The Housekeeping Department in Hotels is an operational department. It is responsible for the cleanliness and maintenance of the hotel. Aesthetic keep up of rooms, back area, public area, and nearby surroundings are done by them. This department makes sure that the guests have a desirable room. The desirability of the room has a direct bearing on the guest’s experience at the hotel.
Guestrooms have to be the best because they are the heart of any hotel. It is important to maintain cleanliness on a timely basis. Also, every nook and corner of the hotel should be kept fresh and attractive. No doubt, the department of housekeeping is an ancillary department. Its contribution is really huge to the overall reputation of the property.
Roles And Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of the housekeeping department decide the reputation of the hotel. A huge number of employees of any hotel work under the department of housekeeping. They are responsible for various jobs and the functioning of the hotel.
To understand the roles and responsibilities of the housekeeping department, here are a few pointers that may help:
- Maintenance and cleanliness of all rooms and public areas
- Preparation of the guestrooms in a timely manner
- Being responsible for the turnarounds of the room
- Maintaining the primary communications between the guest and the front office department
- Updating the room status on a regular basis
- Coordinating closely with the maintenance and the engineering department
- Identifying the types of maintenance issues that may arise
- Rectification and replacement of any type of issue that they encounter during the process of functioning
- Services like laundry, food delivery, or any other small tasks which are required by the guests are fulfilled by them
The team of housekeeping department serves as the backbone of the hotel. Major profits of the hotel are earned through the sale of rooms. But apart from it, the maintenance and cleanliness of the rooms are supremely important.
Organization And Functioning
The organization and functioning of the housekeeping department are headed by the director of housekeeping. There are various jobs and roles in the organization of the department. To get a deeper understanding of the same, here are some important pointers:
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Executive Housekeeper
The executive housekeeper is responsible to maintain the reports and forward them to the general or resident manager. He or she also reports to the director of housekeeping. Also, the executive housekeeper is responsible to plan, counsel and brief the staff. Usually, they are provided with a glass-paneled cabin to keep the track of the functioning of the staff.
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Deputy Housekeeper
The deputy housekeeper is the one who assists the executive housekeeper in various tasks. There are various areas of responsibility that need to be handled by the deputy housekeeper. Maintenance of the floor, desk control, public areas, the linen room, etc are some of them.
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Linen Room
The linen room is a place where current linens are stored for issue and receipt. It is made sure that the room is airy and free from humidity. Adequate shelves are provided in order to stack all the linen. Also, it is made sure that the room has high-security standards.
These were some of the jobs and requirements of the functioning of the housekeeping department of hotels. Undeniably, they are the pillars upon which the reputation of the hotel stands.
If you liked reading this article, make sure to check our other hospitality blog, The Front Office Department In Hotels.
