Do you wish to embark on a brand-new, thrilling career?
Believe it or not, the hotel housekeeping department may be just the place for you!
A housekeeping position can be a fantastic starting point for a rewarding and successful career in hotel management because cleaning workers perform crucial duties to keep the hotel operating efficiently. This article will outline the jobs that can be found on a hotel’s housekeeping staff, review typical hotel housekeeping tasks (such as a housekeeping attendant’s duties and responsibilities), and provide advice for getting a job in the housekeeping division.
What Kinds of Jobs Does the Housekeeping Department Offer?
Depending on the size of the hotel, housekeeping personnel can differ significantly. While large resorts may employ hundreds of housekeeping staff, small boutique hotels may only have a few room attendants. On any given day, there are about 400 room attendants working in Disney, Orlando! But the housekeeping division includes more than just 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 very small hotels, the room attendants may report directly to the front desk manager or general manager. In major hotels, this position might be filled by a Director of Housekeeping who is assisted by subordinates in roles such asHousekeeping Manager, Assistant Director of Housekeeping,or Executive Housekeeper. 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 cleanliness in all guest bedrooms, facilities, and public areas.
Room Attendants are in charge of cleaning rooms before and after reservations. 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 also be kept clean. The lobby, conference rooms, restaurants, bars, offices, and any other public areas are kept nice and orderly by public area attendants.
Laundry: Someone needs to clean all those sheets and towels! While many hotels have on-site laundry rooms, some send their laundry to an outside laundry service. All of the hotel’s uniforms, sheets, and towels are cleaned, dried, and pressed by laundry workers. Specialised laundry personnel handle the garments of guests who use the valet laundry services offered by many hotels. Additionally, some hotels provide on-site upholsterers and tailors who may fix or alter guests’ clothing, furniture, and uniforms.
After the linens have been cleaned, dried, and sorted, they are distributed to the hotel’s various departments by linen attendants.
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. Depending on the hotel, there are also porters who deliver housekeeping goods to bedrooms upon request, such as extra pillows or towels, and minibar attendants who are in charge of restocking and charging minibar items.
Hotel and housekeeping departments 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 broken objects.
Regardless of what type of housekeeping role you are ultimately employed in, working in a public environment with potentially dangerous chemicals and certain types of equipment carries a range of risks. You are advised to consider getting insurance for cleaners. These types of insurance policies offer a layer of protection for you in your day-to-day work. To learn more about the type of insurance you could benefit from when working as a cleaner in a range of different industries. Click here.
Daily Responsibilities for the Hotel’s Housekeeping Staff
Put simply: There is never a dull moment!
To ensure that guests enjoy the greatest experience possible, the entire team collaborates to give the hotel a sparkle. Some housekeeping departments use housekeeping technology to streamline internal communication, decrease errors, prevent communication lapses, and increase overall efficiency. Large teams that frequently operate in separate parts of the hotel can find it difficult to communicate, so housekeeping-specific tools can help the management team, laundry staff, and room attendants do so more effectively.
Duties of a Hotel Housekeeping Manager
The housekeeping manager’s responsibility is to plan the operations of the housekeeping department. He or she typically serves as the primary 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.
Hotel Housekeeping and Room Service Duties
One of the most crucial 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 even post a negative review online to share their experiences of the hotel. 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 are in charge of a lot and have a big impact on the experience of the guest.
Typically, room attendants work eight-hour shifts, during which they could clean as many as 16 guest rooms. While high-end hotels that provide night-time 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. In such cases, room attendants would perform one daytime shift (typically from 8am to 4pm, roughly). Some hotels may also provide housekeeping services around-the-clock; therefore, some room attendants may perform night-time shifts.
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. The role of a public area attendant is to prevent all of that from happening and is crucial to fostering a pleasant visitor experience. To clean busy areas like lobbies while visitors aren’t using them, some public area attendants perform daytime shifts, while others work night-time or evening shifts.