Hotel Linen Par Levels: How Many Sets of Sheets and Towels Do You Need Per Bed?

A linen par level is the number of complete linen sets you have for each bed. The standard starting point is three sets, including one on the bed, one in wash, and the last clean one on the shelf. Properties with outsourced laundry services or same-day turn often need four or five. Now, you'll calculate your own linen par level from beds to pieces to dozens, based on the example of a 20-room motel.

What Is a Hotel Linen Par Level? 

A par is a complete set of linen for each bed used. The par level is 3, which means that four times the stock required for the entire property. It makes the question of “how much linen to buy for a new hotel?” a number you can count and reorder against.

What Linen Par Level Do Most Properties Use, And When Do You Need More?

Most properties have 3 par, as linen is always in 3 places: on the bed, in the laundry, and clean on the shelf. On-site laundry and a fast turnaround mean there's no break in the cycle. When laundry is sent out, turnaround is slow, or occupancy is high, move to 4 or 5 par.

There is some variation in published guidance. According to The Hospitality Institute, the average hotel has three to four sets per room, one or two sets that are not in use and one set in the wash. Also, a commercial linen service recommends at least four, and fewer in slow times. The Cleaning Industry Association, ISSA, recommends that par be based on maximum usage. If the maximum number of sets used for one change is 100, then stock 300-500 sets for a par of 3-5.

A third set safeguards the linen. A full rotation of the washes from room to laundry to shelf and back to room ensures that washes are distributed evenly, and that one set does not wear out before the others. When the fourth or fifth par:

• Laundry is outsourced, and pickup takes a day or more

• Rooms turn the same day, leaving little drying time

• Your busy season runs well above average occupancy

How Many Sets of Sheets Per Bed Do You Need? 

A bed set is one fitted sheet, one flat sheet, and one pillowcase per pillow. If you are wondering how many towels per bathroom in a rental, then a bathroom set is one bath towel, one hand towel and one face cloth per guest. These counts are based on 2 pillows for double, queen, and king beds, 1 pillow for a single bed, and 2 guests per room.

Bed Sets 

Buying fitted and flat sheets by the dozen keeps each set easy to count, because 12 fitted sheets dress 12 beds once. 

Bathroom Sets

• 2 bath towels

• 2 hand towels

• 2 face cloths (6 for a 2-guest bathroom)

The towels are sold in packs of 12 with one dozen bath towels, one dozen hand towels, and one dozen face cloths.

What is the difference between Hotel, Airbnb, and Long-Term Care Par Levels?

Hotels and motels typically have 3 par in-house laundry and 4-5 par out-of-house laundry. Airbnb hosts need 3-4 par, and long-term care will need 4 or more par, because linen changes frequently. The following are guidelines, not rules.

 

If you have multiple units, you can skip the sums and get ready-made Airbnb linen bundles, and our article on what every Airbnb host needs on the bed provides you with a bedroom checklist.

How Do You Calculate A Full Linen Order?

Work out what number of pieces are in each set, times the number of beds, and then divide by 12 to determine the number of dozens. The following is the straightforward formula:

Beds × pieces per set × par = total pieces

Total pieces ÷ 12 = dozens (round up)

Example 

20-room hotel, 12 queen rooms, 8 double rooms, one bed per room, 3 par, 2 guests per room, and with laundry. This is a simple representation and not a customer case.

Beds: 12 + 8 = 20.

Sheets: 20 beds × 1 × 3 par = 60 fitted and 60 flat.

Pillowcases: 20 beds × 2 × 3 par = 120.

Towels: 2 guests × 3 par × 20 rooms = 120 bath towels, hand towels, and face cloths.

Dozens: 5 dozen fitted, 5 dozen flat, 10 dozen of each type of towel: 50 dozen or 600 pieces.

Mattress and pillow protectors are washed less often, typically, 2 par is sufficient. It has 4 dozen rounded-up mattress protectors and 7 dozen rounded-up pillow protectors. If the same motel had sent out laundry at 4 par, the sheets, pillowcases, and towels would total approximately 67 dozen, or 800 pieces. 

Turned your par level into dozens? You can order linens by the dozen. 

How Should You Adjust Par For Canadian Seasons?

In Canada, busy weeks can result from the summer tourist season, resort areas, and vacations. For instance, an Airbnb in Kelowna has 2 units. One set may be required for 3 months during the non-rush season, and a 4th set per bed in the summer months (July and August) when same-day turnovers are more frequent. 

The most important part of the winter is whether you dry indoors. Linen will take longer to get back to the shelf if it is slow-drying, so consider it a longer turnaround and add one par.

When Should You Top Up Par Levels?

Refill when clean shelves are less than complete, but not when they are empty. Three things deplete par:

Loss: count linen at every laundry return, since the real par is smaller than the number of pieces counted.

Stains: remove stained items from guest use immediately

Wear: any thin, torn, or greying piece is not usable stock

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of the term par 3 in Hotel Linens?

Par 3 equals 3 full sets of bed linen with 1 on the bed, 1 in the laundry, and 1 clean and stored. If you're late checking out or hanging out laundry, you will have no buffer with two sets.

How many sheets does an Airbnb need?

Usually begins at 3 sets per bed, and works up to 4 sets per bed in the absence of a laundromat, or for same-day turnover.

How many towels per guest are suitable for a hotel? 

The two guest rooms have 18 towels, 6 towels per set (2 bath towels, 2 hand towels, 2 face towels) x 3 sets.

How many pillowcases do I need for each pillow?

You may need 3 per pillow, one on the pillow, one in the wash, and one extra. Two pillows are needed for a queen-size bed, so a total of 6 pillowcases.

Conclusion

The number of pieces per set x par / 12 is the only formula that can be used for linen par level. Single properties may use the hotel groups above by the dozen, hosts may use the bundles of the above, and hotel groups may request hotel groups by the container.