Short answer: most hotels need about three full sets of towels per room (a “3 par” level): one set in the guest room, one in the laundry and one clean on the shelf. Multiply the towels you place in each room by three and by your number of rooms to get your starting order, then add a small reserve for losses and stained towels.
What is a towel par level?
A par is one complete setup of linen for every room in your property. If each room gets two bath towels, two hand towels, two washcloths and one bath mat, that is one par. Hotels carry several pars because towels are constantly moving between rooms, the laundry and storage.
- 3 par – the common baseline: one in use, one being washed, one ready on the shelf.
- 4 par – useful when laundry is sent out and returns a day or more later, or occupancy is consistently high.
- 5 par – for resorts, pool-heavy properties or hotels that want extra safety stock during peak season.
How many towels per room?
A typical setup is one bath towel, one hand towel and one washcloth per guest, plus one bath mat per bathroom. Adjust for your room types and brand standards:
| Room type | Bath towels | Hand towels | Washcloths | Bath mats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King or single-queen (2 guests) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Double queen (up to 4 guests) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Suite with two bathrooms | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
Worked example: an 80-room hotel at 3 par
Say your hotel has 40 king rooms and 40 double-queen rooms. One par of bath towels is 40 × 2 + 40 × 4 = 240 towels. At 3 par you need 720 bath towels. The same math applies to hand towels and washcloths, while bath mats are one per room: 80 × 3 = 240.
| Item | Pieces needed (3 par) | Example case size | Cases to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath towels | 720 | 30 per case | 24 |
| Hand towels | 720 | 72 per case | 10 |
| Washcloths | 720 | 180 per case | 4 |
| Bath mats | 240 | 36 per case | 7 |
Case sizes above match products in our catalog, such as the Martex Five Star collection (30 bath towels, 72 hand towels or 180 washcloths per case) and the Piano Key Border bath mat (36 per case). Always check the pack size on the product you choose, because case counts vary by item.
Plan for replacement, not just the opening order
Towels are retired over time because of stains, fraying, guests taking them home and normal wear from commercial laundering. Instead of waiting until a par runs short, many housekeeping teams count linen on a regular schedule and order a replacement batch whenever stock drops below their target. Keeping the same towel line makes it easy to blend new towels with existing ones.
Which towel grade should you choose?
- Economy towels – lighter weight, fast drying and lower cost for budget motels and high-turnover rooms.
- Gold and Piano Key Border towels – a middle ground for mid-scale hotels.
- Platinum, Martex Five Star and Standard Textile – heavier, larger towels for upscale properties.
Compare sizes, weights and case packs across every grade in our wholesale hotel towels collection, or see the full range of hotel supplies.
Frequently asked questions
How many bath towels does a 50-room hotel need?
If each room gets two bath towels, one par is 100 towels. At 3 par that is 300 bath towels, or 10 cases of 30.
Is 3 par enough for a hotel?
Three par works for most properties with on-site laundry. If your linen is washed off-site, occupancy is high or you run a pool, consider 4 or 5 par.
Should hand towels and washcloths use the same par level as bath towels?
Yes. Keep all bathroom linen at the same par so a room can always be fully reset with a matching set.
Need help sizing an order? Request a bulk quote with your room count, room types and delivery ZIP code and our team will help you plan the cases.
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