Welcome to

managing
Accommodation
operation ii
Date :7th July 2025
 Unit - I

The Housekeeping Department

 Unit - I
introduction

The aim of all accommodation

establishments is to provide their
customers with clean, attractive,
comfortable, and welcoming
surroundings that offer value for
money

Nothing sends a stronger message

than cleanliness in a hospitality
operation
1. Both management and guests consider the keeping of the place
clean and in a good order a necessity for a hotel to command a fair
price and get repeat business.
2. This was evident in a survey carried out by Market Facts for the
company Procter & Gamble, in which 63% of travellers rated
cleanliness and appearance as the first priority in their quest for
hotels
3. Housekeeping may be defined as 'provision of a clean, comfortable,
safe and aesthetically appealing environment’
1. By another definition, ‘housekeeping is an operational department
in a hotel, which is responsible for cleanliness, maintenance,
aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas and the
surroundings.
2. A hotel survives on the sale of rooms, food, beverages, and other
minor services such as the laundry, health club, and so on
3. The sale of rooms constitutes a minimum of 50 percent of these
sales
4. Thus, the major part of a hotel’s margin of profit comes from room
sales, because a room once sold can be sold over and over again
1. The effort that a housekeeping department makes in giving a guest a
desirable room has a direct bearing on the guest’s experience in a
hotel
2. Guestrooms are the heart of the hotel
3. Unless its décor is appropriate, the air odour-free, and furnishings
and upholstery spotless clean, the hotel may lose the guest as a
potential repeat customer
1. The housekeeping department not only prepares clean guestrooms
on a timely basis for arriving guests, but also cleans and maintains
everything in the hotel so that the property is as fresh and attractive
as the day it opened for business
2. Housekeeping, thus, is an ancillary department that contributes in a
big way towards the overall reputation of a property
1. It is rightly said that housekeeping is a 24 x 7 x 365 operation
2. Imagine the stacks of linen needed to make up all the beds in a
hotel
3. the huge amounts of bath soap, tissue, and other amenities such as
shampoos, colognes, and so on that must be placed in the
guestrooms
4. the miles of carpeting, floors, walls, and ceilings to be cleaned and
maintained
5. the countless pieces of furniture that must be dusted and polished,
and the barrels of cleaning compounds along with special tools and
equipment needed in order to clean these
Responsibilities of H/K Dept
"
 Aims &Ojectives

1. To achieve the maximum efficiency in ensuring the care and comfort

of guests & in the smooth functioning of the department
2. To establish a welcoming atmosphere
3. To ensure courteousness, reliable service from all staff to the guest
4. To ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas
for which the department is responsible
 Responsibilities of H/K Dept

1. To provide linen in rooms, restaurants, banquet halls, conference halls,

health clubs etc, as well as to maintain an inventory for the same
2. To provide uniforms for all the staff & maintain inventory for the same
3. To Cater to the laundering requirements of hotel linen, staff uniforms,
and guests
4. To provide & maintain the floral decorations and to maintain the
landscaped areas of the hotel
5. To select the right contractors & ensure the quality of work is
maintained
6. To co-ordinate renovation and refurnishing of the property in
consultation with the management & with interior designers
 Responsibilities of H/K Dept

1. To co-ordinate with the purchase department for the procurement of

guest supplies, cleaning agents, equipments, fabrics, carpets, & other
items used in the hotel
2. To deal with lost & found articles
3. To ensure training, control and supervision of all housekeeping staff
4. To establish a good working relationship with other departments
 Responsibilities of H/K Dept

1. To ensure that safety & security regulations are made known to all staff
of the department
2. Carpet shampooing
3. Dealing with any guest queries, complaints & requests as they occur
4. To keep the general manager or administrator informed of all matters
requiring attention
 Responsibilities of H/K Dept

1. Other than hotels, professional housekeeping services are very much in

demand in hospitals, on cruise liners, at offices, and more
2. Since most such organizations prefer to outsource these functions ,
contract housekeeping is becoming a lucrative entrepreneurship
venture these days
 "AREAS UNDER THE PURVIEW OF
HOUSEKEEPING
"
1. Front of the house areas

