When guests check into a hotel, they expect that the rooms should be comfortable and everything they use is of high quality and standards. They need their rooms to be clean and well kept. They expect the same to apply to the bed, beddings, pillows, towels and other room accessories.
They also expect the washroom and its accessories to be clean, enough toiletries provided and clean towels stocked. To ensure all the guests are happy and comfortable, hotel housekeepers work all round to ensure these conditions are met. Most of the work they do in the rooms are done especially when the guests are not in their rooms. These include:
Making beds
To make the guests feel comfortable, housekeepers always make their beds and ensure the beds are in good order and condition. This is by ensuring that the bed is well spread, the pillows well arranged and everything is in right place.
Cleaning and tidying of the rooms
The housekeepers always ensure that the guests’ rooms are well kept, room furniture and other room accessories are well dusted, the furniture is well arranged, the table lamps and bedside lamps are well arranged, electronics e.g. television is in the right place and other room accessories are kept tidy. They also ensure the properties of the guests are well arranged and kept in the right places.
Cleaning of washrooms
The housekeepers ensure that the toilet and bathtub are well cleaned and sanitized, all the taps are kept clean, the sinks are well cleaned and wiped, the mirrors are well cleaned and wiped and all the washroom accessories are also kept clean.
Changing of bedspreads and pillow linens
The housekeepers ensure that they have stripped off the beds of used bedspreads and replaced them with new ones. They also ensure that used pillow linens are removed and replaced by new and clean ones. This ensures that each time the guest walk into the room, he or she finds new and clean bedspreads and linens for the pillows.
Cleaning of floors
For the guests to stay in a clean place, the housekeepers ensure that the room floor is well cleaned and removed of any stain and dirt. In most cases, they vacuum clean the floors regularly and ensure that high standard of cleanliness is achieved and maintained.
Restocking the washrooms
On a daily basis, the housekeepers check and ensure that all the necessary toiletries are provided in enough quantity. They also ensure that they replace used towels with clean ones. This forms part of the routine to ensure the comfort of the guests every time they are in their rooms.
Most of the work done by the hotel housekeeper is demanding and mainly physical. However, the amounts of work vary and majorly depend on the type of the hotel, the size of the hotel room, the services provided by the hotel and the standards of the hotel room. Despite all these, all they do is geared towards ensuring that the guests are comfortable and enjoy their stay in the hotel and the hotel rooms.
About the author
Carolyn Heath is a hospitality expert. She’s been the consultant to top hotels in America and Australia.