UNIT-01 ROLE OF

HOUSEKEEPING IN
HOSPITALITY OPERATION
THE AIM OF ALL HOTELS OR ESTABLISHMENTS THAT OFFER
ACCOMMODATION IS TO PROVIDE THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH CLEAN,
ATTRACTIVE, COMFORTABLE AND WELCOMING SURROUNDINGS THAT
OFFER VALUE TO MONEY.
• A survey carried out showed 63% travelers rated cleanliness and appearance
as their first priority in their choice of hotels. The housekeeping department
takes pride in keeping the hotel clean and comfortable so as to create a ‗home
away from home‘.
• Good housekeeping is considered as the backbone of accommodation sector as
its main aim is to provide a clean comfortable, safe and aesthetically appealing
environment.
• Housekeeping is an operational department of the hotel. It is responsible for
cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas
and surroundings.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

•  To achieve the maximum possible efficiency in ensuring the care and

comfort of the guests.
•  Establish a welcoming atmosphere and ensure courteous, reliable
service from all the staff of the department.
•  Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas
for which the department is responsible.
 Provide linen in rooms, food service areas etc and maintain an inventory for the
same.
 To provide uniforms for all the staff and maintain adequate inventory for the same.
 Cater to the laundry requirement, staff uniforms and guest clothing.
 Deal with the lost and found articles. This ensures the smooth running of the
department.
 To resist in the maintenance of the building while contributing to a safe and healthy
environment.
 To provide and maintain the floral decorations and landscaped areas of the hotel.
 To select the right contractor and ensure that the quality of work is maintained.
 To coordinate the renovation of the property as and when required in consultation with the
management and the interior designer.
 To coordinate with the purchase department of the guest supplies, cleaning agents,
equipments, linen, carpets and other items used in the hotel.
 To ensure training control and supervision of all staff attached to the department.
 To establish a good working relationship with other departments.
 To ensure that safety and security regulations are made known to all the staff of the
department.
 To keep the G.M and administrator informed of all matters requiring special attention
 AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY OF
HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
• Guestrooms / Floors: Room attendants and floor supervisors are responsible for the cleanliness
maintenance and security of guestrooms and surrounding areas.
• Public Areas: Front of the house areas (E.g. swimming pools, parking area, club, food service area etc.)
• Back of the house areas (E.g. Staff canteen, service elevator, locker rooms, administrative canteen,
laundry, linen rooms, basement, store except kitchen which is cleaned by the kitchen stewards)
• Linen and Uniform rooms: The housekeeping department is responsible for its functioning for the
repairs and renewal of linen and for maintenance of proper inventory and stock records of all linen
items. Linen includes room linen, food service linen, soft furnishings, uniforms, bed and bath linen.
• Laundry: OPL (On Premises Laundry): If the laundry is on premises then the guest laundry from the
rooms is directly collected and delivered by the laundry ballet. However all hotel linen is first collected in
the linen room and then sent to the laundry for washing. OPL (off premises laundry) is the laundry of
both the guest and linen
• Resident Guests: They are given their service by room attendance and they are not
charged for it. Some hotels have a shoeshine machine in the corridor.
• Florist: It could either be given out for contract or be a part of the responsibility of the
housekeeping department. An employee of the housekeeping department would be
required to do the flower arrangements in the lobby, guestrooms, restrooms,
restaurants. Any banquet requirements like a backdrop for a wedding are done on
contract.
• Extra Room Complimentary & Supplies: Iron, first-aid, hot water bags, ice bags,
thermometer, hair dryer etc are given out for guest use at no extra cost. However a
request for extra beds should be routed through the Front office since the guest would
be charged extra for it.
 LAYOUT OF HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

•  Housekeeping department should be in such place which is accessible to all the

