Hospitality Rug Sizing Guide

Acoustic Performance

Reduce noise in hospitality environments such as lobbies, guest rooms, and corridors with well-placed rugs. Soft furnishings like rugs absorb footfall noise and soften echoes from hard surfaces and create a calmer, more welcoming environment for guests. Visit our Hospitality Project page to read Case Studies, discover hospitality floor coverings, and meet our partners.

Brand Expression

Custom rugs are a powerful way to carry a property’s identity into the guest experience. Begin with a sturdy walk-off mat customized with your logo to welcome your guests. Continue expressing the overall design with unique organic-shaped rugs or bring the natural look in with faux-sisal rugs in lobbies and guest rooms.

Guest Comfort

In hospitality, comfort is as much about atmosphere as amenities. Area rugs lend a layer of warmth and intimacy to hospitality spaces and turn even expansive rooms into welcoming retreats. They add the “at home” feeling guests crave while signaling care and thoughtful design.

Sustainability + Performance

Many modern hospitality rugs combine high performance with eco-conscious design. Options made with regenerated yarns or recycled materials offer durability for contract use while reducing environmental impact, delivering both style and responsibility.

Budget & Design Flexibility

When budgeting for floor finishings or remodels, area rugs are easier to replace than a wall-to-wall installation, thereby reducing downtime, controlling costs, and helping to maintain a fresh look over the property’s lifecycle. Rugs also work across hospitality environments—from expansive lobbies to rooftop patios—allowing designers to unify the look while tailoring performance features (like outdoor durability or moisture resistance) to each location.

Simplified Planned Maintenance

Area rugs are easier for building maintenance teams to manage—they can be spot-cleaned, lifted for deep cleaning, and typically dry faster than wall-to-wall installations. Unlike fixed carpeting, rugs can also be rotated periodically to minimize visible wear in high-traffic zones. This flexibility reduces long-term maintenance costs and keeps spaces looking fresher for longer.

It should go without saying that a rug in a hospitality or public setting must meet the needs of the space as well as local building and safety regulations. Specifiers should select contract grade, durable materials that:

• Meet fire safety standards (learn more about carpet classifications here)

• Have built-in systems that resist staining as well as fading from UV light

• Stand up to regular, heavy foot traffic

• Are easy to maintain and clean

• Have short, tight face yarns and a low pile

Need help finding the right material for your project? We have multiple resources, including The Best Materials for Commercial Rugs & Carpet and Heavy Duty Rugs For High Traffic Areas

ADA Compliance

In hospitality spaces, the final rug height—including pile, backing, pad, and border—must be under ½ inch (13 mm) to meet ADA requirements. This ensures smooth passage for wheelchairs, luggage carts, and housekeeping trolleys. In elevator lobbies and corridors, keeping rugs flush with the surrounding flooring helps prevent snags and trip hazards.

Rug Borders

Edge finishes impact both compliance and durability. A bulky braided border may exceed ADA height limits and catch luggage wheels, while a serged edge or the Infinity Edge offers a streamlined, compliant look. In busy hotel corridors or lobby seating areas, avoid cloth borders that soil or fray faster than the rug itself.

Material Matters

Low-pile, contract-rated rugs provide a stable, comfortable surface underfoot, helping guests feel at ease while also allowing smooth rolling for luggage, service carts, or banquet equipment in function spaces. Think synthetic materials like nylon, ECONYL®, rPET, and polypropylene.

Castor Chair Use

In business centers, meeting rooms, or executive lounges, ensure rug materials are approved for castor chair use. Rugs should be large enough for chairs to move freely without rolling off the edge, which can damage both the rug and the chair casters. Find styles that are suitable for castor chairs here.

Secure the Rug

Rugs in contract settings should be stabilized by large furniture, adhered to the subfloor with carpet tape, or paired with a non-slip pad. In high-traffic areas like hotel lobbies or resort promenades, avoid small, lightweight rugs—they’re more likely to shift and pose hazards. Instead, choose the largest, low-profile rug that fits the space to provide stability and coverage.

Align with Architectural Details

The size of the rug should match the room's proportions as well as complement its architectural details. A hotel lobby rug should feel grand and be at least 2/3 the width of the room if it’s standalone. For uniquely shaped lobbies, use custom cut rugs to create seamless coverage that flows with the room’s architecture. And align rugs with architectural cues—like lighting grids or window mullions—to make the space feel ordered and intentional.

