Do you wish to embark on a brand-new, thrilling career in the hotel industry?
Or are you looking to refresh your understanding of everyday hotel management?
Anyone who has ever stayed in a hotel will know just how important the housekeeping department is.
A housekeeping position may be a fantastic starting point for a rewarding and successful career in hotel management since cleaning workers play a fundamental role in keeping the hotel operating efficiently. This article will outline the jobs that may be found on a hotel’s housekeeping staff, go through hotel housekeeping tasks (such as a housekeeping attendant’s duties and obligations), and provide advice for getting a job in the housekeeping division.
Even if the information shared in this article turns you off a career in the housekeeping industry, you’ll undoubtedly feel more grateful for the diligent workers who make each hotel visit enjoyable.
What Kinds of Jobs Does the Housekeeping Department Have?
Depending on the size of the hotel, housekeeping personnel can have very different roles to fulfil. While large resorts may employ hundreds of cleaning staff, small boutique hotels may only have a few room attendants. On any given day, there are about 400 room attendants working at a massive hotel in a major city. But the housekeeping division includes more than simply the room attendants. A number of sub-departments, each with unique tasks and areas of expertise, may make up the full team.
Leadership positions: Although most hotels have a leadership position within the housekeeping crew, in extremely small hotels, the room attendants may report directly to the front desk manager or the hotel’s general manager. In major hotels, this position could be filled by a Director of Housekeeping who is assisted by other people. In medium-sized hotels, this position might be filled by a Housekeeping Manager or an Executive Housekeeper. The head of housekeeping is in charge of staff scheduling, budget management, and upholding the hotel’s standards of cleanliness in all guest rooms and public spaces.
Room Attendants are in charge of cleaning rooms before and after bookings because all hotels offer guestrooms. In certain hotels, floor supervisors may supervise the room attendants on each level and carry out quality assurance inspections.
Public spaces: A hotel’s public areas must be maintained in a clean condition. The lobby, conference rooms, restaurants, bars, offices, and any other public areas are kept nice and orderly by public area attendants.
Laundry: Somebody has to clean all those sheets and towels! While many hotels offer on-site laundry rooms, some send their clothes to an outside laundry service. All of the hotel’s uniforms, sheets, and towels are cleaned, dried, and pressed by laundry workers. Specialized laundry personnel handle the garments of guests who use the valet laundry services offered by hotels (usually at a high price!). Additionally, some hotels provide on-site upholsterers and tailors who can mend or change guests’ clothing.
After the linens have been cleaned, dried, and sorted, they are distributed to the hotel’s various departments by linen attendants in the linen room.
In certain hotels, the housekeeping department has a specialised phone operator who accepts calls from guests and other hotel departments and relays the information to the right housekeeping team member. There are also housemen who provide housekeeping goods to bedrooms upon request, such as extra pillows or towels, and minibar attendants who are in charge of refilling and charging minibar products at some hotels.
Other hotel departments and the housekeeping department collaborate closely. In order to organise check-ins and check-outs and to fulfil guest requests, the front desk is in continual communication with housekeeping. Even the food and beverage department collaborates with housekeeping to guarantee that linens are pressed, and dining rooms are clean. Housekeeping employees cooperate with the engineering department to tackle maintenance concerns and restore damaged objects.
Daily responsibilities for the hotel’s housekeeping staff
If there’s one thing that is for certain: There is never a dull moment in a hotel’s housekeeping service! To ensure that guests enjoy the greatest experience possible, the whole crew collaborates to make the hotel sparkle and the guest experience enjoyable.
Duties of a hotel housekeeping manager
The housekeeping manager’s responsibility is to plan the operations of the housekeeping department. He or she often acts as the first point of contact for the housekeeping division when corresponding with other divisions via emails or meetings. The department’s timetable is determined by the housekeeping manager, who also holds the team responsible for upholding the hotel’s service standards. Housekeeping managers will also be responsible for ensuring that any outsourced or freelance cleaners have the appropriate cleaners insurance in place.
