Specifying Mattresses for a UAE Hotel Project
Short answer: Buying mattresses for a hotel is a specification exercise, not a shopping one. Write down the eight things that define the bed, sample it in the room it is destined for, agree delivery, payment and returns in writing, and only then place the order. Projects go wrong when a buyer specifies a feeling, such as "five-star firm", instead of a build.
This guide is for owners, project managers, procurement teams and designers fitting out a property in the UAE, whether you are placing a first contract mattress order or replacing beds across an operating hotel. It covers what belongs in the specification, which sizes to plan for, how to sample, and what to settle before anything ships.
Start with the specification, not the supplier
A mattress specification should be short enough to fit on one line of a schedule and precise enough that two suppliers quoting against it are quoting for the same thing. Eight fields do that.
| Specifications | What to state? | Example from our Hotel Collection |
|---|---|---|
| Core | The support unit type | Pocketed spring |
| Comfort layer | Material and type | High density foam, or high resilience foam |
| Surface | How the top is built | Tight top, euro top or pillow top |
| Firmness | The label and any rating scale | Cloud Comfort 9 (firm), 8, or plush |
| Height | Finished depth in cm | 28 cm or 30 cm |
| Cover fabric | Material and any fire performance | 100% polyester, fire retardant on the Pillow Top |
| Edge | How the perimeter is built | Foam encasement |
| Warranty | Term and what it covers | 10 years |
Two of those fields decide most of the guest experience. The core determines support and how the bed behaves under different body weights, and the surface determines what a guest feels in the first few seconds. Our three Hotel Collection models share a pocketed spring core and differ mainly at the surface: the Tight Top is the firmest at Cloud Comfort 9, the Euro Top sits at 8, and the Pillow Top is listed as plush.
State the height, not just the model. Depth drives the linen specification and the finished bed height. A 28 cm mattress and a 30 cm mattress take different fitted sheets, and on a high base the difference is visible at the turndown.
Plan the size matrix before the room types
UAE projects rarely run on a single size, and the size names differ between markets, which is where specification errors creep in. The sizes available across our Hotel Collection are:
- 90 cm x 190 cm (UK single) and 90 cm x 200 cm (EU single), for single rooms and staff accommodation
- 120 cm x 200 cm, for compact doubles
- 150 cm x 200 cm (USA queen, UK king) and 160 cm x 200 cm (EU king), the usual standard room sizes
- 180 cm x 200 cm (UK super king) and 193 cm x 203 cm (USA king), for executive rooms
- 200 cm x 200 cm (UK emperor), for suites
Note that 90 x 190 and 90 x 200 are both singles and are not interchangeable. If the property is being refurbished rather than built, measure the existing frames before specifying, because a 10 cm difference in length will not be absorbed by the bedding.
Set the size against the room type in the schedule, not against the floor. One floor often contains more than one room type.
Specify one firmness per room type
Guests compare rooms, and staff move mattresses between them. If two rooms of the same grade have different firmness, housekeeping will eventually mix them, and the property ends up with an inconsistency nobody can trace.
Record the model and the firmness rating in the room schedule and repeat it on the order. If the project is phased, note it for the later phases too, so a second order a year later matches the first.
Sample before you commit
This is the single most useful step, and the most frequently skipped.
Order one mattress of each shortlisted specification, make it up with the linen the property will actually use, and have several people of different builds sleep on it. A mattress that feels right for ten minutes in a showroom can feel different after eight hours under hotel bedding.
Sampling also protects you commercially, because the returns position is strict. See the section on defects below before you place a first order.
What to ask a hotel mattress supplier in Dubai?
Most of the risk in a contract mattress order in the UAE sits in the questions nobody asks until something has gone wrong. Put these to any supplier, including us.
Can you supply the same specification again in twelve months? Phased projects and later refurbishments depend on it. A model that is discontinued between phases leaves you with two different beds in the same room grade.
What exactly is covered by the warranty, and for how long? Ask for the terms in writing, not a number on a product page.
What are the base requirements? If the answer is vague, the first indentation claim will be argued about.
How is the mattress packed and delivered, and what do you need from the site? Bulk mattress supply fails on access more often than on product.
What documentation comes with the order? Specification sheets per model, warranty terms, and any fire performance or conformity documentation your fire consultant requires.
Who is the single point of contact once the order is placed? For a project, one named person on each side saves more time than any other arrangement.
Fire performance and documentation
Hotels in the UAE are designed and fitted out under the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice, issued by the UAE General Headquarters of Civil Defence and updated since its introduction in 2011. Your fire consultant will work to the edition and requirements that apply to the property, and will tell you what evidence is needed for interior products.
We do not claim compliance on your behalf. What we can do is supply what is published for each model, such as the fire retardant cover fabric listed on the Hotel Collection Pillow Top, and pass on manufacturer documentation. Ask for it at quotation stage rather than at handover, and put the requirement in the specification so every supplier quotes on the same basis.
Agree delivery before you order
Our published terms state free nationwide delivery within the UAE, with orders placed before 5 pm handed to logistics and delivered in approximately two working days, and an express option delivering next day for orders placed before 4 pm from Monday to Friday. The terms also provide that if goods cannot be sent within 14 days of the order, we will contact you to cancel the order and issue a refund.
