How to Specify Fabric for Hotel and Hospitality Projects: A Complete Guide for Interior Designers

Minimum Martindale: 40,000 rubs (bedroom) / 60,000 rubs (restaurant and bar) / 80,000–100,000 rubs (lobby)
Fire standard: BS 7176 Medium Hazard — not just Crib 5
Cleaning code: W or WS preferred — S-coded fabrics are often incompatible with hotel housekeeping
Download: Hotel fabric specification checklist (PDF)

Hotel fabric specification is categorically different from residential work. The same fabric that performs well in a client’s drawing room will fail visibly within months in a hotel bedroom. The difference is not only the volume of use but the nature of that use: guests treat hotel furniture differently from their own, housekeeping applies chemicals that residential cleaning never encounters, and the fire authority expects documentation that a residential project never requires. This guide covers every dimension of hotel fabric specification, from Martindale thresholds by room type to dye lot consistency across multi-phase projects.

For the testing standards referenced throughout this guide, see our posts on the Martindale rub test, BS 5852 Crib 5 fire certification, light fastness and the Blue Wool Scale, fabric care symbols and cleaning codes, and velvet types compared.

Understand the Project Before Specifying Any Fabric

Before selecting a fabric, confirm the following with the client or project manager. The answers determine every specification decision that follows.

Brand tier and refurbishment cycle. A budget hotel expecting to refurbish every five years has different durability requirements from a five-star property projecting a ten-year lifecycle. The longer the expected service life, the higher the Martindale threshold should be.

Occupancy pattern. A hotel running at 90% year-round occupancy subjects its furniture to dramatically more use than a seasonal resort. A 24-hour city-centre hotel has different requirements from a boutique property with a primarily weekend leisure clientele.

Housekeeping regime. Ask what cleaning products are used on upholstered surfaces. Many hotels use alkaline-based multi-purpose cleaners across all surfaces. These are effective at removing soiling but can degrade the back-coating on topically treated fabrics over time. If the housekeeping contractor uses a standard alkaline spray on upholstered chairs, specify fabrics with a W or WS cleaning code, or confirm that the specific fabric survives the cleaning agent in use. Solvent-coded fabrics coded S require specialist in-situ cleaning and are not compatible with standard hotel housekeeping routines unless a specialist cleaning contract is in place.

Fire risk assessment category. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for the building must carry out a fire risk assessment and procure furnishings accordingly. For most hotel environments the relevant standard is BS 7176 Medium Hazard. Confirm the specific hazard category with the fire officer or the client’s fire safety consultant before specifying.

Project phasing. A hotel refurbished in phases over two to three years will need fabric from the same dye lot across phases, or a supplier able to replicate the colourway in future batches. This is the most frequently overlooked risk in large hotel projects and the one most likely to create a visible inconsistency across rooms completed at different times.

Martindale Thresholds by Room Type

No single Martindale figure applies across an entire hotel. Different areas have different use intensities and the fabric specification should reflect this. These thresholds are industry guidelines rather than formal standards and should be adjusted based on fibre type, construction, and project conditions. The following figures represent the minimum acceptable for each area in a standard UK hotel. For premium properties with longer refurbishment cycles, specify 20,000 to 30,000 rubs above each figure.

Hotel bedroom: desk chair, occasional chair, chaise. Minimum 40,000 Martindale rubs. Guest bedrooms receive regular but not continuous use. A single bedroom chair may be sat in by two guests per night at occupancy, which is low by contract standards but higher than a comparable chair in a private home. 40,000 rubs provides adequate headroom for a five-year refurbishment cycle at typical occupancy.

Hotel bedroom: headboard. Minimum 25,000 Martindale rubs. Headboards are subject to contact rather than seated abrasion. Hair products, moisturisers, and leaning are the primary wear factors. A fabric with good abrasion resistance at 25,000 rubs and a stain-resistant finish is appropriate for most hotel bedroom headboards. For boutique hotels expecting a longer first-refurbishment interval, specify 40,000 rubs. See the headboard section below for fire rating considerations specific to this application.