2. Back of the house areas

"Front of the House Areas
"
"Front of the House Areas
"
"Front of the House Areas
"
"Front of the House Areas
"
 "Front of the House areas"

1. Guestrooms
2. Corridors
3. Lobbies & public restrooms
4. Pool and patio areas
5. Meeting rooms
6. Dining rooms/restaurants
7. Banquets Halls
 "Front of the House areas"

1. Convention Halls
2. Hotel-operated shops
3. Recreation rooms (Games
rooms)
4. Gymnasium rooms
5. Building exterior
6. Landscaping & gardens
"Back of the House Areas
"
"Back of the House Areas
"
 "Back of the house areas"

1. Management offices
2. Storage areas
3. Linen & sewing rooms
4. Laundry room
5. Employee locker rooms
6. Administrative offices
7. Cloakrooms
8. Maid’s service room
 “The organization chart"

 Organization refers to the structuring of the departments

staff so that all work is finished on time.
 In housekeeping ‘organization’ refers to the Executive
Housekeepers responsibility to structure the departments
staff in such a way that all work is completed within time.
 The organization chart provides a clear picture of the lines
of authority and channels within the department
 “Principles of Organization structure"

1. Every employee should have only one supervisor

2. Supervisors should have authority and necessary
information to guide
Organization chart :Provided for systematic direction of order
-Reporting & communication Channel
 “housekeeping personnel"

Housekeeping staff can be divided into three categories:

Managerial: Executive housekeeper, head housekeeper, corporate

housekeeper, director of housekeeping
Supervisory : Assistant housekeeper, floor housekeeper, linen room
supervisor, public area supervisor, and so on.
Semi-skilled and Unskilled: Guestroom associates, public area associates,
housemen, etc.
“Organization Chart of small hotel"
“Organization Chart of Medium -sized hotel"
“Organization Chart of Chain hotel"
“Organization Chart of Large hotel"
 “personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
Housekeeping management personnel must be extremely detail-oriented to be effective at their job. From
organizing various household items to ensuring that floors and windows are scrubbed clean and left streak less,
these professionals need a keen eye for detail to successfully perform their duties.

Personality Traits
Personnel attributes of housekeeping staff in the hospitality industry play an important role. It enhances the
image of the property as well as the quality of personalization that only humans can give. We base these
attributes on the following term.
“personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
 “personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
1. Pleasant Personality
A result of good grooming and presentation in front of the guest. The way the staff looks is the first impression
on the guest and by this look, the guest judges the quality
f service/ standards provided by the organization. All HK staff should be well-
groomed.
• Clean Crisp Uniform
• If long hair -Tied neat hair
• Minimum jewellery
• Light makeup
• Aftershave/ Perfume – not too strong
• H/k Attendants may be given Hair caps.
• Clean Footwear- comfortable, low heels
• Mannerisms to avoid- scratching, digging into nose/ ear, chewing gum, etc in
public
2. Physical Fitness:
“A Strong Heart and Good Feet “to cope up with 24 X 7 operations and also a labor-intensive department
 “personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
4. Eye for detail:
The critical power of observation distinguishes good service from average. This is important to make a
flawless room.
5. Cooperation
Housekeeping involves a lot of teamwork.
6. Adaptability
Technology is fast upgrading hence all H/k staff should be open to accepting these
changes and adapting accordingly

7. Honesty
It is essential since it is the H/k staff who have access to the guest rooms even when
the guest is not present in the room

8. Tact & Diplomacy

To cope up with the different types of guests since H/k staff come in close contact
with them. They should be able to handle problem guests also without being rude or
hurting his/ her sentiments.
 “personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
9. Right Attitude
Includes:
• Optimism
• Ready to learn from own mistakes
• Proactive and anticipate guest needs
• The display even temper, courtesy, and good humor.

10. Calm demeanour

Helps in the time of emergencies when a person does not panic and handles the
problem effectively.

11. Courteous
To both guests and colleagues.
• Humble
• Polite
• No unnecessary argumentative nature.
 “personnel Attributes of Housekeeping Staff"
12. Punctuality
Reporting for duty on time displays commitment to work.

