Hotel Linen Par Levels: The 3-Par Rule (and How to Calculate It)

A 'par' is one complete set of linen for every bed or room. Your par level is how many full sets you keep in circulation. Too few and you run out during turnover; too many and you tie up cash and storage.

The widely used standard is three pars per bed:

• 1 par on the bed,
• 1 par in the laundry (being washed or in transit),
• 1 par on the shelf (clean and ready).

This keeps every room serviceable even while a third of your linen is in the wash. Busy properties or those with slower laundry turnaround often go to 3.5–4 pars for a safety buffer.

For each item, multiply the number of beds (or rooms) by your par level, then by the pieces per set. For example, 100 king beds × 3 pars × (1 fitted + 1 flat + 2 pillowcases) gives your sheet and pillowcase order. Towels are calculated per guest/occupancy rather than per bed.

Our free calculator does this for you:

Turnaround speed, in-house vs outsourced laundry, occupancy, transport time and breakage/loss all push your par up or down. Build in a buffer for laundry downtime and seasonal peaks.

How many sets of linen does a hotel need per bed?

The standard is three pars per bed — one on the bed, one in the laundry and one on the shelf — so each bed needs about three complete sets. Busy or slow-laundry properties use 3.5–4 pars.

What is the 3-par rule?

It's the hotel housekeeping standard of keeping three complete linen sets per bed in circulation so rooms stay serviceable while a third of the linen is being laundered.

How do I calculate my linen order?

Multiply beds × par level × pieces per set for each item; calculate towels by occupancy. Use our par-level calculator for an instant estimate.