Restaurant and dining seating. Minimum 60,000 Martindale rubs. Restaurant seating in a busy hotel receives sustained use from breakfast through dinner service, often with multiple seatings per day. Food and beverage spills are frequent. The fabric must combine high abrasion resistance with good stain resistance and a cleaning code compatible with damp wiping between services. High-performance faux leather, often tested to 100,000 or more Martindale rubs or equivalent methods, is one of the most practical specifications for high-volume restaurant seating. For properties where aesthetics require a woven fabric, specify a minimum of 60,000 rubs with a stain-resistant finish.

Bar and lounge seating. Minimum 60,000 Martindale rubs. Bar seating receives the most demanding use of any upholstered surface in a hotel. Guests sit for extended periods, often in close-fitting clothing that generates sustained friction, and spills involving alcoholic beverages are common. For bar stools and high-seat bar chairs where the seating surface is under direct and continuous pressure, 80,000 rubs is a more defensible specification. Alcohol can also degrade certain topical fabric finishes, which is a reason to favour inherently resistant fabrics or faux leather in bar applications.

Hotel lobby seating. Minimum 60,000 to 100,000 Martindale rubs depending on the lobby’s function. A lobby used primarily as a transit space with limited seating use can be specified at 60,000 rubs. A lobby that doubles as a working space, café, or meeting point and receives continuous use throughout the day requires 80,000 to 100,000 rubs. Lobby furniture is also highly visible and first-impressions critical, which means early visible wear is commercially significant regardless of actual structural failure.

Meeting room and event space seating. Minimum 40,000 Martindale rubs. Meeting room chairs receive intense but intermittent use. A conference chair may be occupied for six to eight hours during a full-day event and then unused for days. 40,000 rubs is sufficient for most meeting room applications. For chairs used in training rooms or learning environments with continuous daily occupation, specify 60,000 rubs.

Spa and wellness seating. Minimum 40,000 Martindale rubs, with additional consideration of moisture and skincare product resistance. Guests using spa facilities arrive in robes or swimwear, and skincare products including oils and lotions come into contact with seating surfaces. Specify fabrics whose cleaning code permits water-based cleaning and confirm compatibility with the specific products used in the spa. Faux leather is often the most practical choice for spa seating.

Fire Rating for Hotel Environments

The fire standard for most UK hotel upholstery is BS 7176 Medium Hazard. This standard incorporates BS 5852 Crib 5 and additionally requires the cigarette and match tests and a water-soak test to simulate cleaning. The specification document must state the specific foam used in the test, as BS 7176 is a composite test of fabric and filling combined, not of the fabric alone.

In practice, many fabrics that pass BS 5852 Crib 5 can be used to achieve BS 7176 Medium Hazard when combined with the appropriate filling, but BS 7176 is a broader composite standard with additional requirements including cigarette, match, and water-soak testing. The difference is also in the documentation: a BS 7176 certificate names the end-use environment and the foam specification, making it a more defensible document for a contract project. For hotel upholstery, specify BS 7176 Medium Hazard rather than simply Crib 5 and request the full certificate naming the foam used in the test. Always request full test certificates rather than relying on generic compliance statements.

For mohair velvet that achieves a Crib 5 pass without topical treatment, confirm that the specific range has been independently tested to BS 5852 and request the test certificate. Where applicable, the certificate should also demonstrate compliance to BS 7176 Medium Hazard or indicate the foam configuration under which the test was conducted.

For curtains in hotel bedrooms and public areas, the applicable standard is BS 5867 Part 2 Type B, which is a separate standard from BS 5852 and governs vertically hanging fabrics. The two standards are not interchangeable. A Crib 5 certificate for an upholstery fabric does not qualify the same fabric for use as a contract curtain.

For full detail on the Crib 5 test, inherent versus topical certification, and BS 7176 hazard categories, see our complete guide to BS 5852 Crib 5.

The Hotel Cleaning Regime and What It Means for Fabric Specification

The housekeeping regime is the single most underspecified variable in hotel fabric selection. Fabrics are routinely tested in laboratory conditions, but hotel cleaning products introduce chemical stresses that standard abrasion tests do not replicate.

