Hotel Rollaway Beds and Extra Beds for Guestroom Projects: Five Sourcing Routes for FF&E Contractors
Five sourcing routes for hotel rollaway beds and extra beds, and what to put in the schedule so quotations can be compared line by line.
Hotel rollaway beds and extra beds are the beds a hotel keeps for a third guest. They are bought in small quantities per floor, stored in cupboards or corridors, moved by housekeeping and set up in rooms that were drawn for two. For an FF&E contractor the question is not which factory makes the nicest sample, but which type of maker is right for a bed that folds, rolls and is handled daily.
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 safety 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 main bed is covered in our guides to beds and headboards and FBM Sourcing’s guide to hotel bed frames and bases. FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.
What should a rollaway bed brief state?
A brief that says only “extra bed, folding, 60 units” produces quotations that cannot be compared. State at least the following, copied from the brand standard and the guestroom schedule.
- Item code and quantity: one code per extra-bed type, with the quantity per floor or per room type.
- Type: folding rollaway on castors, fold-flat guest bed, sofa bed or a bed stored in a cabinet, with the drawing or the brand standard reference.
- Sleeping size: the sleeping surface length and width the brand standard names, and the overall folded size for storage.
- Frame and base: frame material and section, the base or slat description and the folding mechanism, written for the model quoted.
- Mattress: mattress type, thickness and cover, and whether the mattress folds with the frame or is a separate item.
- Castors and handling: castor type, floor protection, handle points and how the bed is moved by housekeeping.
- Storage: where the bed is stored and how it fits the storage space, and any cover or bag supplied.
- Finish and covering: frame finish code and any cover colour, with approved samples.
- Packing: how each bed is protected and marked by floor or room type, and which parts ship separately.
Five sourcing routes for hotel rollaway and extra beds
1. Folding bed and rollaway specialists
Makers that focus on folding beds build the frame, the folding joints and the mattress as a system. Ask for the fold and joint description, the frame section drawing, the mattress description and a working sample, and request a demonstration of folding and moving the sample. This route suits hotels that want a catalogue rollaway in matching colours.
2. Metal bed frame factories
Metal frame factories make rollaway frames from tube and flat bar with welded and riveted joints and a finish such as powder coat. Ask for the section and joint description, the finish system and a sample that can be opened, closed and rolled, and agree the mattress supply in the same quotation.
3. Upholstered bed and sofa bed makers
Upholstery workshops that make beds and sofa beds also make guest beds that sit in a room as a daybed or a sofa. Ask for the mechanism description, the foam and covering description and a finished sample, and approve how the unit converts. See our note on sleeper sofas, sofa beds and wall beds for the comparison.
4. Wall bed and cabinet bed workshops
Joinery workshops make wall beds and beds that fold into a cabinet for suites and compact rooms. Ask for shop drawings, the hardware and mechanism description, the fixing to the wall and the load information the mechanism supplier states, and approve a mock-up. Confirm who supplies the mechanism and who is responsible for fixing it.
5. Full guestroom package suppliers
Some suppliers quote the whole room, from beds to accessories. This gives one party to coordinate and one delivery, but ask the supplier to quote the extra bed 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 furniture manufacturers.
How to compare rollaway bed quotations
- What is included: frame, base, mattress, castors and cover, shown in separate columns with the unit of measure stated.
- Item match: each line tied to an item code on the schedule, so missing floors show up before the order.
- Construction detail: frame section, joint method and mattress described on every line, so a cheaper line is read against what it contains.
- Mechanism: who makes the folding mechanism and what the maker states about it.
- Samples: whether a working sample is included and who pays for revisions.
- Packing: how beds are protected and marked by floor or room type.
- Exclusions and substitutions: any change of frame, mattress 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 guestroom schedule
Send the room schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which extra-bed details are missing before factories quote.
Samples, approval and acceptance on delivery
Approve a finished sample rollaway bed, 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 guest beds and mattresses 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.
Mattresses and upholstered parts can carry flammability and labelling requirements in the destination. See our notes on United States compliance and ask each factory for the evidence the project specification names. For infant sleep products offered by a hotel in the United States, see our reading of 16 CFR Parts 1219, 1220 and 1130.
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.
- Folding bed specialists: the fold and joint description and a working sample.
- Metal frame factories: section drawing, finish system and a sample that opens, closes and rolls.
- Upholstery makers: mechanism description, foam and covering description and a finished sample.
- Wall bed workshops: shop drawings, mechanism description and a mock-up.
- Full package suppliers: a separate product sheet and sample for the bed, 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 bed type does the brand standard name, and with which sleeping size?
- Is the mattress part of the item or a separate line, and which cover?
- Where is the bed stored, and does the folded size fit?
- Which castors and floor protection are drawn?
- Is the finish named by code, with a sample approved against the item code?
- How are cartons marked by floor or room type, and which parts ship separately?
Next steps for a guestroom package
Send each maker the same brief: the room 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 apartment and student accommodation furniture, and our case studies.
Frequently asked questions
Should the extra bed be quoted with the main beds?
You can ask the same factory to quote both so finishes match, but keep each item on its own line with its own item code. A package price can hide a weak line.
Who decides the extra bed size?
The brand standard and the designer’s guestroom schedule set it, and it can differ by room type. Name the drawing and its revision in the brief and ask each factory to quote against it.
Is the mattress part of the rollaway bed quotation?
Not necessarily. Ask each maker to show the mattress as its own line with its type, thickness and cover, so that two quotations compare the same thing.
Do we need a working sample before ordering?
Yes. Approve a working sample that opens, closes and rolls, and keep it as the reference for the bulk order.
How does FBM Furniture charge for hotel beds?
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 guestroom schedule
Send the room schedule, drawings and quantities, and we will tell you which extra-bed details are missing before factories quote.