In the hospitality industry, timing is everything. Whether you’re refreshing guest rooms, outfitting common areas, or enhancing outdoor spaces, project deadlines often align with seasonal demand and guest expectations. Meeting those deadlines requires careful planning, strong vendor relationships, and an understanding of potential challenges that may impact supply chains along the way.
One often-overlooked factor is the Lunar New Year holiday, which has a significant impact on global supply chains. You’ve likely experienced a slowdown in those supply chains while supporting projects in hotel spaces. While many are familiar with Lunar New Year as a cultural celebration marked by family gatherings, festivals, and traditions, its effect on business operations is sometimes underestimated, especially in industries like hospitality, where projects depend on tight schedules.
What is Lunar New Year?
As the most widely celebrated holiday in China, the Lunar New Year marks the start of the lunar calendar. While festivities traditionally last 15 days, factory closures and slowdowns can stretch over several weeks as workers travel to be with family. In 2026, the official holiday in mainland China will run from February 15–22, followed by the Lantern Festival on March 3.
What This Means for You
If your projects rely on products manufactured in Asia, or components sourced from the region, these closures can mean longer lead times, shipping backlogs, and even rushed orders with compromised quality. The impact doesn’t stop there. Logistics, customs, and freight forwarding also experience congestion after the holiday, which can create ripple effects that push deliveries even further.
If your product manufacturer is in Asia or sources components from there, you can expect longer turnaround times. Additionally, there is the potential for rushed orders with compromised quality, expedited shipping fees and storage costs, and staffing gaps following the break.
- Production Delays: Factories may close for 2-4 weeks, halting or delaying manufacturing.
- Shipping Backlogs: Orders submitted too close to LNY often get pushed behind once production restarts.
- Extended Lead Times: Even after reopening, it can take weeks for operations to return to normal.
- Ripple Effects: Logistics, customs, and freight forwarding also experience congestion, further slowing delivery.
For hotels and resorts working toward openings, renovations, or seasonal updates, a delayed furniture shipment or lighting fixture could push back completion, preventing the space from being guest-ready at peak season. Outdoor product delays can impact poolside furniture or patio areas just as warmer weather approaches. These disruptions don’t just affect aesthetics, they can influence guest experience, revenue opportunities, and brand perception, putting critical timelines at risk, which makes proactive planning essential.
How Almo is Here To Help
Here’s the good news: by partnering with Almo, we’ll help ensure that your projects stay on schedule, especially when global supply timelines are compromised. Our strong vendor relationships, advanced planning tools, and product availability strategies help minimize the risks associated with supply chain slowdowns during Lunar New Year.
- Spot potential delays ahead of time: We’ll review your upcoming projects to identify which SKUs or product lines are most likely to hit a delay window.
- Stay in the loop: We’re already talking to the manufacturers. We’ll keep you informed as shipping updates, cutoff dates, or allocation news comes in.
- Look for alternatives: If something has a long lead time, we can help you find comparable options.
- Secure key products: If something is critical to your project, we’ll help you secure stock of pre-plan allocations.
- Leverage our distribution support: We’re here to help you secure inventory and manage logistics.
It’s easy to push these conversations off until you’re placing orders, but by then, timelines are already tight. If you have hospitality projects coming up in early 2026, we’ll help you build a plan that avoids delays and keeps your projects moving.
Planning Ahead Makes All the Difference
Waiting until the last minute to consider the Lunar New Year’s impact can put hospitality projects at risk. If you have renovations, openings, or seasonal updates planned for early 2026, starting your planning now is essential. By identifying potential delays, securing key products, and exploring alternative solutions, you can maintain your timeline and ensure guest-ready spaces.
With Almo’s support, hospitality teams can anticipate supply chain challenges, minimize disruptions, and keep projects on schedule, all while maintaining high standards of quality and service.
Connect with us today to start planning your project timeline and avoid Lunar New Year delays.
