ACCOMMODATION MANAGEMENT

1.2. Duties of Accommodation Staff

In a hotel it is generally accepted that a Head Housekeeper is one who supervises three or more assistant Housekeeper. The housekeeper may be responsible for the following members of staff.
RUTH NECHESA (TSNP) ruth.nechesa87@gmail.com 4
Assistant Housekeeper (floor housekeepers or floor supervisors)
Supervises the maids and carry out work delegated by the housekeeper while the total number will vary according to the type of hotel; a general rule is one assistant housekeeper for 50 rooms
Room maids
Are responsible for the servicing of the guests’ bedrooms, private sitting rooms and often private bathrooms and are also on call for service to guests. A maid may be expected to service 10-15 rooms in an eight-hour shift e.g. 7 am to 3 pm or 8 am to 4 pm
Staff maids
Clean the rooms of the living-in staff
Cleaners
Are usually part-time whose job is to clean offices, public rooms, bathrooms & ladies cloakrooms. In some hotels, this work can be done by full-time housemaids or corridor maids
There are firms which undertake contract cleaning and some hotels use this service although the housekeeper still ‘vets’ the work
Linen keeper
Supervises the work of the line room and who may have several linen maids to assist her in providing clean, presentable linen throughout the building
Cloakroom attendant
Looks after the ladies’ powder room
House porters
They work consists of the removal of rubbish, the shifting of furniture, heavy vacuum cleaning and other odd jobs
Valets
Usually work only in first-class hotels and are responsible for the valeting of the clothes of the guests and may combine this with some of the less dirty jobs of the house porter
He may be a member of the uniformed staff
A florist
May be one of the housekeeping staff, but in some hotels the housekeeper or her assistants may arrange the flowers and in others there may be contract arrangement.
The Aims of Housekeeper
 Achieve the maximum efficiency in the care and comfort of the guests and in the smooth running of the department
 Establish a welcoming atmosphere and a courteous, reliable service from all staff of the department
 Ensure high standards of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas for which she is responsible
 Train, control and supervise all staff attached to the department
 Establish a good working relationship with other departments
RUTH NECHESA (TSNP) ruth.nechesa87@gmail.com 5
 Ensure that safety and security regulations are made known to all staff of the department Keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters requiring attraction
Responsibilities of Housekeeper
The housekeeper has the following responsibilities:
 Co-operation with other departments
 Engagement, dismissal and welfare of staff
 Deployment, supervision, control and training of staff
 Compilation of duty rosters, holiday lists and wage sheets
 Checking the cleanliness of all areas for which she is responsible
 Completion and/or checking of room occupancy lists
 Dealing with guests’ complaints and requests
 Reporting and checking of all maintenance work
 Control and supervision of the work of the linen room and possibly an in-building laundry
 Dealing with lost property
 Control of all keys in the department
 Prevention of fire and other accidents in the department
 Ordering and control of stores, equipment, cleaning agents in the department
 Being willing to advise on the interior design of the rooms, cleaning and associated contracts
 Pest control
 Keeping inventories and records of equipment, redecoration and any other relevant details of the department
 Floral decorations