Wholesale hotel supplies are everyday hotel items that are acquired from suppliers in bulk, in order to reduce the per-unit cost. Through strategic purchases and positive relationships with suppliers, hotels can keep total costs down. It is more essential than ever to acquire wholesale supplies, because hotels face numerous financial pressures. Examples include growing supply costs and rising customer expectations around item quality and sustainability.

In this article, you can explore what wholesale hotel supplies are, why you should buy wholesale, and how wholesale suppliers work. Along the way, you will also learn useful strategies for buying your hotel supplies in bulk.

Table of Contents:

What Are Wholesale Hotel Supplies?

Wholesale hotel supplies are the essential items a hotel needs, purchased in bulk to reduce total costs. Wholesalers will often sell a large quantity of items at a discounted rate, saving hotels money in the long run.

Your hotel may be able to buy wholesale supplies directly from manufacturers, or from distributors or specialist wholesale suppliers. Buying in bulk has a higher initial outlay, but the average per-unit cost is lower.

The global wholesale hotel supplies industry is worth around $58.97 billion and is rapidly changing. By 2030, this market is expected to grow to $89.88 billion, according to Grand View Research.

Established and reputable wholesale suppliers offer volume pricing and customization features. Examples of bulk hotel supplies you may be able to acquire include toiletries, cleaning products, and bed linen.

Video: Hotel Supplies | Wholesale | HY Supplies Inc.

Why Are Wholesale Hotel Supplies Important?

Wholesale hotel supplies are important because they allow hoteliers to benefit from economies of scale and reduce overall costs. By switching to wholesale, you could also potentially buy higher-quality items for the same price.

Hotels face volatile conditions, with rising costs and increased guest expectations. According to Deloitte, 74% of chief procurement officers highlighted finding alternative supply sources as the best mitigation strategy.

Developing an effective strategy around buying hospitality supplies wholesale can help you to protect profit margins. Buying in bulk can also prevent inventory issues, which may otherwise hurt guest satisfaction levels. At the same time, this approach can assist with forecasting and help to streamline the procurement process.

Top Categories for Wholesale Hotel Supplies

Wholesale hotel supplies is a broad term, covering a range of items hotels need for day-to-day operations. In this section, you can explore the top categories so that you can make more informed procurement decisions:

  • Bed Linen and Textiles: Switching to wholesale hotel linens and towels, including bed sheets, pillow cases, and blankets, can lower costs. Hotel linens and textiles are a big part of the market, worth $27.43 billion. They’re expected to grow to $59.12 billion by 2033, with a 10.5% yearly growth rate, according to Business Research Insights.
  • Bathroom Amenities and Toiletries: Items like shampoo, soap, shower gel, lotions, and other personal care items can be bought from wholesalers to keep supply levels high. Hotel toiletries represent the fastest-growing segment at $22.19 billion currently, projected to reach $45.29 billion by 2030 with a remarkable 10.9% CAGR, according to Grand View Research.
  • Housekeeping Supplies: Cleaning products, housekeeping carts, and protective equipment can all be purchased wholesale, ensuring your team always has sufficient stock to meet guest expectations around cleanliness.
  • Kitchen and Food Service Supplies: You can order kitchen-related wholesale hotel supplies, including plates, cutlery, serving dishes, glasses, and disposable items, like napkins.
  • Furniture and Room Accessories: Hotels with large numbers of rooms may want to buy furniture in bulk, including beds, desks, and nightstands. You can also purchase room accessories wholesale, like safes and lamps. Hotel Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) dominates the hotel supplies market, making $58.97 billion in revenue. According to Grand View Research, this part of the industry is expected to grow by 7.3% each year until 2030.
  • Hotel Technology: Telephones, smart speakers, and other communication or entertainment devices may be available as bulk purchases, reducing the overall costs and helping you to provide a positive guest experience. For more information, read “Tips to Choose the Right Hotel Technology for Your Property.”