13. Good Memory

Especially with repeat guests. It feels nice if someone remembers the guest’s likes,
dislikes or wishes, etc.
 “Duties and responsibilities 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.
 “Executive Housekeeper / Director of Housekeeping
:
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.
 “Executive Housekeeper / Director of Housekeeping
:
.
Duties and Responsibilities :
• Search constantly for and test new techniques and products.
• 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.
 “Executive Housekeeper / Director of Housekeeping
:
.
Duties and Responsibilities :
• 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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
• 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)
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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 makes periodical inspection of the physical
condition of all rooms on the floor.

Reports to: – The Assistant Housekeeper and Executive Housekeeper.

 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Public Area Supervisor
Reports to: -The Assistant Housekeeper.
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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 guests’ requirements at all times, thereby ensuring comfort and satisfaction.
• See that all lost-found articles are deposited at the control desk.
• Ensure the submission of room attendants’ reports and the room status
report.
• Help with the training of staff.
• Report any safety and security hazards..
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
• 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..
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Control desk supervisor
The control room or desk is the nerve center 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 acritical 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 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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Duties and responsibilities:
Coordinate with the front office for information on departure rooms and handing over 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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Duties and responsibilities:
• 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..
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Head Houseperson
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.
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Corridor cleaning
• Cleaning the floor pantry
• Take down 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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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
neat and tidy for the powder room.
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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 guests 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.

Horticulturist
She/he leads a team of gardeners in maintaining the landscape and 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 housekeeping
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. Housekeeper.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Duties & responsibilities:
• Supervise the maintenance of gardens & landscape areas.
• Ensure a smooth supply of flowers/ foliage to the housekeeping
department.
• Assist the executive housekeepers with flower arrangements in the
absence of a florist..
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
• 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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
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.
 “Duties and responsibilities of Housekeeping Staff"
Laundry Manager
Reports to: – Executive Housekeeper.
He/she is responsible for the entire functioning of the laundry and dry-cleaning unit. A laundry manager must
have organizational ability as well as technical knowledge of chemicals and their effect on fabrics.

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.
“Layout of Housekeeping department in a large hotel"
“Layout of Housekeeping department in a budget hotel"
“Coordination with other departments
 “Coordination with other departments

Coordination Refers to the process of facilitating communication, collaboration, and synergy between
different departments within an organization. It plays a crucial role in the efficient functioning and
overall success of an organization. Here are some key reasons why interdepartmental coordination is
important:
1. Enhanced Communication: Effective coordination ensures that information flows smoothly
between departments. It enables departments to share their goals, progress, challenges, and ideas,
leading to better understanding and alignment across the organization. This improved
communication helps prevent misunderstandings, reduces duplication of efforts, and promotes a
cohesive work environment.

2. Increased Efficiency: When departments work in isolation, they often operate in silos, focusing
solely on their own objectives without considering the bigger picture. Interdepartmental
coordination breaks down these barriers and encourages collaboration. It allows departments to
identify interdependencies, streamline processes, and eliminate redundancies. This synergy leads
to increased efficiency, reduced costs, and optimized resource allocation.

:
 “Coordination with other departments

3. Holistic Problem Solving: Many organizational challenges require input from multiple departments
to find effective solutions. Interdepartmental coordination brings together diverse perspectives and
expertise from different departments. By pooling their knowledge and skills, departments can tackle
complex problems holistically and develop more comprehensive and innovative solutions.

4. Improved Decision-Making: In organizations where departments operate independently, decision-

making can become fragmented and inconsistent. Interdepartmental coordination fosters a culture of
collective decision-making, where relevant stakeholders from different departments are involved in the
decision-making process. This approach leads to well-rounded decisions that consider various
perspectives and take into account the potential impact on different departments.

5. Enhanced Customer Service: Customers interact with multiple departments within an organization,
and their experience depends on how well these departments coordinate with each other.
Interdepartmental coordination ensures a seamless customer journey by enabling departments to share
customer information, coordinate service delivery, and address customer needs

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 “Coordination with other departments

3. Holistic Problem Solving: Many organizational challenges require input from multiple departments
to find effective solutions. Interdepartmental coordination brings together diverse perspectives and
expertise from different departments. By pooling their knowledge and skills, departments can tackle
complex problems holistically and develop more comprehensive and innovative solutions.

