From Store Runs to Streamlined Hotel Procurement: How Oswego Hotel Saved Nearly 100 Hours and 73% on Hotel Supplies with Amazon Business
On a quiet, tree-lined street just four minutes from Victoria’s historic Inner Harbour, Oswego Hotel welcomes guests into thoughtfully designed suites, each with full kitchens, balconies, and the kind of attention to detail that defines boutique hospitality. But behind the polished guest experience lies a reality familiar to any small business operator: someone has to keep the shelves stocked.
For years, that meant the housekeeping manager spending two hours every week driving between Walmart and Costco, navigating crowded aisles, and hoping the right boutique hotel supplies were in stock. It was a routine that worked, until it didn’t. When time became the hotel’s scarcest resource, Oswego found a better way.
About the Business
The Oswego Hotel is a privately owned, 80-suite boutique property located in the James Bay neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia. Managed by Glow 2 Management Inc., the all-suite hotel serves both business and leisure travellers with a sophisticated, urban experience steps from downtown. As a small, independently operated property without a dedicated hotel purchasing team, Oswego relies on smart, efficient solutions to maintain its elevated standard of guest care.
The Challenge: Hours Lost To Multi-Store Hotel Supply Runs
Without a dedicated hotel procurement department, purchasing at Oswego fell to team members already juggling multiple responsibilities. The housekeeping manager was spending roughly two hours each week driving to big-box retailers—Walmart, Costco, and sometimes additional stores—searching for housekeeping supplies with no guarantee of availability.
"We'd drive to multiple stores, not knowing if what we needed would be in stock. It was stressful and time-consuming just to buy toothbrushes and supplies."
Oswego Hotel
Beyond the time drain, the hotel faced challenges with cost control and sourcing quality products. When their preferred bed skirt wraps became difficult to find locally, the team spent weeks searching for a cost-effective, high-quality alternative with adequate stock, a frustrating cycle for a property that prides itself on consistency.
How Amazon Business Streamlined Oswego’s Hotel Procurement
Amazon Business helps small boutique hotels reduce procurement time and supply costs by consolidating vendors, enabling online price comparison, organizing multi-user purchasing, and delivering frequently needed supplies directly to the property. Oswego Hotel adopted Amazon Business to consolidate their fragmented purchasing process into a single, reliable platform. The shift to streamlined hotel purchasing was immediate and transformative.
With Business Prime, the hotel now receives orders within 24–48 hours, eliminating the need for store visits entirely. What once took two hours of driving and browsing now takes approximately 10 minutes of online ordering.
“It’s a complete game-changer. I can order everything we need from my desk and know it’ll be here tomorrow. No driving, no guessing, no stress.”
Oswego Hotel
The hotel leverages multi-user accounts to track expenses by category; housekeeping supplies, front-desk materials, and guest amenities are all organized and visible. This gives the team spend clarity without the overhead of a formal hospitality procurement system.
Quality assurance was another key factor. Through Amazon Business, Oswego can research products using review scores, verified brand information, and the Canadian storefront giving them confidence in what they’re ordering. “We can match the brands we already trust or find better alternatives,” Sarah explains. “We even found eco-friendly toothbrushes for our guests that we never would have discovered at a local store.”
The platform’s broad selection of boutique hotel supplies also solved their sourcing challenges. When the hotel needed affordable bed skirt wraps, Amazon Business delivered options at $40 per wrap—compared to the $150 per wrap they’d been quoted elsewhere—while maintaining comparable quality and reliable stock availability.
Results: Approximately 100 Hours Saved And 73% Lower Supply Costs
The numbers tell a clear story of transformation:
"We’d drive to multiple stores, not knowing if what we needed would be in stock. It was stressful
Oswego Hotel
What’s Next: Business Lists And Sustainable Guest Amenities
The Oswego team sees continued opportunity to deepen their use of Amazon Business Canada. They’re exploring Business Lists for frequently repurchased hotel supplies to further streamline reordering and looking at how the platform can support their commitment to sustainability sourcing more eco-friendly guest amenities and Canadian-made products as their property continues to grow.
FAQ
About the Oswego Hotel
The Oswego Hotel is an 80-suite boutique property in Victoria, British Columbia, serving business and leisure travellers with a sophisticated, urban experience in the heart of the James Bay neighbourhood.
Faced with time-consuming, multi-store hotel procurement runs and inconsistent product availability, the hotel turned to Amazon Business to consolidate purchasing into a single platform.
The result: nearly 100 hours saved annually, 73% cost reductions on key supplies, and a streamlined operation that lets the team focus on what matters most—their guests.
Website: oswegohotelvictoria.com
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Industry: Boutique Hospitality
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