wholesale hotel supplies - What to Look for in a Wholesale Hotel Supplier

What to Look for in a Wholesale Hotel Supplier

To acquire wholesale hotel supplies, you will need to find the right hotel suppliers for your specific needs. Here, you can learn about some of the key traits and features to look out for:

  • Reputation and Reliability: Explore online reviews, testimonials, and references to get a better sense of the supplier’s reputation and assess how reliable they are.
  • Product Range and Quality: Make sure the supplier offers the items you need and research the quality of these products. Look for safety certificates, customer reviews, and other quality indicators.
  • Customization Features: Try to find a supplier that will allow you to customize your order. This could include tailor-made items, branded hotel supplies, or order sizes that suit your needs.
  • Delivery Timelines and Support: Check that the supplier can deliver in accordance with your preferred schedule. Try to find a partner who can provide a high level of support, especially in emergencies.
  • Certifications and Compliance: Make sure your chosen supplier has relevant certificates and complies with regulations. Try to focus on wholesale hotel supplies offered by brands with a sustainability focus.
  • Leading Suppliers: Examples of popular wholesale hotel suppliers include Sysco Guest Supply and the American Hotel Register Company. Different suppliers target different segments of the hotel industry.

Video: Tips for Purchasing Wholesale Hotel Supplies

How to Find and Vet Wholesale Hotel Supply Partners

In the following sections, you can learn how to identify hotel supply distributors who deal with wholesale orders. Additionally, you will find important information on effectively vetting potential partners:

Online Platform Sourcing

Online platforms like Alibaba, Amazon Business, and Faire allow you to make bulk purchases over the internet. These platforms can take many forms, like websites, online apps, and cloud-based ordering systems.

Knowing where to buy wholesale hotel supplies online can simplify the ordering process. It can also help to provide access to a global marketplace of manufacturers, distributors, and suppliers, increasing your options.

Make sure your chosen platform can connect you to the supplies you need, and the supplier will deliver to your location. You should also check online reviews for the platform, paying attention to feedback from other hotels.

Trade Show Networking

Trade shows and hotel industry conferences are an ideal place for networking and meeting with suppliers. Some of these events are specifically designed to provide exposure for suppliers, including wholesalers.

Networking at trade shows is important because you can speak directly to supply leaders and ask questions. This can make it easier to find the right fit for your hotel, factoring in your unique needs.

By networking at trade shows and conferences, you may also be able to negotiate exclusive rates for wholesale hotel supplies or make special arrangements about deliveries or product modifications.

B2B Marketplaces and Directories

In addition to traditional online channels, you can also use B2B marketplaces and supplier directories. Examples of popular supplier discovery platforms include Global Sources and Thomasnet.

B2B marketplaces and directories can help you find suppliers who may be hard to find through conventional means. Some of these suppliers may only work with businesses they connect with on these platforms.

Prioritize platforms that can link you with wholesale hotel supplies for your specific location.

Video: The Largest Hotel Supplies Market in Guangzhou, China – Xinji Shaxi Hospitality Supplies Expo Center

Key Questions to Ask Potential Suppliers

In this section, you will find a breakdown of some of the most important questions to ask potential business partners if you are trying to purchase supplies and hotel amenities wholesale:

  • Minimum Order Quantity: What is the smallest quantity of items my hotel can order?
  • Returns Policy: Can wholesale hotel supplies I purchase be returned if they are unsatisfactory or defective?
  • Delivery Time: How long does it take to receive wholesale hotel supplies from the moment of ordering?
  • Product Sustainability: Do you have sustainability certificates? How eco-friendly is your business model?

5 Strategic Benefits of Wholesale Hotel Supplies

Working with hotel supply wholesalers can provide a number of strategic advantages, which can enable your business to become more efficient and profitable. In these sections, you can explore some of the specific advantages of acquiring wholesale hotel supplies rather than purchasing more frequently in smaller quantities:

1. Cost Control and Budget Optimization

Buying wholesale hotel supplies enables your hotel to negotiate better prices and achieve lower per-unit costs. This is possible because economies of scale mean suppliers are often willing to offer discounts for larger purchases.

