How to Prepare a Hotel Curtain Tender (BOQ, Room Schedule and Specification)

Why a Clear Tender Saves Time and Money

When a hotel curtain tender is vague, every supplier fills the gaps with their own assumptions about fullness, tracks or delivery. The prices then differ widely but are not comparable, and the real differences appear only after the order is placed.

A good tender removes those assumptions. This guide explains what we, as a made-to-measure curtain and blind manufacturer producing in Antalya since 1994, look for in a hotel tender, and what helps us return an accurate, comparable quotation.

What the Tender Package Should Contain

A complete curtain tender usually has four parts. Each one answers a different question for the supplier:

• Bill of quantities (BOQ): what is being bought and how many of each item.
• Room schedule: where each item goes, room by room and window by window.
• Technical specification: how each item must be made: fabric, fullness, heading, hems, track and operation.
• Commercial terms: samples, delivery, installation responsibilities, payment and quotation validity.

If you only have time to prepare one document properly, make it the room schedule.

Building the BOQ: Curtain Types and Quantities

Hotels repeat the same room types many times, so the BOQ should group curtains into types rather than list every window. A type is defined by its size and construction, for example "king room, blackout and sheer on a double track, 3.20 m wide, 2.70 m drop".

For each curtain type, state:

• Type code: a short reference such as CT-01, also used in the room schedule and drawings.
• Width and drop: the pricing dimensions, and whether they are net window or finished curtain sizes.
• Quantity: the number of sets per type, plus any agreed spares or attic stock.
• Layers: blackout, sheer or both, so the blackout and sheer split is visible.
• Track: included or excluded, and which track type applies.

Schedule blinds the same way: if bathrooms or back-of-house areas use roller, vertical or wooden blinds, give them their own type codes and quantities.

The Room Schedule

The room schedule links every type code to a physical location. A simple table is enough. The example below is illustrative only; your columns will depend on the project.

Add the floor or block of each room. This allows deliveries to be phased with the installation programme and packed by floor.

Net Width, Track Length and Finished Width

Many pricing mistakes start with an unclear width. The tender should say which of these three widths is given:

• Net width: the width of the window opening or the wall section to be covered, measured on site.
• Track length: usually longer than the net width, so open curtains stack beside the glass rather than over it.
• Finished curtain width: the width of the made-up curtain after pleating, normally matched to the track length plus overlap and returns.

State the drop the same way: from where (ceiling, top of track or a datum) to where (floor, sill or a stated clearance above the floor). Write the floor clearance into the specification rather than leaving it to the workroom.

Fullness and Pleat Ratio: The Simple Arithmetic

Fullness describes how much extra fabric is gathered into the heading to create folds. It is usually expressed as a ratio or a percentage. "80% pleating" means 80% extra fabric, which is a fullness of 1.8 times the finished width.

The arithmetic is straightforward:

• Finished width: 3.00 m (the track length to be covered).
• Fullness: 1.8 (80% pleating).
• Flat fabric width: 3.00 × 1.8 = 5.40 m, before side hems, overlaps and returns.
• For a pair: 5.40 ÷ 2 = 2.70 m of flat fabric per panel, again before hems.

Higher fullness gives deeper folds but uses more fabric and adds weight; lower fullness looks flatter and costs less. The designer should state the fullness for each curtain type, and it can differ between blackout and sheer. If the tender does not state it, ask bidders to declare the fullness they priced.

Heading, Hems and Fabric Details

The specification should describe how each curtain is made up, not only which fabric it uses. Typical points to include:

• Heading type: for example a wave (ripple) heading, pinch pleat or pencil pleat, matched to the track and gliders.
• Bottom hem: hem depth and whether weights or weighted tape are required.
• Side hems: hem depth and how the leading edges meet in the centre.
• Lining: whether the blackout effect comes from the fabric itself or from a separate lining; our guide to blackout vs dim-out curtains for hotel rooms explains where each fabric belongs.
• Fabric reference: the fabric name and colour, or a designer's NCS or RAL code to be matched by sample.

Typical hotel fabrics in our projects are around 300 g/m² for blackout and around 100 g/m² for sheer. If the designer has a specific weight or composition in mind, write it in so all bidders price the same quality. Colour codes are a starting point: fabrics are matched to the closest shade and confirmed with a physical sample.