employees.
•  Housekeeping department should be in that area which is at the back side of the hotel,
not disturbing any guests.
•  Housekeeping department should be in the ground floor which must be able to hold
heavy equipments.
•  Housekeeping department should be in such place which is away from general traffic.
•  Housekeeping department should be in the convenient place to keep the different
equipments used. The layout of the department indicates the different areas and
subdivisions in the department.
 THE LAYOUT OF THE DEPARTMENT DEPENDS
ON FOLLOWING FACTORS
•  Total number of Guestrooms
•  No. of outlets and banquets
•  Amount of manpower required
LAYOUT OF HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
 DIFFERENT SECTIONS IN HOUSEKEEPING
DEPARTMENT
• Executive Housekeeper's office: An Executive housekeeper has to plan,
counsel, brief and meets her subordinates. It should preferably be a glass
paneled office so as to give her / him a view of what is happening outside the
office. The office should be leaded by a cabin for the secretary who would control
movement into the house keeper's office.
• Desk control room: This room acts as a nerve system center for coordination
and communication with the front office and other departments. The desk
control room should have a large notice board to pin up staff schedules and day
to day instructions. The desk control room is the point where all staff report for
duty and check out at the duty end.
• Linen room: This is the room where current linens are stored for issue and receipt. The room
should be large airy and free from heat and humidity. It should have adequate shelves, easily
accessible to stack all linen. It should be secured and offer no possibilities of pilferage. The linen
room should have a counter, across which the exchange of linen takes place. The room should
preferably be adjoining the laundry so as to supply linen to and from the laundry.
• Linen room store: This room stores the stock of new linen & cloth materials for uniform, etc.
the stock maintained should be enough to replenish the whole hotel at a time. However, these
stocks are only touched when the current linen in circulation falls short due to shortage, damage
or loss. The room should be cool and dry with ample shelves, generally 6" above the ground.
• Uniform room: This room stocks the uniform in urgent use. It is possible that smaller hotel may
choose to combine the uniform room with the linen room. A separate uniform room really
depends upon the volume of uniforms in circulation. The only difference will be that the uniform
room would have adequate hanging facilities as many uniforms are best maintained when hung.
• Tailor's room: This room is kept for house tailors who attend to the stitching and patch-up work
of linen and uniforms. Room is avoided if the mending and the stitching jobs are done in contract
basis.
• Lost and found section; This section should be small and airy with cupboards to store guest
articles lost and may be claimed later.
• Flower room: This should be air conditioned room to keep flowers
fresh. The room should have work table, a sink with water supply and
all necessary tools required for flower arrangement.
• Laundry: This is an important section under housekeeping which is
responsible for cleaning of all fabrics used in hotel. The section should
be adjacent to linen room so as to avoid excessive steps. Laundry
should ensure the cleanness and drying of all guest clothes, employee
uniforms and linen to the best assured standard.
 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF
HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
• Organization is a process of identifying and grouping the work to be performed, defining and
delegating responsibility and authority ad establishing relationships for the purpose of enabling
people to work more effectively in accomplishing objectives.
• If the whole establishment has to work as one unit, it is important that there are clear lines of
authority and good lines of communication. The organizational structure of housekeeping
department – whether in a small, medium or large hotel – is depicted using an organization chart.
• An organization chart is a schematic representation of the relationship between position within an
establishment, showing where each position fits into the overall organization and illustrating the
division of responsibility and lines of authority.
• The organizational structure of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the activities and
the size of the hotel. The charts below show the organizational of structure of the large and medium
sized hotels. In the small hotels one or more jobs are integrated and handled by the few
housekeeping personnel‘s.
 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
•
HOUSEKEEPING
EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER Job Purpose Reporting to the Rooms Division Manager, the Executive Housekeeper
contributes to guest comfort and ensures the daily cleaning and tidying of all the hotel bedrooms and any public
areas. He/she also monitors the financial performance of the Housekeeping department operation and the
efficiency of the linen service.‘
Key Responsibilities Customer Focus
•  To implement the consistent delivery of superior customer service through the Customer Service Program.
•  To ensure that the department creates a professional impression to customers and team members.
•  To review and act on Customer Service Reports relevant to your areas of responsibility to achieve positive and
consistent results.
•  To review and act on customer feedback relevant to your areas of responsibility. This to include customer
complaints and compliments.
•  To ensure routine maintenance is carried out in your areas of responsibility, reporting any damage and wear
and tear, ensuring bedroom faults are rectified promptly.
•  To organize and set up on-going deep clean schedules. Business Awareness
•  To be fully aware of budgeted and actual departmental financial targets.
• This to include revenue, stock levels, average spends and departmental profits.
•  To be fully aware of departmental budgeted and actual payroll costs and manage by allocating labor
resources in line with forecasted and actual business levels, through productivity ratios and payroll
management.
•  To be fully aware of and control departmental operating costs in line with forecasted business levels.
•  To control all linen stocks and levels, ensuring linen costs are controlled in accordance with hotel
procedures.
•  To assist with the control of purchasing in department by effective use of S.A.P. Specific Job Accountabilities
•  To ensure efficient stores procedures, ensuring cleaning materials and guest supplies are adequate and
stock levels in accordance with hotel business.
•  To carry out stock takes as required.
•  To ensure all charges are raised for laundry and dry cleaning services, where appropriate.
•  To assist with the preparation of Housekeeping budgets.
•  To update price comparisons of all Housekeeping sundry items.
•  To maintain good effective working relationships with linen/laundry suppliers where appropriate. Growing
the Business
•  To positively approach sales opportunities in order to maximize hotels revenue and exceed budgeted
targets.
•  To suggest promotional opportunities to enhance hotel and department performance.
 ASSISTANT HOUSEKEEPER

