Increase the success of your hotel with optimal housekeeping
Increase the success of your hotel with optimal housekeeping
Housekeeping work is still "invisible" in most hotels. Cleanliness plays an important role in the satisfaction and well-being of guests and employees. It therefore contributes significantly to the economic success of the hotel.
The Hotel Housekeeping Team is responsible for the cleaning, maintenance and upkeep of the entire hotel, not just the guest rooms and public areas.
The work of housekeeping is therefore of crucial importance for the perception of quality and guest satisfaction. Guests are becoming increasingly demanding and expect the highest quality in terms of equipment, materials and service in the hotel. The highest levels of cleanliness and hygiene are demanded as standard.
Nowadays, one must also take into account various allergies. Due to high-quality materials and sensitive surfaces, hygiene and cleanliness are becoming increasingly important in society and, of course, also in the hotel and restaurant industry.
Housekeeping - The heart of a well-run hotel
Housekeeping is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the floor and the entire hotel, and also for the preparation of work schedules, training of staff and the provision and maintenance of the necessary supplies and cleaning materials.
In addition to room cleaning, duties include:
● Housekeeping
● Managing and maintaining linen (bed and table linens and uniforms).
● Operating the minibar
● Providing decorations and plants.
In short, housekeeping is responsible for the ambience in the hotel and, as a result, whether guests feel comfortable.
What is a Housekeeper?
The head housekeeper presides over this department. Depending on the size of the hotel, she is assisted by one or more assistants and chambermaids or roomboys. In larger hotels, other personnel are added, such as laundresses and gardeners. It is important that the housekeeper is in constant contact with the housekeeping department and all other departments.
Only the housekeeping department knows which rooms are due for repairs, when they are in use and when they are not.
Housekeeping departments
In small hotels, the housekeeper also rolls up her sleeves and helps out. Depending on the size of the hotel, she is responsible for the following departments:
● Housekeeping and housekeeping storage
● Gardening
● Flower room
● Laundry and laundry room
● Tailoring
● Housekeeping
● Lost and found
Housekeeping tasks
Housekeeping, apart from keeping the hotel clean, is also responsible for organizational tasks such as staff scheduling and hotel planning. One of the largest departments is the floor of a hotel. It includes guest rooms, hallways, public areas and staircases.
A housekeeping team is responsible for a wide range of tasks:
● Cleaning of public areas and rooms
● Ordering and maintenance of cleaning materials and equipment
● Staff training
At the same time, they must remain as inconspicuous as possible for the guests.
Why is good housekeeping so important?
The light bulb in the bathroom is burned out, the minibar is not fully stocked, and there is dust as thick as your finger on the TV. Even seemingly small things can make or break a hotel's success. After all, dissatisfied guests are unlikely to return to a hotel where they don't feel comfortable. To make sure that doesn't happen, the hotel employs a cleaning team that carries a lot of responsibility and usually works under very tight deadlines.
Efficiency in housekeeping
A professional housekeeping lady monitors the workload of the cleaning staff, is aware of the orderliness of the premises and plans the time and cleaning equipment accordingly, so that the hotel always meets the required hygiene standards. A perfectly managed hotel is the result of precise planning, teamwork and standardized procedures. The system enables experienced cleaning teams to work efficiently and new colleagues to quickly get to grips with the environment.
Planning and time management
This topic area includes staffing schedules, labor cost compliance and management, selection, procurement, storage and management of cleaning supplies, collaboration with cleaning contractors and laundries, and foreign language training for staff.
Standardized workflows
Classified cleaning equipment, cleaning protocols and cleaning schedules for each room ensure that staff always follow the same procedures. Once trained, cleaning teams will find that standardized procedures save time and improve quality.
Optimal equipment
There is a widespread belief that you can achieve a decent result with any cleaning cloths and detergents. However, professional cleaning equipment pays off both in terms of cleanliness and finances. With better equipment, cleaners can achieve hygienic cleanliness in less time and also use less detergent, which reduces costs.