Standard hotel housekeeping uses multi-purpose alkaline cleaners for daily surface cleaning across guest rooms and public areas. These products, typically in the pH 8 to 11 range, are effective against the greases, body oils, and food residues that accumulate on upholstered surfaces. However, alkaline cleaners can progressively reduce the effectiveness of some topical FR treatments and may cause surface dulling or discolouration on certain pile fabrics. Cleaning codes indicate suitable cleaning methods but do not guarantee resistance to specific commercial cleaning chemicals.

The practical consequence for specification is as follows. A fabric with a topical Crib 5 treatment and a solvent-only cleaning code (S) is often incompatible with standard hotel housekeeping unless a specialist cleaning regime is in place. Cleaning codes indicate suitable methods but do not guarantee resistance to specific commercial cleaning chemicals. Prefer fabrics suitable for water-based cleaning (W or WS), or confirm compatibility with the actual cleaning products used by the hotel’s housekeeping contractor before finalising the specification. In most hotel projects, the simpler solution is to specify fabrics whose FR certification does not depend on topical treatment, or to select faux leather or other wipe-clean surfaces for high-contact areas.

Deep cleaning of upholstered furniture in hotels typically occurs two to four times per year, using specialist upholstery cleaning services. At this frequency, cumulative chemical exposure is significant over the course of a five or ten-year refurbishment cycle. When specifying a fabric for a long-lifecycle hotel project, ask the supplier to confirm the fabric’s resistance to the specific cleaning agents the hotel uses, and request confirmation in writing before finalising the specification.

Light Fastness in Hotel Environments

Hotel bedrooms present a wide range of light exposure conditions. A north-facing bedroom on the fourth floor of an urban hotel receives very little natural light. A south-facing suite on a high floor with full-height glazing may receive intense direct sunlight for much of the day. The same fabric specified throughout a hotel will perform very differently in these two environments.

For hotel bedrooms with standard glazing and mixed orientations, specify grade 5 where possible for upholstery fabrics and curtains. For south-facing bedrooms, suites with large glazed areas, and hotel lobbies with skylights, specify grade 6 or above. For glazed atriums and hotel exteriors or terraces, specify grade 7 to 8 and use specialist outdoor-rated fabrics.

Modern hotel glazing frequently incorporates low-e coating or UV-filtering film, which reduces UV transmission and can extend the effective service life of a fabric beyond what the grade alone would suggest. If the project specification includes high-performance glazing, factor this into the light fastness requirement but do not reduce the grade below 5 on that basis. Glazing specifications can change during a refurbishment and fabrics need to perform adequately under worst-case light conditions.

For full guidance on light fastness grades and what they mean by room orientation, see our guide to light fastness and the Blue Wool Scale.

Dye Lot Consistency Across Large Projects

A hotel project may specify the same fabric across 200 bedrooms, three dining areas, and a lobby, with installation spread over two to three years across multiple phases. Unless dye lot consistency is managed proactively, the rooms completed in phase one will have a subtly different colour from those completed in phase three.

Dye lot variation is a normal property of any dyed fabric. Even the same colourway produced by the same mill in the same month can show variation between rolls that is invisible side by side but visible when comparing a freshly installed chair with one installed eighteen months earlier. In a hotel where guests move between rooms, this variation is commercially significant.

The practical approach is as follows. At the point of specification, confirm with the supplier the minimum quantity that can be reserved from a single dye lot for the full project. For very large projects, request that the supplier weave the full quantity from the same yarn batch and production run where possible. Where this is not possible, establish the supplier’s tolerance standards for dye lot variation and ensure that comparison samples are retained from the first delivery for matching against subsequent deliveries.

For phased projects where new fabric cannot be reserved in advance, specify the colourway and confirm with the supplier that the range will remain in production for the duration of the project. Discontinued colourways mid-project are the most common cause of unresolvable dye lot inconsistency in hotel refurbishments.

Headboards

Hotel bedroom headboards present a specific specification challenge. The fire standard applicable to headboards is less universally agreed than for seating. BS 5852 is explicitly a test for upholstered seating. Whether a headboard, as a wall-mounted or freestanding fixed element, falls under the same seating standard or under a separate wall-covering or surface-finishing standard depends on how it is constructed and installed.

