1st Semester Accommodation Operations – UNIT 2.

4 [BHM1114]

Duties & Responsibility of Housekeeping Staff

Executive Housekeeper / Director of Housekeeping

She / He is responsible and accountable for the total cleanliness and
aesthetic upkeep of the hotel. The EHK supervises all housekeeping
employees, has the authority to hire or discharge subordinates, plans
and assigns work assignments, informs new employees of property
regulations, inspects completed assignments, and requisitions
supplies.
Reports to – The General Manager, or Resident Manager, or Room’s
Division manager.
Duties and Responsibilities-
• Organize, supervise, and coordinate the work of housekeeping
personnel on a day-to-day basis.
• Ensure excellence in housekeeping sanitation, safety, comfort,
and aesthetics for hotel guests.
• Draw up duty rosters
• Supervise the discipline and conduct of her staff.
• Assure proper communication within the department by
conducting a regular meeting with all personnel.
• Hire new employees, warn employees when policies are
violated, and discharge employees when necessary.
• Counsel employees on various duties and on work-related
issues.
• Motivate her staff and keep their morale high.
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOP) for
cleaning and to initiate new procedures to increase the
efficiency of labor and product use.
• Search constantly for and test new techniques and products.

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• Maintain an inventory of the furniture, linen, and movable

equipment in the rooms and related premises and to ensure
they are regularly checked.
• Organize maintenance and repair of guestrooms.
• Deal with articles that a guest may have left behind in a room.
• Ensure the provision of proper uniforms for the hotel staff.
• Ensure observance of hygiene and safety precautions.
• Offer suggestions to the human resource department
concerning selection recruitment, replacement, duty
alterations, up-gradation, and so on.
• Evaluate employees in order to upgrade them when openings
arise.
• Organize and supervise on-the-job and off-the-job training of
staff.
• Liaise between the maintenance and housekeeping
departments.
• Inspect and approve all supply requisitions for the housekeeping
department, and to maintain par stock, inventory control, and
cost-control procedures for all materials.
• Check the reports filed and the registers maintained.
• Maintain a time logbook for all employees within the
department.
• Be responsible for the redecoration and refurbishing of rooms,
lobbies, and so on.
• Provide a budget to the management, and undertake budget
control and forecasting.

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Deputy Housekeeper
Reports to – The Executive Housekeeper or Director of Housekeeping.
Duties and Responsibilities-
• Check and ensure that all guestrooms, public areas, and ‘back-
of-the-house’ areas are clean and well-maintained.
• Inspect the work done by contractors-for example, pest control,
laundry, window cleaning, and so on.
• Prepare staff schedules and duty rotas/ roasters.
• Ensure periodical stock-taking and maintaining stock records for
linen, uniforms, and equipment.
• Provide the necessary information to and assist the executive
housekeeper in staff appraisal, disciplining termination, and
promotion.
• Develop and implement training programs within the
housekeeping department in consultation with the executive
housekeeper.
• Assist the executive housekeeper in forecasting and budgeting
for operating and capital expenditures.
• Take charge of the housekeeping department in the absence of
the executive housekeeper.

Assistant Housekeeper
Reports to – The Executive Housekeeper or Deputy Housekeeper (if
this position exists in the organization).
Duties and Responsibilities-
• Be responsible for the sufficient and orderly management of
cleaning, servicing, and repairing of guestrooms.
• Be responsible for the hotel linen and check its movements and
its distribution to room attendants.

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• Keep an inventory of all housekeeping supplies and check it

regularly.
• Assist the room attendants in their daily difficulties.
• Provide the front office with a list of rooms ready for allotment
to guests.
• Organize the flower arrangements.
• Arrange the training of staff and substitute for the executive
housekeeper in case of his/her absence.
• Update record books, registers, and files.
• Compile the maid’s roster.
• Check the VIP and OOO (out-of-order)

Note— There may be just one assistant housekeeper under the

executive housekeeper in a medium-sized hotel or one for each shift
in a large hotel. In large hotels, the responsibilities for the floors,
public areas, linen room, and control room are divided among
assistant housekeepers. Essentially, the assistant housekeeper
manages the resources provided by the executive housekeeper to
achieve the objectives of cleanliness, maintenance, and attractiveness
during a given shift. His/her responsibility involves the daily
supervision of specific areas within the hotel. In the absence of the
deputy housekeeper, all the above-mentioned duties and
responsibilities are taken over by the assistant housekeeper.

