Joinery is the part of a hotel fit-out that is built into the walls. In the trade it is also called millwork (US) or fixed furniture. A wardrobe that runs wall to wall, a panelled corridor, a vanity that meets the tiles: each one has to fit a room that was built with its own tolerances. Turkish joinery factories make these pieces to shop drawings drawn from measured site dimensions. Rovers runs that loop with them, from the survey to installation.
What the joinery package holds
| Item | Where | Usual build |
|---|---|---|
| Wardrobes and closets | Guestrooms, suites, serviced apartments | Carcass in melamine-faced board; doors in veneer, HPL or lacquered MDF; hanging rail, shelves, safe and iron shelf |
| Wall panelling | Bedheads, corridors, lobby, lift lobbies, restaurants | Veneer or HPL panels on a batten or clip system; shadow gaps; access panels |
| Vanities | Guest bathrooms, public toilets | Moisture-resistant core (MDF.H or EN 636-2 plywood), sealed edges, stone or compact HPL top |
| Doors and frames | Guestroom entry, connecting and bathroom doors | Door leaf and frame as one set; fire-rated sets carry their own test evidence |
| Built-in units | Reception desks, bar counters, back bars, banquette bases, luggage niches | Joinery carcass with stone, metal or HPL tops; integrated lighting where drawn |
| Kitchenettes | Serviced apartments and long-stay rooms | Base and wall units around the appliances on the schedule |
From site dimensions to installation
| Step | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Drawings and BOQ read | Every joinery line is read against the architect’s drawings | A priced line per item, with build-up, finish and hardware |
| 2. Site survey | Walls, openings and ceiling heights measured once the walls are built and plastered | A dimension sheet per room type, with tolerances |
| 3. Shop drawings | Plans, elevations, sections and fixing details drawn to the survey | Drawings for approval, with revision letters |
| 4. Samples and mock-up | Finish samples, then one room built and fitted | Signed samples; a mock-up checked on site or at the factory |
| 5. Production | Panels cut on CNC, edged, veneered or laminated, sprayed, assembled; long runs dry-fitted | Progress on the order file, with photos from the floor |
| 6. Inspection and packing | Dimensions, finish match, hardware, labels per room and wall | A pre-packing inspection report |
| 7. Installation | Fixed to the walls, scribed to the room, doors hung and adjusted | Handover per floor, with a snag list closed before sign-off |
Installation is part of the scope outside the US. For US projects joinery is manufactured and delivered, and the contractor’s installer fits it from our shop drawings and labelled packing lists.
Why the survey matters. Wall panelling and wardrobes are made to millimetres, and a room built 15 mm out of square will not take a panel drawn to the design dimension. Where the programme does not allow waiting for finished walls, the shop drawings carry scribe allowances and filler panels, and the fit is settled on site.
Reaction to fire for panelling and fixed joinery
Wall and ceiling linings are part of the building, so they are classed under building rules, not furniture rules.
| Market | System | What the spec asks |
|---|---|---|
| EU and UK | EN 13501-1 reaction-to-fire classes, A1 to F, with smoke (s1–s3) and flaming droplets (d0–d2) | The class the fire engineer sets for each zone |
| United States | ASTM E84 surface burning (flame spread and smoke) | The class the code and the architect set for the zone |
| UAE and the Gulf | The local fire and life safety code; Civil Defence approval for listed items | Test evidence per product, submitted with the material approval |
A veneered panel that meets one class on one substrate may not meet it on another, so the class is tested on the build-up we will make: core, face, adhesive and finish. Fire-rated door sets are their own product, priced and documented as their own line.
Materials for wet and busy zones
| Zone | Core | Face and edge |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom vanity | MDF.H (EN 622-5) or EN 636-2 plywood | HPL or lacquer; every edge sealed, including cut-outs for basins and taps |
| Corridor panelling | MDF or plywood | Veneer or HPL; hardwood or metal corner guards at trolley height |
| Wardrobe interior | Particleboard or MDF | Melamine; PVC or ABS edges |
| Reception and bar | Plywood or MDF | HPL or stone on the working top; solid-wood lipping on knocked edges |
For strength, EN 16121 sets requirements for non-domestic storage furniture, including wardrobes. Our surface guide sets out cores, faces and edges by zone.
What to send us
Send the architectural drawings and the joinery or FF&E schedule, the finish schedule, the site address and the date the walls will be ready for survey. If the drawings are design intent only, we price from them and produce the shop drawings after the survey.
- CEN: EN 13501-1:2018 Fire classification of construction products (classes A1 to F; smoke s1–s3; droplets d0–d2) · accessed 2026-10-04
- ASTM E84-23: Surface burning characteristics of building materials · accessed 2026-10-04
- CEN: EN 16121:2023/AC:2025 Non-domestic storage furniture, safety, strength, durability and stability · accessed 2026-10-04
- CEN: EN 622-5:2009 Fibreboards (MDF.H for humid conditions) · accessed 2026-10-04
- APA Wood Europe: BS EN 636 plywood use classes (dry, humid, exterior) · accessed 2026-10-04
- Dubai Civil Defence: UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice · accessed 2026-10-04