A headboard that is freestanding or attached to the bed frame and upholstered in the same way as a sofa is often treated as upholstered furniture and specified to BS 5852 Crib 5. A headboard that is fixed to the wall and forms part of the wall surface may be treated as a surface finish and be subject to BS 476 Part 7 or the surface spread of flame classification relevant to that building. Confirm with the fire officer and the hotel’s fire safety consultant which standard applies to the headboard construction specified in the project.

For Martindale specification of headboard fabric, 25,000 rubs is adequate for most hotel bedroom applications. The primary wear on a headboard is contact from hair, hair products, and leaning, rather than the sustained abrasion of seated upholstery. A stain-resistant finish is more valuable on a headboard than an elevated rub count.

Curtains in Hotel Bedrooms and Public Areas

Contract curtain fabrics in hotel bedrooms must meet BS 5867 Part 2 Type B. This is a separate standard from the upholstery fire standards and governs vertically hanging fabrics. The test involves a vertical flame applied to the hanging fabric and measures flame spread and post-flame smouldering. Type B is the standard for most hotel applications. Type C applies to NHS and healthcare environments with more frequent laundering requirements.

Most decorative curtain fabrics require topical treatment to meet BS 5867 Part 2 Type B. Some inherently fire-resistant fabrics, including certain Trevira CS constructions, meet the standard without treatment. The treatment process for curtains involves impregnation or dipping rather than back-coating, and affects different fabric types differently. Sheer and lightweight fabrics are particularly susceptible to visible changes after treatment. Confirm the suitability of the specific fabric for curtain FR treatment with the supplier before specifying.

For hotel bedrooms with south or west-facing windows, curtain light fastness requires the same attention as upholstery. A curtain fabric that faces direct afternoon sun will fade at the fold lines before the body of the fabric shows colour change, creating an irregular striped effect that is difficult to remedy without full replacement. Specify grade 6 or above for curtain fabrics in hotel bedrooms with significant sun exposure.

Kothea Fabrics for Hotel Specification

Mohair velvet from Kothea achieves Martindale rub counts of 80,000 to 100,000 across the active mohair ranges and carries independently certified Crib 5 passes achieved without topical treatment on the ranges tested. The combination of high durability and FR certification without treatment makes mohair velvet suitable for hotel bedroom seating, lobby furniture, restaurant seating at the appropriate rub count, and bar seating at the higher end of the range.

Faux Leather 3 from Kothea achieves in excess of 200,000 Martindale rubs with a Crib 5 fire rating and a wipe-clean surface. Its cleaning code is compatible with water-based hotel housekeeping products. It is suitable for restaurant seating, bar seating, spa seating, headboards, and wall panelling in hotel environments where a wipe-clean surface is required. The 140 cm width and 20-plus colourways make it practical across multiple areas within a single project.

Recline Linen from Kothea achieves 80,000 Martindale rubs and is suitable for hotel bedroom occasional chairs and low-use contract seating where a natural linen aesthetic is specified. Fire treatment is required for contract use.

For full specification data including Martindale rub counts, fire ratings, cleaning codes, and light fastness grades, see the mohair velvet upholstery page, the faux leather upholstery page, and the upholstery linen page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Martindale rub count do I need for hotel upholstery?

For hotel bedroom chairs and occasional seating, specify a minimum of 40,000 Martindale rubs. For restaurant and bar seating, specify a minimum of 60,000 rubs, with 80,000 rubs preferred for high-volume bar seating. For hotel lobby seating in continuous use throughout the day, specify 80,000 to 100,000 rubs. For hotel bedroom headboards, 25,000 rubs is the minimum with a stain-resistant finish. These figures are minimums for a standard five-year refurbishment cycle. For premium properties with a ten-year cycle, add 20,000 to 30,000 rubs to each threshold. For full guidance on the Martindale rub test and how rub counts translate to classification, see our Martindale rub test guide.

What fire standard applies to hotel upholstery in the UK?

For most UK hotel environments, the applicable standard is BS 7176 Medium Hazard, which incorporates BS 5852 Crib 5 plus the cigarette and match tests and a water-soak stage. The certificate must document the specific foam used in the test, as BS 7176 is a composite test of fabric and filling together. Specifying BS 7176 Medium Hazard rather than simply Crib 5 provides a more complete and defensible specification for contract hotel projects. Confirm the specific hazard category with the fire officer for the project. For curtains in hotel bedrooms, the applicable standard is BS 5867 Part 2 Type B, which is a separate standard from BS 5852.

