A linen shortage at check-in is one of the most visible failures in a hotel. It is also almost always preventable. Shortages come down to two things: not enough linen in circulation, or linen not coming back in time. Fix both and the problem disappears.
Carry enough par
If you are routinely short, your par level may simply be too low for your occupancy. Count how much linen is genuinely in circulation versus how much you need on your busiest realistic night, and close the gap.
Build the schedule around peaks
Agree a collection and delivery routine that matches your demand pattern, with extra cycles around weekends and events. A fixed routine means fresh linen arrives when housekeeping needs it, not whenever it happens to be ready.
Choose a laundry with spare capacity
The most common cause of late linen is a laundry running at its limit. A partner that holds spare machine capacity can absorb your spike without pushing your delivery back. That headroom is worth more than a slightly lower price.