Housekeeping Department

The Housekeeping Department

• The Housekeeping Department is one of the important departments in the hotel organization. Its main function is to maintain the cleanliness of the entire Hotel. Except Kitchen areas.

• The person who responsible for managing the Housekeeping Department is usually called an Executive Housekeeper.

• The Executive Housekeeper reports to Executive Assistant Manager and General Manager.

The Housekeeping Department

housekeeping department Chart

• Housekeeping Department has a very close relation with other departments, especially the Front Office, in providing and maintaining the guestrooms and public areas into a safe and proper condition for the guest satisfactions.

The Housekeeping Department

A hotel housekeeping department usually has four main functions:

1. Cleaning and Maintenance

2. Training of its personnel,

3. Requisition and Control of the necessary

supplies and equipment

4. Paperwork, Schedules and Reports.

Areas of responsibility

The direct supervision of the housekeeping includes generally eight areas:

1. Guest rooms

2. Halls and corridors

3. Lobby

4. Public rooms and restaurants

5. Offices (hotel personnel)

6. Stairways

7. Windows

8. Stores, concessions, and other leased areas

Room section/Floor section

Room section/floor section

• Room section is a very important section in Housekeeping Department.

• The success of any organization, which provides accommodation, depends on good Housekeeping, especially in rooms.

Guest rooms

Houseman section

• Houseman section is one of the sections in Housekeeping that responsible for the cleanliness of the whole hotel areas except guestrooms and kitchen areas.

Houseman section

• Public Area: Lobby Area, Floor Corridors, Guest elevators, Service Areas, Guest toilets.Function Room: Restaurants, Meeting Rooms, Training Room.

• Offices: Executive Office, Accounting Office, Purchasing Office, Housekeeping Office, Engineering Office, Human Resources/Personnel Office, etc.

Lobby Area

Floor Corridors

Guest elevators

Guest toilet

Training Room

Linen/Uniform Room Section

• The linen/uniform room section is very essential in Housekeeping Department.

• Its main function is to provide, store, and distribute hotel linen and staffs uniforms. And also responsible for the smooth circulation of the hotel linen and staff’s uniforms as well.

• This section is headed by Linen/Uniform Supervisor who reports to Assistant Executive Housekeeper.

Hotel Linen Room

• The linen room is the heart of the housekeeping department. Freshly laundered linen comes in to find its way to clean beds and bathrooms. Besides that, you store your extra pillows and linen there, which makes the linen room a very important link in your hotel.

Hotel Linen Room

Hotel linen

Staffs Uniform

Laundry Section

• Laundry section is part of Housekeeping Department. Its main function is to provide pressing laundry and dry cleaning service to the guests, staff’ uniform, F&B linen and guest room linen.

• Laundry Manager is responsible for the overall operation of the laundry heads this section. To run the laundry manager is helped by Laundry Supervisor and report to Executive Housekeeper.

Laundry Section

Florist Section

• To beautifying the hotel performance in every outlet or section. The florist will make a special flower arrangement in each area covered; such as Lobby, Pool Bar, Restaurant and other area.

Office Administration

• The person who responsible to maintain the administration in Housekeeping Office is the Executive Housekeeper, Assistant Executive Housekeeper, all Supervisors and the order taker/office clerks.

• The order taker will in-charge for taking all guest requests, telephone calls (incoming and outgoing calls) all store items request, etc.

The order taker

International Phonetic Alphabets for Hotel

A = ABLEB = BAKERC = CHARLIED = DOGE = EASYF = FOXG = GEORGEH = HOWI = ITEMJ = JIMMYK = KINGL = LOVEM = MIKE

N = NANCYO = OBOP = PETERQ = QUEENR = ROGERS = SUGART = TEARU = UNCLEV = VICTORW = WILLIAMX = X-RAYY = YORKZ = ZEBRA

Check In

• Front Desk: Welcome to the SP Hotel. How may I help you?• Traveler: I’d like a room please?• Front Desk: Would you like a single or a double?• Traveler: I’d like a double, please?• Front Desk: May I have your name, please?• Traveler: Timothy Findley.• Front Desk: Could you spell that please?• Traveler: F-I-N-D-L-E-Y.• Front Desk: How many are in your party?• Traveler: Just two.• Front Desk: How many nights would you like to stay?• Traveler: Just tonight.• Front Desk: How will you be paying?• Traveler: Is Visa OK?• Front Desk: That’ll be fine. Would you like a wake-up call?• Traveler: Yes, I’d like a wake-up call for 6:30. Do you have a pool?• Front desk: Yes, we do. On the 2nd floor. Here’s your key. That’s

room 405 on the fourth floor.

• A: Hi, my name is Suzuki and I have a reservation for tonight.

• B: Let me check. OK, yes. A twin room for one night.

• A: That’s right.

• B: You are in room 408. How would you like to pay for the room?

• A: Do you take American Express Travelers Checks?

• B: Certainly, are they in American funds?

• A: No, in Canadian. Is that OK?

• B: Yes, no problem. With the exchange, that comes to 83.76 dollars Canadian.

• A: Do I pay now or when I check out.

• B: In advance, please.

• A: Here you go.

• B: The elevator is just around the corner. Do you need any help with your bags?

• A: No thanks. I can manage myself.

• B: Is there anything else we can do to help you enjoy your stay?

• A: Can you give me a wake-up call at 7:00?

• B: We don’t do that from here. You can use the clock radio in the room, or you can program the telephone in your room to ring at 7:00.

• A: Oh, yes. I have a meeting downtown tomorrow. Does this hotel have a shuttle bus?

• B: No, I’m afraid we don’t, but we will be happy to call a taxi for you if you provide us with the details.

• A: No, that won’t be necessary. I can call from my room.

• B: There are no charges for local calls.

Check Out

• Receptionist: Hi there. Are you checking out now?• Guest: Yes, sorry. I know we’re a few minutes late.• Receptionist: That’s no problem. It’s always really busy at check out time anyway.• Guest: Oh, really. The last hotel we stayed in charged us for a late check out.• Receptionist: The hotel isn’t booked this week, so it’s not a problem. How was

everything?• Guest: The room was great. The beds were really comfortable, and we weren’t

expecting our own fridge.• Receptionist: I ’m glad you liked it.• Guest: The kids were disappointed that the pool wasn’t open this morning,

though.• Receptionist: I apologize for that. We can’t get a cleaner in any earlier than 10 am.• Guest: Well we had a nice swim last night anyhow.• Receptionist: Will you be putting this on your credit card?• Guest: No. I’ll pay cash.• Receptionist: OK. So the total comes to $123.67, including tax.• Guest: I thought it was $115 even. That’s what they said yesterday when we

checked in.• Receptionist: Yes, but there is an extra room charge on your bill.• Guest: Oh, I forgot. My husband ordered a plate of nachos. Sorry.• Receptionist: No problem. So…from $140, here’s your change. Now, I’ll just need

to ask you for your room keys.