Can velvet be used in hotel bedrooms?

Yes. Mohair velvet with a Martindale rub count of 80,000 or above and an independently certified Crib 5 pass achieved without topical treatment is suitable for hotel bedroom seating. The practical limitation is the cleaning code. Most mohair velvet is coded S, meaning solvent-based dry cleaning only, which is not compatible with standard hotel housekeeping routines that use water-based or alkaline cleaners. If the hotel’s housekeeping contractor applies water-based products to upholstered surfaces as routine, a fabric coded W or WS should be specified instead, or a specialist cleaning contract for velvet surfaces must be established in advance.

What is the difference between BS 5852 Crib 5 and BS 7176 for hotel furniture?

BS 5852 Crib 5 is the test method for ignition source 5. BS 7176 is the specification standard for non-domestic upholstered seating that references BS 5852 and additionally requires the cigarette and match stages, the water-soak procedure, and documentation of the specific end-use environment and foam configuration. Similar FR approaches are often used to meet both standards, but BS 7176 certification depends on the full upholstery system including the filling, not the fabric alone. A BS 7176 Medium Hazard certificate is the correct standard to specify for most UK hospitality environments.

How do I manage dye lot consistency on a phased hotel project?

Reserve the full project quantity from a single dye lot at the point of specification, or request that the supplier weave the full quantity from the same yarn batch in a single production run. For projects where this is not possible, retain comparison samples from the first delivery and establish the supplier’s tolerance standards for dye lot variation. For phased projects with undetermined future phases, confirm that the colourway will remain in production for the duration of the project. Discontinued colourways mid-project are the most common source of unresolvable dye lot inconsistency in hotel refurbishments.

Is faux leather suitable for hotel restaurant seating?

Yes. Faux leather is one of the most practical fabrics for hotel restaurant seating. A high-specification PVC faux leather achieving in excess of 200,000 Martindale rubs with a Crib 5 fire rating and a wipe-clean surface is compatible with the cleaning regimes used between restaurant services, resists food and beverage spills, and requires no specialist cleaning contract. The cleaning code of W or WS makes it straightforward for housekeeping staff to maintain. The aesthetic limitation is that faux leather does not replicate the warmth and texture of natural upholstery fabrics, which may not suit the positioning of certain hotel restaurants.

What light fastness grade do I need for hotel bedroom curtains?

For hotel bedroom curtains in rooms with mixed orientations, specify a minimum of ISO 105-B02 grade 5. For south or west-facing bedrooms, suites with large glazed areas, or any bedroom where afternoon sun falls directly on the curtain face, specify grade 6 or above. Curtain fabrics are particularly vulnerable to fading at fold lines, which creates an irregular striped effect before the body of the fabric shows colour change. This is commercially significant in a hotel where curtains are highly visible to guests. For full guidance on light fastness grades and room orientation, see our light fastness guide.

Does hotel housekeeping damage upholstery fabric?

Standard hotel housekeeping cleaning products, typically alkaline-based multi-purpose cleaners, can degrade topical FR treatments on upholstery fabrics over time and may cause surface dulling on certain pile fabrics if applied incorrectly. The risk is greatest with fabrics that have a solvent-only cleaning code (S), as water-based products applied by housekeeping staff will eventually compromise both the fabric surface and any chemical FR coating. To avoid this, specify fabrics with a W or WS cleaning code for hotel bedroom and public area upholstery, or ensure that a specialist cleaning contract is in place for any S-coded fabric specified in the project.

Download the Hotel Fabric Specification Checklist (PDF) — a printable one-page reference covering Martindale thresholds by room type, fire compliance, cleaning compatibility, dye lot strategy, and documentation sign-off.

For hotel and hospitality fabric specification, see our hotel fabric specification guide.

For mohair velvet thermal and moisture management properties in hospitality, see our mohair thermal properties guide. For healthcare fabric specification, see our healthcare fabric guide. For fabric decisions at each RIBA Plan of Work stage, see our RIBA Plan of Work fabric guide.

For the Building Safety Act 2022 and fabric documentation requirements in higher-risk buildings, see our Building Safety Act and fabric specification guide.