Hotel FF&E and remodel installation

A hotel remodel is a calendar problem. Rooms come out of service in blocks, the freight arrives from many vendors, and every day a block sits empty costs the owner. The job of a logistics partner is to make sure that when the contractor says a floor is ready, the right furniture is already staged and the crew is standing by. That is the part O'Brien's takes on from Sparks.

At a glance

• Staging by floor or room block
• Delivery timed to each room turn
• Installation in finished guest rooms
• Evening and weekend crews by arrangement

How a hotel project runs

Hotel FF&E usually ships in lots: headboards from one maker, case pieces from another, lamps, art and drapery from others still. Freight comes into the O'Brien's warehouse, where it is checked against the order. Then it waits, sorted so a whole room set can be pulled together.

When a block of rooms is released, trucks bring the sets over and crews place each piece where the design plan puts it.

1. Share the order list, vendors and ship dates
2. Freight arrives and is checked in at the Sparks warehouse
3. Rooms are staged to match the install schedule
4. Trucks deliver to the property on the agreed day
5. Crews install and remove packing materials

Working around open guests

Properties that stay open during a remodel cannot have carts in the lobby at checkout time. Commercial crews work evenings, weekends and holidays by arrangement, so deliveries can be set for the quiet hours. Tell the estimator which elevators, docks and corridors you can use and when.

What to bring to the estimate

A short list saves a lot of back and forth. Bring the room count and room types, the FF&E schedule from the designer, the vendor names and ship dates, the contractor's turnover dates, and any dock or elevator limits at the property.

Mention loose pieces too: banquet chairs, lobby seating, bar furniture and meeting-room tables all ship the same way as guest-room goods and can ride in the same plan.

Related services

Hotels with their own restaurant should see restaurant FF&E. Large properties that want a project lead on the ground can ask about on-site move management, and the broader FF&E overview explains how receiving and storage fit together.