4. Improved Decision-Making: In organizations where departments operate independently, decision-

making can become fragmented and inconsistent. Interdepartmental coordination fosters a culture of
collective decision-making, where relevant stakeholders from different departments are involved in the
decision-making process. This approach leads to well-rounded decisions that consider various
perspectives and take into account the potential impact on different departments.

5. Enhanced Customer Service: Customers interact with multiple departments within an organization,
and their experience depends on how well these departments coordinate with each other.
Interdepartmental coordination ensures a seamless customer journey by enabling departments to share
customer information, coordinate service delivery, and address customer needs efficiently. This
integrated approach leads to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

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 “Coordination with other departments

6. Organizational Agility: In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, organizations need to be

agile and adaptable to stay competitive. Interdepartmental coordination facilitates a more agile
organization by breaking down communication barriers, fostering collaboration, and enabling faster
decision-making. It allows organizations to respond quickly to market changes, emerging opportunities,
and potential threats.

7. Employee Engagement and Satisfaction: Interdepartmental coordination promotes a sense of unity

and shared purpose among employees. When departments work together towards common goals,
employees feel a greater sense of belonging and teamwork. This can lead to increased employee
engagement, job satisfaction, and overall morale.

Overall, interdepartmental coordination is vital for organizations to operate smoothly, achieve their
objectives, and stay ahead in a dynamic business environment. It fosters effective communication,
collaboration, and synergy among departments, resulting in increased efficiency, improved decision-
making, and better customer service.

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 “Coordination with other departments

Inter-Departmental Coordination
For effective and smooth functioning of any hotel inter-departmental coordination and cooperation is a
vital element. No department in a hotel is independent of another. Rooms are the largest selling items in
hotels and the largest contributor to the profits of the hotel. Since rooms are the major responsibility of
housekeeping, it has a very important role to play. Thus housekeeping works in a very close
relationship with the front office.

I. Coordination with Front Office

From the front office to housekeeping :
• Occupancy forecast: These are the forecast based on the reservations already made and the forecast
is on annual, quarterly, monthly, 3 days and daily updating. This helps in planning the staff, staff
holidays, and extra cleaning tasks.
• Night report: This report gives the status of each room along with the occupancy, house count, ARR.
This enables the housekeeping to allocate the work for the day.

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 “Coordination with other departments

Coordination with Front Office

From the front office to housekeeping :
• Daily VIP arrivals and in-house guests: This will enable the housekeeping or preparing the staff for
the VIP arrivals as well as good services.
• Daily anticipated departure list: The work in each section is arranged around the check-out.
• Long term forecast of VVIP arrivals: Sometimes for the VVIP suites or normal rooms also, the
room requires to be put off for a few days for extra preparations.
• Group Rooming List: This helps the housekeeping to do their work as per the program also given.
• Room Changes: This helps the housekeeping in lost and found and in laundry purposes.
• Arrival List: This is a list used only in small hotels.
• Discrepancy Report: The report showing the difference between the housekeeping report and that of
front office.
• Check-out Room: To be reported immediately for checking of missing items and servicing of rooms
as quickly as possible
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 “Coordination with other departments

Coordination with Front Office

From Housekeeping to Front Office
• Housekeeper’s Occupancy report: This report is made twice in a resort and thrice in a business
hotel. This report should tally with the front office board/rack and any discrepancy is to be
investigated.
• Check-out Ready Rooms: This enables the reception to know when a given room is in a saleable
condition.
• Sleep-out: This is to be done to avoid skippers, scanty baggage, and packed luggage.
• Out of order/Under-repair rooms: The reception has to know so that they do not let or reallocate the
given rooms. In case it is an occupied room then the required room changes are to be carried out.
• Anticipated check-outs that have not left: This is so that the front office is made aware and the front
office can enquire directly from the guest of his program.
• Unusual Observation: Observations like that of suspicious movements, suspicious objects, DND and
DL for two consecutive shifts have to be immediately reported to that necessary action can be taken.

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Thank You