Floor Supervisors /Floor Housekeepers

Floor housekeepers have final responsibility for the condition of
guestrooms. Each floor housekeeper is assigned three or more floors.
She/he gives the room attendants their room assignments and the
floor master keys, which are returned at the end of the day. The floor
supervisor checks, supervises, and approves the attendants’ work and

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makes periodical inspection of the physical condition of all rooms on

the floor.
Reports to – The Assistant Housekeeper and Executive Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities-
• Supervise the handing over of soiled linen to the laundry and
the requisitioning of fresh ones from housekeeping.
• Ensure the supply of equipment and maintenance and cleaning
supplies to floors and public areas.
• Issue floor keys to room attendants.
• Supervise spring cleaning.
• Report on maintenance work on her floor.
• Coordinate with room service for clearing.
• Maintain par stock for the respective floors/ floor pantry.
• Coordinate with the front office manager.
• Facilitate the provision of extra services to guests, such as baby
sitters, hot-water bottles, and so on, on request.
• Immediately report any safety or security hazard to the security
department or to the management.
• Check on scanty baggage.
• Prepare housekeeping status reports.
• Supervise cleaning on the allotted floors and areas- including
guestrooms, corridors, staircases, and floor pantries of the
allotted floors.
• Report on standards of individual staff performance.

Public Area Supervisor

Reports to- The Assistant Housekeeper.

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Duties and Responsibilities-

• Ensure that all public areas and other functional areas are kept
clean at all times.
• Organize special cleaning of public areas.
• Ensure that all maintenance jobs are attended to in
coordination with the maintenance department.
• Ensure that flower arrangements are placed in appropriate
places in the public areas.
• Ensure that the banquet halls and conference halls are kept
ready for functions and conferences.

Night Supervisor
Reports to – The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities-
• He supervises all night staff engaged in the cleaning of public
areas and guestrooms in the hotel.
• Ensure that all public areas are thoroughly cleaned at night,
which is the only time when traffic is low.
• Clear departure rooms to the front office if necessary.
• Plan the order of work according to priority and direct the staff
accordingly.
• Make sure that departure rooms are serviced and made ready
as soon as possible in order that reception may re-let at any
time.
• Organize special cleaning of rooms as required.
• Anticipate guest’ requirements at all times, thereby ensuring
comfort and satisfaction.
• See that all lost-found articles are deposited with the control
desk.

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• Ensure the submission of room attendants’ reports and the

room status report.
• Help with the training of staff.
• Report any safety and security hazards.

Evening Shift Supervisor

Evening shift supervisors are required for the floors, public areas, and
control room.
Report to- The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and Responsibilities -
• Check all log entries and ensure they are followed up.
• Ensure all keys are deposited back before taking over the shift.
• Ensure the cleaning of rooms that were not serviced in the
morning- rooms with a ‘do not disturb’ (DND), double-locked
(DL), or refused service status.
• Ensure all departure rooms are cleaned and released to the
front office as soon as possible.
• Ensure that the turndown service is carried out for all rooms.
• Ensure public areas are kept clean at all times.

Storekeeper
A storekeeper reports to the linen room supervisor. In large hotels, a
storekeeper may be appointed to a full-time position.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Control the stock of equipment.
• Store cleaning materials agents.
• Issue equipment and cleaning materials as per demand.

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• Prepare requisitions for used-up materials and new products for

the approval of the executive housekeeper
• Liaise with the purchasing department for the procurement of
approved materials.

Control desk supervisor

The control room or desk is the nerve centre of the housekeeping
department. The desk is manned 24 hours a day. Since the control
desk is the hub of information dissemination in housekeeping, the
control desk supervisor is a critical person in housekeeping
operations.
Reports to – The Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and responsibilities-
• Coordinate with the front office for information on departure
rooms and handing over of clean rooms.
• Coordinate with other departments for smooth functioning and
efficiency.
• Receive complaints on maintenance and housekeeping.
• Maintains registers kept at the control desk.
• Receive special requests from guests.
• Act as a pivotal person in receiving and disseminating
information amongst housekeeping staff.
• Maintain the latest reports regarding room occupancy, VIPs, the
status of rooms, and so on, so that work can be delegated to
attendants and supervisors accordingly.
• Attend to all phone calls received at the control desk.
• Be responsible for guestroom keys given to room attendants
and to store the keys and maintain a key register.

