- Training housekeeping staff on amenity standards
- How to stock an Airbnb bathroom
- Hospital and clinic bathroom amenities: what to consider
- Gym locker room amenities: a practical checklist
Looking for supply? See Hotels & resorts, browse the product range or request samples.