Leave Room for Doors and Flow

Don’t block entry flow. Rugs should start 12–24” inside the threshold or vestibule and avoid any door swings. For safety and ADA compliance, use low-pile, firm-backed rugs.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Using residential-quality materials. Don't be tempted to place a bespoke, non-contract grade rug in a busy lobby—it will likely soil, crush or curl within weeks. Always choose commercial-grade, large-format rugs that suit the scale of the space.

Carry The Brand Story

Rugs can be a subtle yet powerful way to carry a hotel’s brand identity into the guest room. By integrating colors, motifs, or textures that echo the property’s overall design, they create cohesion between public spaces and private retreats. This attention to detail elevates the guest experience, making the room feel intentional, curated, and consistent with the brand’s story.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Placing a rug only at the foot of the bed. This can look undersized and doesn’t provide comfort where guests need it most—when stepping out of bed. Plus, smaller rugs are more likely to have beat-up edges and create tripping hazards.

Consider Custom Shapes for Turns or Intersections

Custom-cut runners are ideal for angled corridors or intersections, ensuring a seamless fit without awkward gaps or overlaps. Beyond looking polished, continuous runners are also safer than piecing together smaller rugs, which can shift or create tripping hazards. For more on ordering l-shape or angle-cut rugs, see our Irregular Shaped & Custom Cut Rugs guide.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Specifying residential rugs in high-traffic corridors. Residential rugs break down quickly under rolling luggage and constant foot traffic, showing crushing and wear in visible lanes. Many also fail to meet hospitality fire or slip-resistance standards. Instead, choose contract-grade rugs with commercial backings to prevent shifting or curling. Flatweave or tight-loop constructions offer the durability needed for heavy use while reducing tripping hazards.

Choose Performance Materials with Design Integrity

Select UV-stable, water-resistant fibers like solution-dyed polypropylene or r-PET that resist fading, mildew, and mold even in direct sunlight or high humidity. Look for performance outdoor rugs that maintain a refined look while performing in outdoor conditions to keep surfaces safe.

Extend the Indoor Brand Story Outdoors

Carry brand colors, patterns, or textures from the interior spaces to outdoor lounges, ensuring a seamless guest journey that feels intentional and curated. And maintain the luxury feel with large-scale rugs that reinforce the scale of the space and prevent furniture from feeling scattered.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Failing to Secure the Rug Outdoor rugs in hospitality settings must be anchored—either by heavy furniture, discreet perimeter weights, or non-slip pads—especially in breezy rooftop or poolside locations. Small, lightweight rugs are prone to shifting, which can cause tripping hazards and disrupt the guest experience. Always opt for the largest, low-profile rug that fits the space for both safety and aesthetic presence.

Support Service Flow

Rugs should enhance, not hinder, the efficiency of food and beverage service. Place rugs so servers have direct, unobstructed walkways between the bar and guest tables, preventing spills and enhancing efficiency. In a bar or lounge, place rugs so that they anchor guest seating but leave clear, rug-free lanes from the bar to tables. This reduces the chance of trip hazards and ensures servers aren’t maneuvering trays or carts over uneven surfaces.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Choosing style over function in spill-prone zones. In bars and lounges, rugs face constant exposure to food and beverage service. A delicate fiber or light color may look beautiful at install but will be costly to maintain and quick to show wear.

Select Ultra-Durable, Low-Pile Fibers

In transitional hospitality spaces, performance and stability go hand in hand. Choose dense, low-pile constructions that resist crushing and backings that can handle high-friction from rolling luggage and foot traffic. For maximum stability, anchor rugs under heavy furnishings, affixed with non-slip backing, or fully adhered to the floor.

Avoid This Mistake

→ Using an Inexperienced Installer for Template-Based Cuts Even a perfectly fabricated rug will fail if the template is taken inaccurately. Transitional spaces—like elevator cabs and irregular vestibules—require precise tracing of curves, thresholds, and clearances. An inexperienced installer can misalign patterns, leave gaps, or create safety hazards. Always partner with installers experienced in luxury or contract-grade projects to ensure a flawless, secure fit.