How many pillows should a vacation rental bed have?

The basics

Give every guest at least one pillow, then add a second on larger beds so couples can choose. Airbnb lists one pillow per guest (opens in a new tab) among its essential amenities, and many hosts go a little beyond that.

Pillows and pillowcases are counted differently:

• Pillows are bought once. They stay on the bed and are not multiplied by your linen cycles.
• Pillowcases travel with the sheets. Every set on the bed, in the laundry and on the shelf needs its own cases.
• Pillow protectors are one per pillow. They sit under the case and keep the pillow itself clean.

A common setup by bed size

These are common planning choices, not industry standards. Change them to suit your beds and guests.

A standard set usually includes 2 pillowcases for a Full, Queen or King and 1 for a Twin. If a bed has more pillows than its set covers, buy the difference as extra cases for every set of that bed, not just once.

How the count works

1. Pillows = the pillows you put on each bed, added up.
2. Protectors = 1 per pillow.
3. Pillowcases per bed = pillows on that bed × sheet sets per bed.
4. Extra cases to buy = pillows beyond what the set includes × sheet sets per bed.

If you are not sure how many sheet sets to keep, see how many sheet sets per bed. With on-site laundry, HostCalmly plans 3.

A worked example

Hypothetical rental: 1 King with 4 pillows, 1 Queen with 2 and 2 Twins with 1 each. On-site laundry, so 3 sheet sets per bed.

• Pillows: 4 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 8 pillows
• Protectors: 8, one per pillow
• King cases: 4 pillows × 3 sets = 12. The 3 King sets include 6, so buy 6 extra King cases.
• Queen cases: 2 pillows × 3 sets = 6, all included in the 3 Queen sets
• Twin cases: 2 beds × 1 pillow × 3 sets = 6, all included in the 6 Twin sets
• Total pillowcases: 24, which matches 8 pillows × 3 sets

If you bought 8 pillows for every linen cycle instead, you would end up with 24 pillows and nowhere to store them. That is why pillows are counted once.

Choosing pillows

• Mix firmness. On beds with 2 or more pillows, one firmer and one softer gives each sleeper a choice.
• Match case size to pillow size. King pillows need King cases. If you put standard pillows on a King bed, buy cases sized for those pillows.
• Use zippered protectors. They are washable and help keep stains off the pillow.
• Keep spares in a closet only if you can supply cases. A spare pillow needs its own protector and a clean case for every stay it is used.
• Skip most decorative pillows. They need cleaning too, and guests often pile them on the floor.

Keep the count accurate

1. Store each sheet set folded inside one of its pillowcases, with any extra cases for that bed tucked in.
2. Count pillows and protectors once a season.
3. Count pillowcases with the sheet sets and reorder when any size runs short.

The linen calculator counts pillows, protectors and extra pillowcases from the pillows you set on each bed. For towels and other linens, see the guide to linen and towel quantities.