What to Expect from a Contract Furniture Manufacturer in Hospitality Projects
If you’re in charge of outfitting a new hotel, resort, or boutique (or facilitating a redesign) you’ve undoubtedly got a lot on your plate right now. Whether for large-scale properties or small, boutique brands, hotel and resort projects are complex. Fortunately, working with the right furniture partner can dramatically simplify the process.
Here are the key steps you can expect in a typical hospitality project when you work with Smarter Furnishings (SF) as your full-service contract furniture partner:
Step #1 – Early Collaboration & Approvals
Though every project is unique, each one begins with an in-depth preliminary consultation with the Smarter Furnishings team. First, we take the time to internalize the big-picture vision and needs for your project.
Next, we dive into details and align on these key factors upfront:
- Design intent
- Budgets
- Timelines
We’ll also give you a rundown of our workflow, so you know what to expect and what’s coming next during each step in the process.
Step #2 – Custom Design & Sourcing
Next phase: finalizing drawings and finishes. Although we do offer prefabricated pieces and collections that are ready to go, most of our hospitality partners require high-quality, custom-branded solutions.
At this point, some of our clients come to us with only a high-level vision or design inspiration, then our team creates proposed designs for the furniture and case goods from there. Other clients may choose to bring their own designs to us, looking for a partner to create those pieces from the manufacturing side.
Whichever route you choose, Smarter Furnishings is here to help balance your creative vision with product durability and performance — leveraging our materials expertise and global manufacturing partnerships to source high-quality, durable materials cost-effectively.
Before moving into furniture production with our global partners, you can be sure that we’ll walk you through every mockup and drawing, nailing down any revisions before manufacturing begins. With more than 30+ years of experience serving the contract furniture industry, we have the proven process and knowledge needed to bring your designs to life.
Step #3 – Production & Quality Control
With all drawings and finishes approved, production can begin! To ensure consistency and avoid surprises along the way, we have SF team members on site at our global manufacturing partner facilities. We utilize checkpoints and leverage established, reliable supply chain partners throughout the process so we can verify that your pieces are produced with excellent quality at a rate aligned with your project timeline.
All along the way, our fully transparent, 360-visibility project management approach ensures that you know the project details and progress of your pieces, from start to finish.
Step #4 – On-Time Delivery
Finally, it’s almost time for your hospitality spaces to be filled with new furniture and case goods, ready for the moments that matter!
With production and quality control complete, our team packages up your order (sustainably, by the way!) to begin shipment. Throughout the process, our dedicated on-site project managers help keep everything on track, so you can trust Smarter Furnishings to deliver the inventory you expect, on time.
For most of our hospitality partners, this is the final step, as most handle their own furniture installation. If you do need help with installation, let us know; we have in-house professional install teams ready to serve clients across industries.
Choosing an Experienced Partner is Choosing Smarter
While our Smarter Furnishings team has always served multiple markets, our 2025 merger with our sister company, New Design Concepts, has compounded our expertise. Now, unified as one expanded Smarter Furnishings team, together we have vast experience in hospitality projects, especially in hotels and resorts, ranging from large-scale to boutique in size. Take a peek at a few of our custom hospitality projects here. And when you’re ready to find the right partner for your project, we’d love to help you make every space smarter. Reach out to us today!