Housekeeping Department
Accommodation Management
Staffing
The housekeeping department of a hotel is responsible for ‘cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas and surroundings.’ The department is not always given the respect it is due in terms of work load, the size of which can be estimated by the fact the department often employs the largest workforce.
There are a variety of areas the housekeeping department must manage, the following table taken from Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management depicts the housekeeping department’s span of control:
Front of House Areas Back of House Areas
• Guestrooms
• Corridors
• Lobbies and public restrooms
• Pool and patio areas
• Meeting rooms
• Dining rooms/restaurants
• Banquet halls • Convention Halls
• Hotel-operated shops
• Games rooms / recreation rooms
• Exercise rooms / gymnasium
• Building exterior
• Landscaping and gardens • Management offices
• Storage areas
• Linen and sewing rooms
• Laundry room
• Employee locker rooms
• Administrative offices • Cloak rooms
• Maid’s service room
The diversity of areas controlled by the housekeeping department requires structured planning when delegating tasks to be undertaken. Developing an organisational structure is a process which deals with ‘identifying and grouping work’ and aims to ensure the department works as a unit, with clear lines of authority and good lines of communication and is essential for the smooth running of the department. A Schematic representation, known as an organisational chart, assists in defining roles and relationships within an organisation, the following organisational chart has been created for a four star hotel with one hundred bedrooms.
‘Structure is the best way to channel employees’ efforts towards productive efforts (O’Fallon et al, 2010). It is important to continually review an organisations structure to ensure the structure is aiding the attainment of the organisations goals and proving to be financially viable. Making an
Staffing
The housekeeping department of a hotel is responsible for ‘cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back areas and surroundings.’ The department is not always given the respect it is due in terms of work load, the size of which can be estimated by the fact the department often employs the largest workforce.
There are a variety of areas the housekeeping department must manage, the following table taken from Hotel Housekeeping Operations and Management depicts the housekeeping department’s span of control:
Front of House Areas Back of House Areas
• Guestrooms
• Corridors
• Lobbies and public restrooms
• Pool and patio areas
• Meeting rooms
• Dining rooms/restaurants
• Banquet halls • Convention Halls
• Hotel-operated shops
• Games rooms / recreation rooms
• Exercise rooms / gymnasium
• Building exterior
• Landscaping and gardens • Management offices
• Storage areas
• Linen and sewing rooms
• Laundry room
• Employee locker rooms
• Administrative offices • Cloak rooms
• Maid’s service room
The diversity of areas controlled by the housekeeping department requires structured planning when delegating tasks to be undertaken. Developing an organisational structure is a process which deals with ‘identifying and grouping work’ and aims to ensure the department works as a unit, with clear lines of authority and good lines of communication and is essential for the smooth running of the department. A Schematic representation, known as an organisational chart, assists in defining roles and relationships within an organisation, the following organisational chart has been created for a four star hotel with one hundred bedrooms.
‘Structure is the best way to channel employees’ efforts towards productive efforts (O’Fallon et al, 2010). It is important to continually review an organisations structure to ensure the structure is aiding the attainment of the organisations goals and proving to be financially viable. Making an