What a room package contains
FF&E stands for furniture, fixtures and equipment: everything in the room that is not part of the building. For a guest room, that usually means the bed base and headboard, bedside tables, a desk or vanity, a chair and an armchair, a luggage rack, a wardrobe or open hanging unit, a minibar cabinet, mirrors, lamps, rugs and curtains. Each item is listed with its quantity per room type and a reference on the designer’s plan.
We work from the interior designer’s specification when there is one, and propose alternatives when a lead time or a compliance issue requires it. When there is no designer, our own design team can draw the room and its pieces.
Mock-up room before series production
For a project of several dozen rooms, a mock-up room is the cheapest insurance. Housekeeping checks that the bed can be made in one pass and that nothing blocks the vacuum; operations checks luggage space and sockets; the owner sees the finishes in daylight. Changes cost little at this stage and a great deal after 80 headboards are upholstered.
Bespoke casegoods and headboards are produced by partner workshops in Europe, catalogue seating and lighting come from European makers. Each item’s lead time is shown on the quote and confirmed by the maker in writing when ordered.
French fire rules for guest rooms, explained
Hotels are type O buildings under the French fire safety regulation for buildings open to the public (ERP), set by the order of 25 June 1980. Curtains and wall textiles are classified for reaction to fire (M1 or a Euroclass equivalent); upholstered seating and padded headboards are assessed by tests on the fabric and filling assembly, and EN 1021-1 and -2 are widely required in hotel specifications.
The proof is a test report for the exact product with its exact fabric. Changing the fabric after the report can invalidate it. The project’s inspection body has the final say, so we have the list of reports approved before ordering and add every document to the handover file.
Delivered floor by floor, while the hotel trades
Most renovations happen in an open hotel. We deliver by floor or by batch of rooms, timed with the contractors who carry out any works, which Soul Design does not sell. Partner installers unpack in a back-of-house area, place and assemble each item, and remove packaging the same day so guests never see a pallet in the corridor.
- deliveries scheduled outside check-in and check-out peaks
- packaging removed daily
- room-by-room snag list signed with your team
- spare fabric and finish references kept for future repairs
Typical cases
Typical case
An independent four-star hotel refreshing 40 rooms
- Situation
- The building works are limited; the owner wants new headboards, seating, lamps and curtains without closing.
- Our approach
- One mock-up room in the quiet season, then batches of eight rooms a week, each with its fire documents ready for the inspection body.
Typical case
A hotel group opening its first property in Paris
- Situation
- The brand standard is written for another country, with local fire classes that do not map directly to French ones.
- Our approach
- We would map each item to French requirements, flag those needing a different fabric or test, and propose European equivalents with the right reports.
Typical case: a representative situation, not a completed project.
What drives the cost per room
The budget is calculated per room type, then multiplied. These items carry most of the difference.
| Item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Headboard and bed | upholstered or panelled, width, integrated lighting and sockets |
| Casegoods | catalogue or bespoke, veneer or solid wood, stone tops |
| Seating | fabric grade and its fire testing, number of pieces per room |
| Lighting and soft furnishings | number of fittings, curtains and rugs, fire classification |
| Mock-up, logistics and installation | number of rooms, phasing, storage on site |
We quote line by line, item by item, per room type. Professional clients can finance the project through a finance lease over 24 to 60 months, subject to the partner’s approval.
How we work
- 01
Brief and room schedule
Room types, quantities, designer’s specification and opening or renovation dates.
- 02
Sourcing and samples
Makers and workshops selected, fabrics and finishes sampled, test reports requested.
- 03
Mock-up room
One complete room to validate comfort, maintenance and finishes.
- 04
Series production
Orders placed, acknowledgements tracked, quality checked before shipping.
- 05
Phased delivery and handover
Floor by floor, with the documentation file for the inspection body.