Focus on teamwork
A strong, well-coordinated cleaning team and a good working atmosphere motivate employees and ensure excellent performance. When the team is properly assembled, colleagues are happy to pitch in on busy days and help other employees. A good induction for new cleaners and the use of experienced employees as mentors can promote teamwork, as new employees have a direct contact for questions about work, organization and personal matters.
Ideally, you should consider the staffing situation in the department at an early stage. Both when the hotel is full and in the off-season, the hotel management adjusts the number of employees accordingly. However, as guests nowadays increasingly want an early check-in and a late check-out, such unannounced reshuffles can lead to a time bottleneck. This is where jumpers can help staff get everything ready in time.
How can external experts promote optimization?
Modern housekeeping requires foresight and know-how. Even the smallest deviation, for example too long cleaning time or too little motivation of the staff, can seriously affect the hotel operation. At TourSol, we provide customized advice and develop practical, methodical and effective on-site training for hotel managers, executives and staff teams. A transparent, intensive and easy to understand concept that helps you to manage your area in the best possible way.
Advice on weak points
It often helps to have an outside perspective to identify weaknesses and offer suggestions for solutions. This applies not only to work processes and planning, but also to topics such as the use of environmentally friendly cleaning products for more sustainability in the hotel.
Microbiological cleaning and green cleaning are largely based on cleaning without the use of chemicals. Many hotels are switching to dry steam cleaners and modern rag and bucket cleaning methods, and are fully in line with the trend. The absence of chemicals not only reduces the risk of allergic reactions among staff and guests, but also protects the furnishings in the long term.
In such cases, consulting can often provide new impetus and achieve excellent results.
Employee training
Housekeeping is one of the most important departments in a hotel, but its work is often not sufficiently recognized. If you give your employees appreciation and attention and train them optimally, both the employees and the hotel and its guests will benefit.
This goes from housekeeping to creating lists based on usage and need, to using a housekeeping checklist and appropriate cleaning schedules. Staff training includes demonstrating effective and professional work procedures, learning how to use cleaning schedules and checklists, and discussing proper guest and privacy behavior.
Regular training is also important in housekeeping. Here, the chambermaids learn how to work professionally and with the guest in mind. After all, guest satisfaction is reflected in the hotel's ratings and that can be crucial to success. Here, too, experts can help increase bookings through targeted evaluation management.
Digital tools for a better overview and smooth processes
Although labor costs in the hotel industry are rising and staff turnover remains stubbornly high, hotel cleaning remains a top priority.
Digital tools make time-consuming tasks easier, such as scheduling janitorial services, monitoring maids and responding to changes in demand in real time. Here, employees wear mobile devices to communicate centrally during the shift and streamline tasks in real time. In short, hotel room cleaning schedule software speeds up cleaning operations and collects data to continuously improve efficiency. As a result, your hotel will be better organized than ever before.
Highlight unique selling points
A clean hotel with a homey atmosphere is appreciated by long-time regulars and new guests alike. And who stands out from the measure, remains positively in the memory.
Even small things can be decisive here. A beautifully packaged, sustainable care series with a fine fragrance in the bathroom, imaginative flower arrangements in the room and in the foyer, cuddly bathrobes and similar small attentions can sweeten the guests' stay in the hotel so that they keep it in fond memory and are happy to recommend it to others.
The TourSol recommendation
Housekeeping is a top priority for guests and for the hotel's reputation. People are happy to return to a smart, clean, well-run hotel. Proper maintenance also ensures the longevity of materials and equipment, which has a positive impact on the bottom line.
In this sense, the housekeeping team should not be seen as invisible brownies. Rather, they are valuable hotel employees who, although less present than the reception team or waiters, make an essential contribution behind the scenes. A good team makes guests feel they are in good hands.
The use of high-quality equipment and cleaning tools and intelligent management software not only makes this team's job easier, but also reduces costs. We at TourSol will ensure an increase in turnover in your hotel and will be at your side with advice and support. Let us advise you individually. We always have our finger on the pulse and find the solution for every problem.