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Guestroom Attendants/ Room Maids/ Chamber Maids

Generally, hotels employ one maid per 12-15 rooms. The room
attendants’/maids’ work is of great importance because it contributes
in a big way to the comfort of the guests and hence their impression
of the hotel. Their day consists of servicing each room to the required
standard of the hotel, and this includes making beds, coping with
linen supplies, and general cleaning. Nowadays most hotels use the
term “attendant’ rather than ‘maid’ since men have entered this
arena earlier dominated by a woman.
Reports to – The Floor Supervisor. In small hotels, they may report to
the assistant housekeeper directly.
Duties and responsibilities-
• Clean and tidy rooms as per the sanitary regulations assigned.
• Change guestroom and bathroom linen.
• Make guest room beds.
• Replenish guest supplies.
• Answer guests’ summons promptly.
• Be responsible for getting guest laundry processed.
• Undertake the evening and provide the turn-down service.
• Check and secure rooms.
• Hand over to the housekeeper any article found.
• Replenish the maids’ cart with guest supplies, cleaning agents,
and linen.

Head House person

Reports to – The Public Area Supervisor. In some organizations,
he/she may report directly to the executive housekeeper or assistant
housekeeper and is in charge of the housemen/house-persons.

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Duties and responsibilities:

• Supervise the work allotted to house-persons, especially those
in the public areas.
• Supervise the work of people who clean the carpets, wall
washers, and window washers.
• Supervise the work of drapery men, heavy vacuum machine
operators for general cleaning, chandelier cleaners, and workers
responsible for revamping.
• Supervise the work of furniture men, floor men, and
warehousemen.

Houseporters/ Housepersons/ Houseman

The house person’s job involves heavy physical work as assigned, such
as carpet cleaning, window cleaning, carrying heavy pieces of
furniture, washing public areas, garbage clearance, and also
complementing the work of room attendants on guest floors.
Reports to - The Head House-person or The Public Area Supervisor.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Clean carpets
• Shift beds, chairs, and other heavy furniture.
• Cart linen to and from floors.
• Clean the swimming pools. garden paths and such outdoor
surfaces
• Clear out the garbage.
• Polish all brassware.
• Help room attendants in their work in guestrooms.
• Clean all doors, windows, and ventilators.
• Corridor cleaning
• Cleaning the floor pantry

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• Takedown and re-hang curtains as needed.

• Clean fire-fighting equipment.
• Keep the fire buckets filled with sand.
• Take on heavy cleaning of areas such as shafts and terraces.
• Wash walls draperies, chandeliers, and other hard-to-reach
areas.

Tailors, Seamstresses, and Upholsterers

They are responsible for mending and stitching uniforms, linen, and
upholstery, respectively. The upholsterers also replenish upholstery
that requires replacement.
Report to - The Linen Room Supervisor.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Mend all damaged linen using methods such as patching.
• Make new uniforms for staff
• Mend all damaged uniforms and alter uniforms if required.
• Make pads from used mattress pads for the burnishing of silver.
• Stitch pillowcases if required.
• Refurnish all damaged upholstery.
• Estimate the requirement of materials and request the linen
room supervisor to place a requisition at the stores.
• Draw material from the stores and take these to the tailoring
room.

Note – A seamstress works under a tailor and does minor stitching,

repairs, etc.

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Cloakroom Attendant/ Powder Room Attendant

In a hotel that hosts many non-resident guests, it is usual to have
someone on duty in a ladies’ powder room during lunch and dinner
time to attend to the requirements of guests, guard their belongings,
and keep them for the powder room neat and tidy.
Reports to – The Public Area Supervisor.
Duties and responsibilities:
• Maintain the area clean at all times
• Maintain an adequate stock of soaps, detergents, combs,
brushes, powder, and hand towels to meet demands at peak
hours.
• Take soiled linen to meet demands at peak hours.
• Maintain the shoeshine kit and clean guests’ shoes if required.
• Maintain the shoe shine machine kept in the public area
cloakroom
• Maintain all cupboards and fixtures installed in the cloakroom.
• Brush guests’ jackets if required.