• Job Purpose To contribute to guest comfort and ensure the daily cleaning and tidying of all the hotel bedrooms
and any public areas. To also monitor the operation efficiency of the linen service
• Entry Requirements Skills
•  Attention to detail: working carefully within the minimum time
•  Team working
•  The ability to take the initiative
•  Good physical resilience
•  Organisation and thoroughness: preparing bedrooms in the minimum length of time whilst respecting internal
hotel procedures
•  Discretion: not disturbing guests Qualifications
•  Significant experience in Housekeeping
•  Fluency in a second language would be an advantage
 HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR

Floor supervisor/Public area supervisor

• Reports to: Deputy Housekeeper
• Directly supervise: Housekeeping employees allotted to her area of
Activity
• Coordinates with: Front office, maintenance department, desk
supervisor, laundry and linen room supervisor
• Scope of the job: Responsible for keeping her entire area of
responsibility clean, maintenance free and ensuring a high level of service
 LAUNDRY SUPERVISOR

• He/she is in charge of the functioning of the laundry in the absence of laundry

manager. He must have the knowledge of all the aspects of the laundry
equipment, chemicals and fabrics.
• Specific responsibilities (Uniform Room Supervisor):The uniform room
supervisor reports to the assistant housekeeper. He/ she is responsible for
maintenance of hotel staff uniforms. His/her duties are:-
•  Responsible for providing clean, serviceable uniforms to the staff.
•  Keep an inventory control of various uniforms in various stages of use
•  Set budget for procurement of uniforms and materials required for uniform
 ROOM/PUBLIC AREA ATTENDANT
• Scope: To provide a high cleaning standard in guest rooms, corridors, pantries and staircases assigned
• Specific responsibilities (Room attendant)
•  Cleaning of a given number of rooms.
•  Provide a high level of service standards
•  Interacts with guests and personnel of the hotel in an efficient and friendly manner
•  Follow periodical cleaning schedules
•  Responsible for equipping all rooms with linen, amenities in the guest rooms
•  Use proper cleaning products
•  Reports maintenance complaints to the desk and floor supervisor
•  Reports any loss or damage
•  Maintain high level of hygiene
•  Afternoon shift (responsible for turn down service and late checkouts)
 HEAD HOUSE PERSON

• He /she reports to the public area supervisor. His/her duties are:-

•  Supervises work allotted to the housemen in public areas.
•  Supervise work of people who clean carpets, wall washers, and
window washers.
•  Supervise work of chandelier cleaners, vacuum cleaning machine
operators.
 HOUSE PERSONS

• They report to the head house persons or the public area supervisor. His/her duties
are:-
•  Shift furniture in public areas.
•  Clear the garbage‘s.
•  Polish all brassware in public areas
•  Clean all doors, windows and ventilators.
•  Clean fire fighting equipments.
•  Clean the shafts and terraces.
•  Clean chandeliers, draperies and other hard to reach areas in public areas.
LINEN ROOM ATTENDANT/ LINEN ROOM MAID

• Linen room attendants report to linen room supervisor. His/her duties are:-
•  Stacking sheets, pillowcases, towels, tablecloths, napkins in different stacks.
•  Issue clean linen on clean- for- soiled basis.
•  Place soiled linen in containers and send these to laundry.
•  Examine and counts each linen item when sends to laundry and again on
return.
•  Send torn articles to seamstress for repair.
•  Maintain proper records of discards and determine percentage of discards.
 UNIFORM ROOM ATTENDANT

A uniform room attendant reports to uniform room supervisor. His/her duties

are:
 Issue clean uniforms while receiving soiled ones
 Send soiled uniforms for laundering.
 Send torn uniforms to seamstress for mending.
 Keep count of uniforms.
 Shelve laundered uniforms after verifying types of articles.
 Count and record linen.
 STOREKEEPER

A storekeeper reports to senior floor or linen room supervisor. His/her

duties are:-
 Control the stock of equipment
 Issue equipment and cleaning materials as per demand.
 Prepare requisitions for materials required.
 Coordinate with purchase department for procurement of approved
materials.
 TAILORS, SEAMSTRESS AND UPHOLSTERERS

