Essential Duties of a Hotel Housekeeper

When most people think of a hotel housekeeper, they likely picture someone who simply cleans guest rooms. However, the responsibilities of a hotel housekeeper are far more numerous and varied than many people realize.

To truly understand what a hotel housekeeper does, it’s important to look beyond the obvious tasks and examine the role in more detail.

One of the first priorities for a hotel housekeeper is recruitment. The housekeeping manager and laundry manager play a crucial role in the planning, organizing, and staffing of the housekeeping department.

Until these positions are filled, the executive housekeeper must bear the full responsibility for these functions. As such, it’s important to specify the qualifications of these managers as soon as possible so that recruitment efforts can begin.

Another important aspect of a hotel housekeeper’s role is to identify the work that needs to be accomplished throughout the property. The executive housekeeper should make daily tours of the hotel and draw up a Division of Work Document.

This document lists the cleaning and maintenance requirements for each area of the hotel, including:

• Guestrooms
• Public Areas
• Recreation Areas
• Restaurants
• Lounges
• Meeting Rooms
• Banquet and Ballrooms
• Kitchen Areas
• Employee Ereas
• Offices
• Maintenance Shops
• Building Exterior
• Landscaping
• Lighting
• Laundry
• Other areas

Once completed, the executive housekeeper presents this document to the executive committee for review, highlighting any unusual cleaning requirements and making recommendations for who should be responsible for each area.

In some cases, the responsibilities of a hotel housekeeper may extend beyond just guest rooms and public areas. For example, they may be responsible for nightly cleaning of kitchens, after-event ballroom cleaning, and swimming pool maintenance.

This additional workload must be taken into consideration when allocating funds and staff, and trade-offs may be necessary.For instance, the food and beverage department may be asked to maintain the employees’ cafeteria, or the housekeeping department may be asked to maintain all public restrooms.

However, if the housekeeping department is expected to clean areas outside of the rooms department, such as kitchens or banquet spaces, then adequate budgetary compensation and personnel must be provided.

The most common additional duties that a hotel housekeeper may be responsible for include:

• Cleaning and stocking guest rooms, including making beds, changing linens, and replacing towels and amenities as needed
• Dusting and vacuuming the room, as well as cleaning windows and mirrors
• Cleaning and sanitizing bathrooms, including restocking supplies
• Maintaining the cleanliness of public spaces, including lobbies, elevators, and hallways
• Responding to guest requests and complaints in a prompt and courteous manner
• Monitoring and maintaining adequate levels of supplies, such as cleaning products and linens
• Assisting in laundry and linen services, including folding, sorting, and distributing clean linens
• Assisting in the maintenance of hotel grounds and outdoor spaces

These are just a few examples of the duties a hotel housekeeper may be responsible for, and the specific duties may vary depending on the size and type of hotel.

In conclusion, the duties of a hotel housekeeper are numerous, varied, and essential to the overall success of a hotel operation. Understanding these duties is important for any General Manager or executive who wants to ensure that their hotel is providing top-notch services to its guests. By being aware of the key responsibilities and working closely with other departments, a hotel housekeeper can play a critical role in the success of the hotel.