Hat checker
A hat checker provides his services in superior hotels in cold climates.
His domain is the hat check room, where hats and heavy overcoats
are deposited by guest as soon as they enter the hotel lobby, so as to
spare them the inconvenience of carrying these articles around in the
hotel. The hat checker carefully labels the guest articles and hangs or
stores them correctly so as to return them to the guest when they are
leaving the hotel.

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Horticulturist
She/he leads a team of gardeners in maintaining the landscape,
gardens of the hotel as well as in supplying flowers from the gardens
for flower arrangements in the hotel. Flowers are used largely by the
house-keeping department to aesthetically enhance various areas of
the hotel. Flower arrangements may be used in banquet functions,
guest rooms, restaurants, lobby areas, offices, and so on.
Reports to – The Asst. House-Keeper.
Duties & responsibilities-
• Supervise the maintenance of gardens & landscape areas.
• Ensure a smooth supply of flowers/ foliage to the housekeeping
department.
• Assist the executive house-keepers with flower arrangements in
the absence of a florist.

Head Gardener
He is required to maintain landscape areas& gardens in a hotel,
keeping in mind their cleanliness, aesthetic appeal & freshness all
year-round through a well-motivated team of gardeners.
Reports to – The Horticulturist/ Horticulture Manager
Duties & responsibilities -
• Ensure that landscaped area, gardens, rock gardens, water base,
etc. are maintained as per the original concept
• Brief schedule & allot duties to gardeners.
• Take care of fresh seasonal plantings. Procure quality seeds
from reliable sources at a reasonable cost.
• Procure, control & supervise the usage manure & fertilizers.

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• Maintain the watering schedules & attend to any problems

regarding water shortages.
• Provide the hotel with flowers, garlands, and wreaths,
bouquets, as & when required.
• Maintain indoor plants for the hotel.
• Supervise the maintenance of lawns, mowing, & replanting the
grass.
• Train gardeners
• Ensure that gardeners handle equipment & tools effectively &
correctly.
• Oversee the upkeep of the plants & greenhouse.

Gardeners
They keep landscaped areas lawns, & gardens clean, beautiful, & fresh
through the daily schedule of the task assigned to them.
Report to – The Head Gardener or Horticulturist.
Duties & responsibilities -
• Take care of landscaped areas & maintain them as per the
original concept & undertake fresh plantings.
• Plant seeds & saplings as per conditions & the landscaping
concept.
• Distribute manure & fertilizer appropriately.
• Water all garden areas as scheduled.
• Maintain the plant nursery & the greenhouse,
• Prune & trim hedges & bushes.
• Prepare seasonal and evergreen potted indoor plants as
required by the hotels.
• Utilize garden tools efficiently.

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Florist
Reports to – The Horticulturist or to the Assistant Housekeeper.
Duties and responsibilities-
• Collect fresh flowers from the gardeners every day.
• In case flowers are not available from the hotel gardens, to
purchase flowers from dealers.
• Make up various types of flower arrangements for different
hotel areas-lobbies, front office, restaurants, banquet halls,
convention rooms, VIP rooms, and guestrooms.
• Provide garlands, wreaths, and bouquets to the hotel for guests,
as and when required.
• Treat cut flowers so that they last longer.
• Maintain flower arrangements-by changing water, pruning, and
so on.
• Be responsible for the functioning of the flower room in the
housekeeping department, which deals with the care of flower-
arranging equipment, mechanics, accessories.
• Train the assistant florist.

Laundry Manager
Reports to – Executive House Keeper.
He/she is responsible for the entire functioning of the laundry and
dry-cleaning unit. A laundry manager must have the organizational
ability as well as technical knowledge of chemicals and their effect on
fabrics.

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Laundry supervisor
He/she is in charge of the functioning of the laundry in the absence of
the laundry manager. A laundry supervisor must have a good
understanding of all aspects of the laundry equipment, chemicals, and
fabrics.

Dry-Cleaner
The dry-cleaner is in charge of the dry cleaning of hotel linen and
guest clothing.

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