Planning a hotel mattress replacement programme

Mattresses are often replaced reactively: a room issue appears, an urgent order is placed and the property moves on. Over several years, this can create an estate of different ages, models and comfort levels with no single record of how the mix developed.

A programme does not mean replacing everything at once. It means understanding what is present, deciding which rooms or categories matter first and keeping the agreed specification visible as the work progresses.

What the programme needs to make visible

The most useful starting point is a room register. For each room or category, note the mattress quantity, nominal size, configuration, known age or last replacement date, current condition notes and relevant base information.

The register should be usable by operations, housekeeping, procurement and project teams. A simple, consistent structure is more valuable than a complex survey that is never maintained.

Set priorities with more than age

Consider room complaints, visible condition, support changes, room-category importance, refurbishment timing and whether different mattresses are creating inconsistency across otherwise similar rooms.

Protect the room schedule

Before confirming delivery, clarify how many rooms can be taken out of service, whether mattresses can be stored, what access route will be used and whether other trades are working in the same area.

A six-step replacement process

1. Create the room register. Capture the best available data and flag unknowns.
2. Group comparable rooms. Organise by category, size, configuration or phase.
3. Agree priorities. Combine condition, guest experience, operational opportunity and commercial need.
4. Confirm the specification route. Decide where one option is appropriate and where room roles differ.
5. Coordinate each supply window. Check quantities, readiness, access, on-site contact and storage.
6. Update the record. Add the final specification and completion date.

Questions to settle before approving a phase

• Which exact rooms and quantities are included?
• Have unusual dimensions and bed configurations been checked?
• Is this the previous specification or an agreed equivalent?
• Who signs off the final quantity schedule?
• What areas must be available on the supply date?
• Who updates the property record after completion?

Make the programme easy to continue

Keep the room schedule, agreed mattress reference, supplier contact, delivery date and notes about intentional room-category differences together where relevant teams can access them.