Cost control is important because it means your hotel can increase profitability. Alternatively, it means you can spend more of your budget on other areas, or increase the quality of the supplies you purchase.

In multi-hotel businesses and international hotel chains, working with wholesale suppliers can also help you to lock in standard pricing across locations, which can be crucial when contending with rising hotel costs.

2. Brand Consistency and Customization

Certain wholesale hotel supplies can be customized, enhancing their appearance. Examples include branded toiletries, towels, robes, and napkins, which can potentially help with brand consistency and your hotel’s identity.

By ordering branded products, you can ensure various items in your hotel match the wider aesthetic. It can help to create a more unified appearance, while strengthening brand recognition and adding prestige.

The most common customization options for most hotel supplies include adding your hotel logo or slogan. However, other options may include choosing a relevant color scheme or a memorable quote.

3. More Efficient Inventory Management

Inventory management is a critical component of running a hotel effectively. By ordering wholesale hotel supplies, you can make sure stock levels are maintained, while streamlining inventory tracking and automating re-ordering.

Improving the efficiency of your inventory management can help to cut costs and avoid situations where items are out of stock. This results in improved financial results and better guest satisfaction levels.

Many of the best wholesale hotel suppliers will even provide their own digital inventory tracking systems. This can make it easier to monitor supply levels. By automating much of the re-ordering process, you can lower labor costs, reduce human error, and ensure orders are placed at the exact right moment to maximize efficiency.

Ashley King, Director of Procurement at Resolute Road Hospitality, explains:

“inventory management has become more strategic and data-driven, with improvements in forecasting, cost control, and supplier relationships.”

4. Stronger Supplier Relationships and Support

The process of acquiring wholesale hotel supplies often results in the formation of long-term business relationships with suppliers. This, in turn, can lead to greater support and increased trust over time.

Building a level of trust and having the support of your chosen suppliers can be especially beneficial in emergency situations. It can also make it easier to resolve disputes and negotiate new terms.

In larger hotels, or in situations where you need to work with many different wholesale suppliers, it can be important to invest time, effort, and money into supplier relationship management. This is the process of maintaining positive relationships with suppliers through positive communication and reliable payment.

5. Enhanced Sustainability and Reputation

Acquiring wholesale hotel supplies can be an effective way to improve sustainability. This can be achieved through reductions in transportation and packaging, as well as by working with eco-friendly suppliers.

Sustainability is increasingly important because guests want to stay at responsible hotels. By demonstrating that you have reduced carbon emissions in your supply chains, you can potentially attract more guests.

An example of this in action is the Banyan Tree Group, which has reduced single-use plastic by 42%, partly through bulk buying. Many suppliers specifically focus on providing sustainable services. They will make efforts to reduce unnecessary packaging, use the most responsible transportation methods, and provide eco-friendly products.

wholesale hotel supplies - Common Mistakes to Avoid When Sourcing Wholesale Hotel Supplies

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Sourcing Wholesale Hotel Supplies

There are a number of potential pitfalls associated with sourcing wholesale hotel supplies. In this section, you can find a breakdown of some of the most common mistakes hoteliers make:

  • Price Over Quality: You must prioritize quality rather than always choosing the cheapest wholesale hotel supplies. Low-cost options may hurt the guest experience and may be less durable, increasing long-term costs.
  • Buying Without Testing: Ordering in bulk without a trial or product test can result in dissatisfaction. This is especially problematic with bulk orders, because replacing the items could be very costly.
  • Ignoring Terms & Conditions: It is important to pay attention to terms and conditions, as well as other smaller details, when making deals. These may influence minimum orders, payment terms, and more.
  • Lack of Quality Alignment: The standard of the items you order needs to be aligned with the quality standards your guests have. Failing to meet their expectations can negatively affect the guest experience.
  • Insufficient Research: Take your time to research suppliers, carry out background checks, and consult with other customers. Insufficient research can lead to unnecessary reliability, compliance, and quality issues.
  • Inventory Management Issues: Make sure you place bulk orders with consideration for where the items will be stored and how long they can actually be stored for, in order to avoid wasting space and money.

