Procurement guide
What to include in a hotel furniture RFQ before quotation
A practical checklist for turning a room schedule, design intent and delivery plan into a furniture RFQ suppliers can quote consistently.
Define the scope by room type
List each room type or public area separately and identify the furniture required in each one. A useful schedule links the item reference, description, quantity per space and total quantity, including any spares or phased delivery requirements.
State whether the enquiry covers loose furniture, upholstered seating, casegoods, fixed joinery or a coordinated package. This helps suppliers identify which items can share materials, finishes, hardware and packing assumptions.
Attach information that controls the design
Provide dimensioned drawings where available, together with reference images, finish schedules, fabric specifications and the intended use of each item. Mark which dimensions and visual details are fixed and which can be value-engineered.
If drawings are still developing, include the target envelope and the interfaces that cannot move, such as wall clearances, mattress size, electrical points, access panels or adjoining joinery.
State performance and market requirements
Identify the destination market, project standard and expected use level. Fire performance, stability, strength, chemical, labelling and accessibility requirements can vary by product type and location, so they should be confirmed rather than inferred from a reference image.
Ask suppliers to separate verified evidence from items that remain subject to testing, material selection or final engineering. A badge or report is useful only when its applicant, sample, standard, date and product scope match the proposed specification.
Make logistics part of the quotation
Include the delivery destination, target programme, site access constraints and whether items may ship assembled or knock-down. Request the proposed packing method, carton dimensions, gross weight and any installation or hardware assumptions that affect landed cost.
For phased projects, show which quantities belong to mock-up rooms, early openings and later batches. This prevents sample, production and shipment timing from being treated as one undifferentiated lead time.
Ask for comparable commercial assumptions
Specify the required currency, Incoterm, quotation validity and price-break quantities. Ask suppliers to identify what is included, what is provisional and what requires a confirmed sample or final drawing before it can be priced.
A comparable quotation should also state MOQ, sample cost and timing, production lead time, payment assumptions, warranty basis and the treatment of tooling, testing, installation and spare parts where applicable.
Close with the approval and inspection route
Describe how finishes, materials, prototypes and mock-up items will be approved and recorded. The approved sample should become a measurable reference for production rather than only a visual sign-off.
Before placing the order, align the inspection stages, critical defects, tolerances, documentation and packing checks. These decisions make the RFQ easier to compare and reduce the number of assumptions that reappear after quotation.