Hotel inventory list: what to count in every department

By mise · Updated September 29, 2026

Quick answer: a hotel inventory list is organized by department: F&B (food, beverages, breakfast), bar, minibar, housekeeping (linen, amenities, chemicals), storeroom and maintenance. For each item keep the unit, the par level, the location and the count frequency; the list is what you count against.

Most hotel inventory templates are one long sheet. Split it by department and by where things actually sit, and the count takes half the time.

Hotel inventory list template

Department	Typical items	Unit	Count
Food & breakfast	Coffee, milk, eggs, bread, cereal, fruit, deli, butter, jam portions	kg, L, units	Weekly
Bar	Spirits, wine, beer, mixers, garnishes	bottles (with open bottles in tenths)	Weekly
Minibar	Water, soda, beer, snacks, chocolate	units per room	Checkout + monthly
Housekeeping – linen	Sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, bath and hand towels, bath mats	pieces	Monthly
Housekeeping – amenities	Shampoo, conditioner, soap, dental kits, toilet paper, tissues	units / cases	Weekly
Cleaning chemicals	Detergent, disinfectant, glass cleaner	L	Monthly
Maintenance	Bulbs, batteries, filters, pool chemicals	units	Monthly

Columns that make the list useful

Item, unit, location, par level, count, variance (count − expected) and value. The variance column is the one that finds money; value tells you which variances matter.

Example: expected 48 bottles of house vodka across storeroom and bar, counted 44. Four bottles at $14 = $56 variance in one line; repeated across 300 items, that is where a month's shrinkage hides.

Counting the list faster

With mise you don't type the list: scan each product and it comes up with name, brand, category and photo, already in the right location. Linen and unbranded items are added once by name. Export the result to Excel or PDF whenever you need it.

Count your stock by scanning barcodes

Point the camera and the product comes up complete: name, brand, category, size and photo — the mise AI finds it from the barcode or a photo. 7-day free trial, no card.

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Keep reading Restaurant inventory sheet: free template and how to use it Bar inventory: how to count liquor, beer and wine Hotel inventory management: every department in one place Housekeeping inventory: linen, amenities and supplies All guides

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a hotel inventory list?

Everything the property buys and stores, grouped by department: food and breakfast, bar, minibar, linen, amenities, cleaning chemicals and maintenance supplies.

Is there a free hotel inventory list in Excel?

Build one sheet per department with item, unit, location, par, count and variance, or count by scanning in mise and export to Excel.

How do I count open bottles?

In tenths of a bottle, or by weight. See the bar inventory guide.