• They report to the Linen Room Supervisor. His/her duties are:-

•  Mending and stitching uniforms, linen, upholstery etc.
•  Alteration of uniforms if required.
•  Refurnish all damaged upholstery.
•  Repair guest clothes if required.
•  Calculate materials required for uniforms and upholstery and
purchase accordingly.
 HORTICULTURIST

• Many large hotels have their own horticulturist, who report to assistant
housekeeper. He / she leads a team of gardener in maintaining
landscaped gardens of the hotel as well as in supplying flowers from
gardens for flower arrangements in the hotels. Flowers are used largely
to enhance aesthetic appeal of various areas of the hotel.
 HEAD GARDENER

• He reports to the horticulturist and maintains landscaped areas and

gardens in the hotel. His/her duties are:-
•  Brief, schedule, and allot duties.
•  Purchase plant seeds, plantings.
•  Purchase and supervise usage of manure and fertilizers.
•  Maintain watering schedules of plants and attend problems regarding
watering schedules.
 GARDENERS

• Gardeners report to the head gardener or the horticulturist. They keep

landscaped areas, lawns and gardens clean and aesthetically beautiful.
His/her duties are:-
•  Dig landscaped areas and maintain them.
•  Plant saplings and seeds
•  Water gardens as per schedules.
•  Maintain plant nursery and green house.
•  Prepare potted flowers and potted plants
 FLORIST

• Florists employ their own florist. Providing attractive flower arrangements for the entire hotel
is their responsibility. They report to the horticulturist . His/her duties are:-
•  Collect fresh flowers from gardeners every day.
•  Purchase flowers from dealers.
•  Prepare different flower arrangements for different areas- lobbies, front office, restaurants,
guestrooms, banquet halls etc.
•  Treat cut flowers so that they last longer.
•  Maintain flower arrangements by changing water, etc .
•  Responsible for flower arranging equipments and equipments, accessories etc.
•  Train the assistant florist.
 LAUNDRY MANAGER

• He/she is in charge of the laundry and Laundry Manager reports to the

Director of housekeeping. He/she is responsible for entire functioning of
laundry and dry cleaning unit. He /she should have good knowledge of
fabrics and chemicals and laundry machines. Dry cleaner and washers:
He/ she is in charge of dry cleaning of the hotel linen and guest
clothing and washer does the laundering of the linen, uniforms and
guest clothing.
 LAUNDRY WORKERS

• They are the staff of laundry who perform following duties;-

•  Spot stained fabrics before loading them into washing machines.
•  Load soiled linen into washing machines, feed in the right amount of detergent and
other laundering chemicals.
•  Load washed linen into dryers.
•  Clean equipments after use.
•  Sort soiled linen according to fabric types, colors, degree of soiling.
•  Transport soiled linen from linen room to laundry and fresh linen from laundry to
linen room.
 VALET/ RUNNERS

• Valet service‖ means that they take care of guest laundry.

• They report to the linen room supervisor.
• They are responsible for collecting soiled guest laundry and delivering
fresh guest laundry.
SUMMARY

The success of the hotels depends solely on their staffs. For providing
excellent and quality service, lot of effort has to be made towards
organizing and training the housekeeping staffs. The largest work force
of the hotel is in the housekeeping department. The organizational
structure of the housekeeping department mainly depends on the
activities and the size of the hotel. Generally, the housekeeping
department shall have staffs like Executive Housekeeper, Assistant
Housekeeper, Uniform Room Supervisor, Uniform Room Attendants, Linen
Room Supervisors, Linen Room Attendants, Tailor / Seamstress, Helpers,
Floor Supervisor, Public Area Supervisor, Room Attendants, Head
Houseman, Desk Control.
CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

• Q1. Write short notes about the importance of housekeeping.

• Q2. What are the duties and responsibilities of a Public Area
Supervisor?
• Q3. Name some important positions in the Housekeeping Department.
KEY TERMS

• Hierarchy Categorization of a group of people according to ability or status Mending Clothes and other
articles that must be repaired
• Corridors A narrow hallway, passageway, or gallery, often with rooms or apartments opening onto it.
• Arcade A series of arches supported by columns, piers, or pillars, either freestanding or attached to a wall to
form a gallery
• Mopping Applying hot bitumen with a mop or mechanical applicator on the felt of a built-up roof membrane,
on a roof-deck, or the like.
• Perfumeries A substance that emits and diffuses a fragrant odor, especially a volatile liquid distilled from
flowers or prepared synthetically
• Lobbies A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside.
• Upholstery Fabric, stuffing, and other materials used in upholstering
• Napkins A piece of cloth or absorbent paper used at table to protect the clothes or wipe the lips and fingers.
• Synergetic Working together toward a common end.