Those are the published retail terms for a single delivery. Bulk mattress supply is a different shape: larger quantities, a phased handover, a loading dock rather than a doorstep, and a site that may not be ready. Confirm the following in writing rather than assuming the retail terms apply:
- the delivery date for each phase, and who signs off on site
- access: loading bay, service lift dimensions and floor protection
- whether mattresses are delivered rolled or flat, and the storage space needed if they arrive before the rooms are ready
- who removes packaging, and where it goes
- who moves rejected or faulty goods back, and who pays. The terms require goods to be returned to the warehouse in the UAE, which is trivial for one mattress and a real cost line across a two hundred room order
Settle payment, VAT, and the invoicing entity
Prices on our site are in UAE dirhams and inclusive of VAT, and the published payment routes are cash, bank transfer to our UAE account, most major payment cards, and Tabby. For a project, agree the payment route and the invoicing schedule in writing before the order is placed.
Make sure the invoice details match the entity that will own the asset. Our terms of sale name the selling entity as The Mattress Store General Trading LLC, company registration 683077, and that is the name your finance team should expect to see.
Know what counts as faulty, and check which terms govern
This is the part to read closely, because more than one document describes it.
Our terms of sale classify goods as faulty if they arrive damaged or if a manufacturing defect appears within one year of purchase, and exclude damage from wear and tear. Goods supplied in error, incomplete, or damaged can be returned for refund or exchange. Our refund policy states that all sales are final and that returns or exchanges are considered only in the case of a product defect from the supplier, on a case-by-case basis.
Separately, the Hotel Collection product pages list a 10-year warranty on the mattress itself, which is a different thing again from the returns position.
For a project, do not rely on any single web page. Ask in writing which terms attach to your order, and keep that confirmation, the specification sheets and the warranty terms together in the project file. It is a two-line email that prevents a dispute two years later.
Practically, inspect on delivery rather than after handover. Photograph any damage before the delivery team leaves, note it on the delivery paperwork, and raise it in writing straight away.
Protect the asset from day one
A mattress in a hotel is an asset with a service life, and the two things that shorten it are stains and uneven loading.
Use a protector on every bed from the first night. It is the cheapest line in the bedding budget and the one that most often decides whether a warranty claim is accepted. Specify protectors at the same time as the mattresses, with the same room-type logic, whether you buy them from us or from a separate hospitality bedding supplier.
Follow the manufacturer's rotation instructions rather than a housekeeping habit. Some mattresses rotate head to foot, some are two sided and also turn, and getting this wrong shows as an indentation within a year.
Ask for the base requirements for the model you specify. A pocket spring mattress needs even support, and an unsuitable base can create a defect that is then excluded as improper support.
Plan the replacement cycle at the start
Build a replacement cycle into the asset plan rather than reacting to complaints. Inspect a sample of rooms on a schedule, measure any visible indentation unweighted and compare it against the manufacturer's criteria, and replace by room type so the property stays consistent.
A warranty term tells you how long the manufacturer will stand behind the build. It is not a prediction of service life in a hotel, where the bed works harder than it does in a home.
Starting a project with us
Bring the specification and the room schedule, not just a budget. The fastest route is to send the size matrix, the room types and the finish dates to contact@themattressstore.com, or call 800 IMATT (46288).
If the project needs design support as well as supply, our interior design service works to a defined process: a consultation and site visit, then floor plans, a mood board, a purchase list and a bill of quantities, with 3D renderings and project management support, and logistics and assembly included. The page sets out the fee structure and when it is credited against the project. That team can be reached directly at design@themattressstore.com.
If the project is a refurbishment, send the existing bed frame dimensions too. Frames are the most common reason a specification has to change after the order.
Frequently asked questions
What should a hotel mattress specification include?
Eight lines: core type, comfort layer material, surface build, firmness label and rating, finished height in centimetres, cover fabric and any fire performance, edge construction, and warranty term. That is enough for two suppliers to quote for the same product, and enough to reorder correctly in a later phase.
Which mattress sizes should a UAE hotel project specify?
Set sizes against room types. Our Hotel Collection runs from 90 x 190 and 90 x 200 singles through 120 x 200, 150 x 200 and 160 x 200, up to 180 x 200, 193 x 203 and 200 x 200 for suites. On a refurbishment, measure existing frames first, since 190 and 200 lengths are not interchangeable.
How quickly can mattresses be delivered in the UAE?
Our published terms give free nationwide delivery, with orders placed before 5pm delivered in approximately two working days, and an express next-day option for orders placed before 4pm on weekdays. Project quantities and phased handovers should be scheduled with us directly rather than assumed from the retail terms.
What happens if a mattress arrives damaged?
Inspect and photograph on delivery, note it on the paperwork, and raise it in writing immediately. More than one policy document describes the returns position, so confirm in writing which terms attach to your order before you place it, and keep that confirmation in the project file.
Do you supply mattresses for hotel projects across the UAE?
Yes, we deliver nationwide in the UAE. For a hotel mattress order in Dubai or any other emirate, the starting point is your specification and room schedule rather than a product list, so send the size matrix, room types and handover dates, plus frame dimensions on a refurbishment.
