Terry sizes and consumption:
what belongs in every room
The names of terry towels differ from country to country, the dimensions do not. This guide assigns the seven sizes to their place of use, says how many pieces per guest belong in the room, and works out the first fit-out with par levels.
The set per guest
A set is what a guest finds on entering the bathroom. Three pieces form the basis, the rest depends on the area.
Hand towel
- The workhorse of the room
- At the basin and after washing hands
- Changed most often
- Highest turnover in the house
Bath towel
- The standard after the shower
- Belongs in every room
- In 400 or 500 gsm
- The bath sheet 100 x 150 cm is the larger step
Bath mat
- In front of shower and tub
- One per bathroom, not per guest
- In 650 or 700 gsm
- Changed with the set
All sizes with dimensions, use and quantity
The table shows the stock range in 400 and 500 grams per square metre, the bath mat in 650 and 700. The quantity per guest is a starting value for standard rooms, adjusted upwards in suite and wellness.
| Size | Dimensions | What for | Per guest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face cloth | 30 x 30 cm | basin, face, hands | 1 |
| Guest towel | 40 x 60 cm | cloakroom and second bathroom | 1 |
| Hand towel | 50 x 100 cm | the workhorse of the room | 1 to 2 |
| Bath towel | 70 x 140 cm | standard after the shower | 1 |
| Bath sheet | 100 x 150 cm | suite, tub, wellness | 1 |
| Sauna sheet | 100 x 180 cm | sauna and lounger | as needed |
| Bath mat | 50 x 70 cm | in front of shower and tub | 1 per bathroom |
Face cloth and guest towel: the small pieces
The face cloth 30 x 30 cm lies at the basin for face and hands. The guest towel 40 x 60 cm belongs in the cloakroom and in the second bathroom of a suite. Both are easily forgotten, although they cause the least work in the laundry and are the first thing the guest notices when they are missing.
Bath towel or bath sheet
The bath towel 70 x 140 cm is the standard after the shower and is enough in the room. The bath sheet 100 x 150 cm is the step above, for suite, tub and wellness, where the guest wraps up rather than dries off. Both side by side in the same room are rarely needed, in the wellness area they are common.
Sauna sheet as needed
The sauna sheet 100 x 180 cm belongs on the lounger and in the sauna, not in the room. It is handed out as needed, in the changing room or at the reception of the wellness area, and is therefore counted separately from the room requirement.
Before you order: Terry shrinks in the first wash, depending on quality by up to fifteen percent. Allow for that with rails and shelves, not afterwards.
Calculating the first fit-out and par levels
A hotel does not buy terry per guest but per room and par level. The calculation has three steps, and the third is the one most often forgotten.
Step 1: the set per room
Count the pieces per guest with the occupancy of the room. A standard double room needs two hand towels, two bath towels, two face cloths and one bath mat, with two hand towels per guest four accordingly. Suite and wellness add bath sheet and guest towel.
Step 2: the par levels
One set is in the room, one set is in the wash, one set is in the store. Three par levels are the starting value for properties with an in-house laundry or daily delivery. Whoever sends the laundry out and gets it back only every two to three days needs a fourth par, otherwise the towel is missing exactly when the house is full.
Step 3: loss and sorting out
Towels get lost, are misused as cleaning rags, discolour or lose their hem. A surcharge on the first fit-out covers the first year, after that the actual loss shows how high the running reorder has to be. Keep the stock per size, not as a total, otherwise bath towels are missing while face cloths sit on the shelf.
Worked example: 100 double rooms
With two hand towels, two bath towels and two face cloths per room plus one bath mat, one set comes to 700 pieces. With three par levels that is 2,100 pieces for the first fit-out, with four par levels 2,800. The wellness area comes on top separately with sauna sheets and bath sheets.
The gsm, weave and dyeing process that fit these sizes are on the overview page Terry Towelling for Hotel and Spa.
Frequent questions about sizes and consumption
What buyers ask when putting the set together.
Put together the set for your property?
Number of rooms, occupancy and laundry rhythm are enough, we work out first fit-out and par levels per size.