Daily duties of a housekeeping manager include:
- Collecting departure and arrival reports
- Scheduling cleaning personnel for the upcoming week or two
- Coordinating specific requests or welcoming amenities with the front desk
- Taking part in hotel management meetings
- Holding team meetings before shifts
- Answering inquiries from visitors
- Resolving housekeeping-related customer service concerns
- Using technology to track work completion, interact with other departments, and manage staff
- Managing department costs, such as salary and supply costs
Hotel housekeeping and room service duties
One of the most vital positions in the entire hotel is that of the room attendant. A guest may form a poor opinion of the hotel if their room isn’t clean when they arrive or if basic necessities aren’t replenished mid-stay. They might never return to the hotel and may post a negative internet evaluation of it online for all to see. However, if a room attendant goes above and above to deliver prompt service and attention to detail, the guest may have a very favourable experience that encourages them to visit frequently. Room attendants have a lot of roles to fulfil and have a big impact on the experience of the visitor.
Typically, room attendants perform eight-hour shifts, during which they could clean as many as 16 guest rooms. While high-end hotels that provide nighttime turndown service would have a second shift of housekeeping personnel who work afternoon and evening hours, many hotels only offer housekeeping service once per day. Therefore, room attendants would perform one daytime shift. Some hotels may also provide housekeeping services around-the-clock; therefore, some room attendants may perform nighttime shifts.
A housekeeping attendant’s duties and responsibilities include:
- Cleaning the guestrooms before and after check-out
- Changing bed linen
- Changing soiled sheets and towels
- Replenishing the toiletries, glasses, and notepads in the guest rooms
- Taking out the recycling, garbage, and room service trays
- Obtaining and delivering valet laundry products
- Assembling and stacking the cleaning carts
- Notifying the maintenance department of damaged objects, faulty lighting, or broken appliances
- Maintaining the hotel’s privacy and security guidelines
- Respecting the guest’s privacy and “do not disturb” signs
Duties of a public area attendant
Similar to room attendants, public area attendants greatly influence a visitor’s opinion of the hotel. When guests check into a hotel, they don’t want to see soiled carpets in the halls, dusty furniture in the lobby, or overflowing trash cans.Therefore, the role of a public area attendant is crucial to fostering a pleasant visitor experience. Some public area attendants perform daytime shifts, while others work nighttime or evening shifts.
The typical duties of a public place attendant include:
- Cleaning public areas, including restaurants, lobbies, and conference rooms
- Cleaning office and staff restrooms and other back-of-the-house spaces
- Cleaning the elevators, hallways, and stairs
- Removing trash from garbage cans in public places
- Notifying the repair staff of damaged things
Duties of a laundry/linen room attendant
Although the majority of laundry or linen room staff don’t deal with customers directly, their work is essential to the hotel’s overall operations. Room attendants cannot do their duties without clean sheets and towels, and customers will seek accommodation elsewhere if they check in to a hotel only to find their linen dirty.
Staff in the laundry or linen department perform the following daily duties:
- Laundry for the hotel, which may include towels, sheets, bathrobes, napkins, tablecloths, uniforms, and other items, is sorted, washed, dried, folded, ironed, and organised.
- Removing soiled or damaged linen
- Using the washing and drying equipment
- Ordering and using cleaning supplies, detergents, and soaps
- Handling the guest’s dry cleaning and valet laundry
You do not necessarily need any prior experience to score a position in a hotel’s housekeeping department.
The majority of employees receive on-the-job training for the particular housekeeping skills required for their position, such as how to make a bed and use the laundry machines.
Finding Employment in the Housekeeping Division
Are you considering a job in the hotel housekeeping division? You’re fortunate! Hotels are constantly looking for qualified housekeeping staff. You may quickly look for vacant positions and submit your application online because most hotels list their cleaning job opportunities via their websites and other online channels. Employment postings can be found on individual hotel websites or on well-known job portals like Indeed.
Another option for finding work is to go to a hotel and submit an application in person. The majority of large hotels have human resources divisions that accept applicants for jobs. Depending on the size and calibre of the hotel, you may need to have an interview with the housekeeping manager, human resources, and/or general manager after submitting your application (in person or online).
The diligent workforce that performs hotel cleaning responsibilities is a crucial component of hotel operations and significantly enhances the overall visitor experience.