The hotel probably uses a commercial laundry service. All the dirty towels go into a bin, and every few days a van from the laundry service delivers a pile of clean towels and takes away the bin of dirty towels. The bedsheets, pillow cases and duvet covers probably get the same treatment.
You can get similar services for mechanics' overalls, door mats, chef's uniforms, and things like that. They'll even put the right uniform in the right employee's locker, if you like [1].
Often there will be different pools for different hotels, as well as different pools for different items and sizes. Good inventory management helps you get the customers' orders right; you don't want to deliver a Holiday Inn towel to a Hilton, or have a tablecloth in a delivery of bedsheets, or deliver 99 bedsheets when you promised 100. Also, if things are getting damaged or going missing you need to know where things are going, and when you need to order replacements.
Of course, bar codes are also in use [2] but in hotels particularly they like the markings to be subtle.
You can get similar services for mechanics' overalls, door mats, chef's uniforms, and things like that. They'll even put the right uniform in the right employee's locker, if you like [1].
Often there will be different pools for different hotels, as well as different pools for different items and sizes. Good inventory management helps you get the customers' orders right; you don't want to deliver a Holiday Inn towel to a Hilton, or have a tablecloth in a delivery of bedsheets, or deliver 99 bedsheets when you promised 100. Also, if things are getting damaged or going missing you need to know where things are going, and when you need to order replacements.
Of course, bar codes are also in use [2] but in hotels particularly they like the markings to be subtle.
[1] https://www.phs.co.uk/our-services/managed-workwear/locker-s... [2] http://www.giltbrookworkwear.co.uk/operation/laundry-facilit...