A hotel order is not a large retail order. It is a specification that has to survive a change of contractor, a phased fit-out and a consultant’s document review. Most failures happen in the paperwork, not the product.
The five clauses consultants check
| Clause | What they want to see |
|---|---|
| Material | Species and grade named, FSC certificate number quoted |
| Tolerance | Slat width and thickness tolerance in mm, with the test method |
| Fire / safety | Cordless compliance to EN 13120 where specified; coating fire rating if required |
| Colour control | Approved sample retained as the standard, with a ΔE limit for batch comparison |
| Documentation | Batch test reports, packing list, and a compliance statement against the tender spec |
Staged delivery around a live fit-out
Hotels rarely take all rooms at once. Production is planned in phases matched to floor handover, each phase labelled by room number or floor. This costs slightly more in carton labelling and shipping consolidation, and it is the difference between a smooth installation and 200 blinds sitting in a corridor.
Sample room protocol
One room is installed and signed off before mass production. The signed-off unit becomes the physical reference for inspection. If the client changes the stain after that point, the change is documented with a new approval — verbally agreed changes are how disputes start.
Documentation at handover
- Compliance note against the tender specification
- Certificate copies (FSC, ISO 9001)
- Batch test reports: moisture content, coating adhesion, control cycle test
- Packing list by floor and room
- Maintenance note — cleaning method that will not lift the lacquer
Budget guidance
Project pricing depends more on specification rigidity than volume. A tender that names a species, a tolerance and a certification will cost 15-25% more than an open specification with the same visual result — and will be the one that survives handover without a credit note. See our project references for how these orders are structured.
Tender response checklist
When you receive a tender, check these before pricing it: whether the specification names a species and grade, whether FSC is required and at what claim level, whether cordless compliance is mandatory, how many sizes and how they are grouped by floor, and whether staged delivery is required. Each of these changes the price materially, and a tender response that ignores them wins the job and loses the margin.
Common site issues
- Reveal depth — inside-mount blinds need a minimum recess; site measurements taken before plastering are routinely wrong by 15 mm.
- Window handles — protruding handles force an outside mount, which changes the specification and the visual result.
- Floor-by-floor size drift — dimensions vary between floors in older buildings; measure every room, not one per floor type.
- Storage on site — cartons stored in a damp plant room warp before installation; specify a dry store in the contract.
We ask for a measured room schedule before production for exactly these reasons, and we do not accept “same as floor 3” as a specification.
Related guides
Send the tender document. We will return a compliance note showing what we meet, what we do not, and the cost of closing each gap.
Catalogue and current price list · Neutral packing and private label · Consolidation, documents and lead times