The Future of Hotel Procurement: What’s Next?

To implement smart strategies for buying supplies in bulk, you will need to understand how the landscape is developing. In this section, you can find a breakdown of future trends with wholesale hotel supplies and suppliers:

  • AI and Automation: Machine learning algorithms are going to get better at understanding demand and usage patterns. This will lead to highly accurate, profitable forecasting and automated re-ordering with optimal timing.
  • PMS System Integration: Partner platforms will increasingly offer direct connectivity with property management systems (PMS). This can potentially assist with more timely ordering and order processing.
  • Sustainable Sourcing: More wholesale hotel supplies will be acquired through hyper-local sourcing, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint, a healthier local economy, and more meaningful relationships.
  • On-Demand Delivery: Improvements to delivery technology, including the use of drones, are likely to result in more on-demand options, with wholesale hotel supplies being delivered the same day.
  • Blockchain Transparency: Blockchain technology and distributed, decentralized ledgers can result in improved transparency and permanent record-keeping that cannot be tampered with, increasing trust.
  • Smart Inventory Systems: The use of IoT devices will result in sensors detecting current stock levels and automatically updating inventory records. This can also automatically trigger re-orders.

Real-World Profitability Impact: A Case Study

Sourcing wholesale hotel supplies can produce a real-world impact on hotel profitability. An example of this can be seen with Zignify Global Product Sourcing, which worked with a global hotel brand to reduce bedding costs.

The company was able to identify a supplier offering better quality bedding at reduced rates. This was partially achieved by securing a better deal on bulk purchases than the hotel had with its previous vendor.

As the case study explains, through this partnership, the hotel reduced costs on bedding and other linens by 27%, while also streamlining the sourcing process to avoid future disruptions in the supply chain.

Video: Hotel Toiletries Guest Amenities

Hotel Amenities: Exceeding Hotel Guest Expectations

Hotel amenities are the extra services and items that can help transform a guest’s experience. Some of these amenities can be provided by acquiring wholesale hotel supplies, while others are more luxury offerings, which are purchased for long-term use and provided at high-end hotels or for high-value customers.

In the “Hotel Amenities: Meet and Exceed Your Hotel Guests’ Expectations” article, you can access a breakdown of the key amenities found in most hotels, from toiletries and personal items to Smart TVs and luxury offerings.

Hotel Activities: Creating Memorable Guest Experiences

Wholesale hotel supplies can help you to improve the guest experience, but many guests will leave remembering the things they did while staying in your hotel. For this reason, it is vital for hoteliers to create and facilitate engaging activities on-site or in the nearby area, including spa, dining, wellness, and adventure activities.

In the “Hotel Activities: Essential Guide to Engaging Guest Experiences” article, you can find a complete guide to hotel activities, with examples ranging from live entertainment to cultural excursions.

FAQs: Wholesale Hotel Supplies

By purchasing supplies in bulk, you can reduce per-unit costs, improve efficiency, and keep stock levels up.

Yes. Small hotels can reduce their costs, lower the number of deliveries they receive, and streamline procurement.

Common wholesale items include toiletries, bed linen, towels, cleaning products, plates, and cutlery.

Read online reviews and testimonials, check certifications, ask about lead times, and request samples or a trial.

Yes. Many eco-friendly products can be purchased in bulk, including plastic-free and biodegradable items.

Wholesale hotel supplies are the everyday items hotels need, which are purchased in bulk to benefit from economies of scale and to reduce per-unit costs. For certain items, making strategic use of hotel supply wholesalers can help you acquire higher-quality items, which may then improve the guest experience.

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This article is written by:

Martijn Barten

Hi, I am Martijn Barten, founder of Revfine.com. With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, I specialize in optimizing revenue by combining revenue management with marketing strategies. I have successfully developed, implemented, and managed revenue management and marketing strategies for individual properties and multi-property portfolios.