Track Type and Operation

Specify the track with the same care as the fabric. State for each curtain type:

• Single or double track: a double track lets the sheer and the blackout be operated separately, which is standard in many guest rooms.
• Mounting: ceiling or wall fixed, and whether a ceiling pocket or front cover (pelmet or fascia) hides the track.
• Operation: manual (by hand, wand or cord) or motorised.
• Bends and joints: bay windows, corners or very long runs.

At LuxiVeil, curtain tracks are made in manual or motorised versions, single or double, and every product category we produce can be motorised. If you are comparing options, our pages on manual curtain tracks and blind mechanisms and motorised blinds and curtains explain the choices. For motorised rooms, include the electrical and control drawings in the tender so that motor positions can be agreed early.

Fire-Safety Requirements

Fire-safety requirements for curtains are set by the project, not the supplier. They may come from national building regulations, the fire consultant, the insurer or the hotel operator, and buyers often cite a national standard in the tender.

Write the requirement clearly, state which areas it applies to, and ask each bidder to provide the fabric's own fire-test documentation for the exact fabric offered. A document for one fabric does not cover another, even a similar one. Our Quality Documents page lists the documents we can currently share and what they apply to, and our fire-safety guide for hotel curtains explains how to review them.

Site Survey and Final Measurements

Tender drawings are rarely accurate enough for production, because openings and ceilings change during construction. Every curtain is made to measure, so production should start only from confirmed final measurements.

The tender should state:

• Who takes final measurements: the supplier, the installer or the main contractor.
• When they are taken: ideally after ceilings, walls and window frames are finished.
• Who carries the risk: whoever provides the measurements is usually responsible for their accuracy.
• Sign-off: who approves the final measurement schedule before production.

Samples and Approval

Ask for fabric samples for each curtain type, and a track and heading sample where possible. Approved samples become the production reference, so record who approved them and when. At LuxiVeil, samples are sent for approval before production starts. Many hotel projects also install a mock-up room; if you plan one, write it into the tender and the programme.

Phased Delivery and the Installation Programme

Hotels are rarely finished all at once. Include the installation programme in the tender and tie deliveries to it, floor by floor or block by block, to reduce site storage and damage.

As a reference point, a package for a hotel of around 200 rooms with blackout and sheer curtains on double tracks can be produced and delivered in about 8 weeks after sample approval and final measurements. Other lead times are confirmed per project.

Delivery Terms, Payment and Validity

Ask bidders to state:

• Delivery terms: ex-works or delivered to site, using a named Incoterms® rule where possible.
• Freight: shown as a separate line, so product prices can be compared directly. Our quotations can include delivery to site with freight shown separately.
• Installation: included or excluded, and who provides access and site storage.
• Payment terms: deposit, stage payments and balance, and the currency of the offer.
• Validity: how long the quotation remains valid.

Tender Checklist

Before you issue the tender, check that it includes:

• A BOQ grouped by curtain and blind type, with quantities and the blackout and sheer split
• A room schedule with window references, floors and type codes
• A clear statement of whether widths are net, track or finished widths, and how the drop is measured
• Fullness for each curtain type and layer
• Heading type, hem details and lining requirements
• Fabric references or designer colour codes to be matched by sample
• Track type, mounting, front cover and manual or motorised operation
• The project's fire-safety requirement and the documentation expected
• Who takes and approves final measurements
• Sample and mock-up requirements
• The installation programme and phased delivery dates
• Delivery terms, freight as a separate line, payment terms and validity

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a BOQ and a room schedule?

The BOQ lists what is being bought and how many of each type; the room schedule shows where each item is installed. Suppliers need both: one to price, the other to plan production and deliveries.

What fullness should we specify for hotel curtains?

There is no single correct value. It depends on the heading, the fabric and the look the designer wants. State the fullness for each curtain type, for example 1.8 for 80% pleating, so every bidder prices the same amount of fabric.

Should tracks be included in the curtain tender?

Usually yes. Track, heading and fabric work as one system, and pricing them together avoids gaps between trades. If tracks are bought separately, still specify the track type so the curtains fit it.

Who is responsible for final measurements?

The tender should name the responsible party. Production should start only from confirmed final measurements taken after the room finishes are complete, and signed off by the project team.

Can you quote from our tender documents?

Yes. Send the BOQ, room schedule, drawings and specification through our RFQ form, and we will prepare a project-specific quotation. Our hotel curtains page gives an overview of what we produce for hotel projects.