Hotel Coffee Tables and Side Tables for Suites and Lobby Lounges: Five Sourcing Routes for FF&E Contractors
Five sourcing routes for hotel coffee tables and side tables, and what to put in the schedule so quotations can be compared line by line.
Hotel coffee tables and side tables appear in suites, lobby lounges and public seating areas, in a wide mix of sizes, tops and bases. They are quoted as many small lines, and the same table can be a stone top from one maker on a metal base from another. For an FF&E contractor the question is not which factory makes the nicest sample, but which type of maker is right for the way each table is built.
This guide sorts the supply side into five sourcing routes so a project team can send one brief to the right makers and compare the answers fairly. It is not a ranking. No factory is named or scored here, and no claim is made about the strength, stability or durability of any product. The brand standard, the designer and the local authority define those requirements, and each maker must show evidence for the exact model it offers. The same family of items is covered in our guides to hotel lobby and lounge seating and hotel guestroom casegoods. FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
What should a coffee table or side table brief state?
A brief that says only “coffee table, marble, 40 suites” produces quotations that cannot be compared. State at least the following, copied from the designer’s schedule and elevations.
- Item code and location: one code per table type, with the quantity per suite type, lounge or phase.
- Size and shape: length, width or diameter, height, and the shape as drawn, with the clearance to the sofa or chair.
- Top material: the material the designer specifies, thickness and edge profile, written for the model quoted.
- Base: frame material, section, number of legs or columns and levelling feet.
- Joint between top and base: how the top is fixed, and who is responsible for the join where the top and the base come from different makers.
- Finish: the finish code and approved sample for top, edge and base.
- Floor protection: feet, glides or pads, and their finish.
- Packing: how tops and bases are protected and marked by location and item code, and which parts ship separately.
- Documents: the drawings, finish samples and care instructions the project requires.
Five sourcing routes for hotel coffee tables and side tables
1. Timber and veneer table workshops
Timber tables in solid wood or veneer are made by woodworking workshops, with the top and base built together. Ask which timber or board is used, how the joints are made and how the finish is applied, and request a finished sample. Settle the finish reference before bulk production, because veneer and stain vary from batch to batch.
2. Metal furniture workshops
Metal bases and frames in steel, stainless steel, brass or powder-coated finish are made in metalworking workshops, often with a top added from another maker. Ask for the section drawing, the weld and finish description and a finished sample, and confirm in writing who supplies the top and who is responsible for the join.
3. Stone, marble and sintered top fabricators
Stone and sintered tops are cut, edged and polished by fabricators that may be in a different place from the base maker. Ask how pieces are selected and matched, how the edge is finished and how tops are packed and marked. See our guide to natural stone, marble and granite slab manufacturers for the supply side of stone.
4. Glass and mirror top fabricators
Glass and mirror tops are cut, edged and processed by glass fabricators. Ask for the glass description, the edge finish and how the top is fixed to the base, and request a sample with the edge and corner. Confirm packing and marking, because glass is handled and shipped differently from timber and metal.
5. Full suite and lounge package suppliers
Some suppliers quote the whole suite or lounge, from sofas to tables. This gives one party to coordinate and one delivery, but ask the supplier to quote each table on its own line, so that a weak item cannot hide in a package price. For the supply side of the wider range see FBM Sourcing’s guide to hotel casegoods manufacturers.
How to compare table quotations
- What is included: top, base, fixings, feet and packing, shown in separate columns with the unit of measure stated.
- Item match: each line tied to an item code on the schedule, so missing locations show up before the order.
- Top and base detail: material, thickness, edge and section named on every line, so a cheaper line is read against what it contains.
- Responsibility for the join: who supplies and checks the connection between top and base.
- Samples: whether a finished sample is included and who pays for revisions.
- Packing: how tops and bases are protected and marked by location and item code.
- Exclusions and substitutions: any change of top, base or finish the maker proposes.
A quotation that is cheaper on one line may be thinner on another. Read the descriptions side by side before reading the totals.
Send your suite and lobby schedule
Send the room schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which table details are missing before factories quote.
Which table types belong on the schedule
A suite or lounge schedule usually mixes several table types, and each needs its own item code so that quantities and finishes can be checked line by line. Typical lines are coffee tables, side tables, nesting sets, console tables and lamp tables. List each with its drawing, its top material and its base, and keep matching pieces in the same finish family so that the room reads as one set. Where a table sits beside a sofa or lounge chair, state the height relationship on the drawing, because a table that is correct on its own can still be wrong beside the seat it serves.
Samples, approval and acceptance on delivery
Approve a finished sample table, not a photograph, before bulk production, and record the approval in writing against the item code. Place it beside the other pieces of the room set so finish, height and edge are seen together. Keep the approved sample as the reference for the bulk order. Our guide to samples, finishes and approvals sets out the approval sequence.
On delivery, check a sample of cartons against the order: item code, size, finish, hardware and quantity of each part. Note any difference in writing on the day with photographs, so the maker can respond while the evidence is fresh. Before shipment our own team checks quantities, dimensions, finish, hardware and packing against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video.
Name the rules in the specification
The rules that apply to table tops and bases depend on the destination, the building and the materials. Name the requirement in the specification and ask each factory what evidence it can provide for the exact model offered. Our United States, Canada and Australia and New Zealand compliance pages explain how we approach the main rules. Your specifier or certifier decides what applies to your project.
What evidence to ask each route for
Evidence should be requested for the exact model, not for a product family. Ask for the following in writing and keep the answers with the quotation.
- Timber workshops: description of the timber or board, finish system and a finished sample.
- Metal workshops: section drawing, weld and finish description and a finished sample.
- Stone fabricators: material name, how pieces are selected and matched, edge sample and packing method.
- Glass fabricators: glass description, edge finish and fixing method.
- Full package suppliers: a separate product sheet and sample for each table, quoted apart from the package.
Specification gaps to close before quotation
A quotation cannot answer the questions below for itself. Check that the brief answers these questions before it goes out.
- Which drawing sets the table size, and which sofa or chair does it sit with?
- Is the top material named by the designer, with thickness and edge profile?
- Who supplies the base, the top and the fixing, and who checks the join?
- Are feet or glides specified for the floor finish?
- Is the finish named by code, with a sample approved against the item code?
- How are cartons marked by location and item code, and which parts ship separately?
Next steps for a suite or lounge package
Send each maker the same brief: the schedule, drawings, item codes, finish codes and quantities. Ask for answers in writing, line by line, and request samples before bulk production. FBM Furniture is the furniture-focused team of FBM Sourcing, which manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects; our minimum order is a full container, and items from several factories can share one container. See also our pages on hotel guestroom furniture and restaurant and café tables, and our case studies.
Frequently asked questions
Should the table be quoted with the sofa?
You can ask the same factory to quote both so the finish matches, but keep each item on its own line with its own item code. A package price can hide a weak line.
Who decides the table size?
The designer’s schedule and the brand standard set it, and it can differ by suite type. Name the drawing and its revision in the brief and ask each factory to quote against it.
Can the top and the base come from different makers?
Yes, but the interface then becomes your responsibility. Give both makers the same drawing, name who is responsible for the join and approve a complete sample before bulk production.
Do we need a sample before ordering?
Yes. Approve a finished sample with the exact top, edge and base and keep it as the reference for the bulk order.
How does FBM Furniture charge for hotel tables?
For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.
Send your suite and lobby schedule
Send the room schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which table details are missing before factories quote.