Housekeeping implies, the comfortable, safe, and aesthetically appealing environment of the place where you or the travelers intend to stay. When you talk about the layout of housekeeping department, it has to be such that it is easily operational by all the employees of the department.
This department includes an operational and active housekeeping staff who is responsible for all the work of the hotel be it keeping the hotel and the rooms clean, the maintenance of the desk/reception/kitchen pantry/restrooms/washrooms/ swimming pool, cleanliness of the lobbies, the garden area, keeping the lobby area aesthetically neat and lively and all other surroundings of the hotel.
Hence, the layout of housekeeping department in a medium hotel should be designed by an expert interior designer or an architect who knows how to design an aesthetic department. They are the ones who know their job well.
Drawing the layout of housekeeping department
The layout of housekeeping department is determined by the hotel’s size and the available space. The following areas make up the layout of the housekeeping Department:
- Total number of guest rooms;
- number of food and beverage outlets;
- number of function rooms;
- amount of manpower required;
- anticipated volume of business;
- number of contracted jobs;
- number of guests booked the rooms.
The executive housekeeper leads the housekeeping department in a large hotel or five-star resort. The layout of housekeeping department depicts the hierarchy clearly. In a large hotel, he or she reports to the general manager, resident manager, or room’s division manager.
The hotel’s floors, public areas, linen room, desk control, staffing, and other areas are overseen by the deputy housekeeper, who works with the executive housekeeper.
- The Control Desk Room – this is housekeeping’s primary 24-hour communication hub. All department-related information is sent and received from this location. It is the center of coordination with banquets, and other functions. A telephone and a notice board for posting staff schedules and daily instructions should be located at the control desk. The control desk is where all employees report for work and check out at the end of their shift. Normally, it would be next to the office of the housekeeper.
- Linen/Upholstry Room – The linen that is currently in use is kept in this room. The space should be extensive, bright, and devoid of heat and humidity. It should have sufficient and accessible shelves for stacking all of the linen. The linen exchange should take place at a counter in the linen room. An inventory should be made for all the linens and other upholstery items being used and issued by the department.
- Uniform Rooms – The uniforms currently in use are kept in stock in the Uniform Room. The linen room and uniform room can be combined in a smaller hotel. The quantity of uniforms in circulation may necessitate a separate uniform room.
- Tailors Room/Sewing Room – This room is saved for in house tailors who take care of the sewing and repairing of the cloth and uniform. The tailor room could be avoided if the house policy is to outsource all tailoring and mending work. It should be adequately huge to oblige sewing machines, a pressing table, work table and spot for things to be fixed or sewed.
- The Lost and Found Section – this section is mandatory in all large and medium hotels. There should be a small, secure, cool, and dry area away from the main road with a cupboard for guests’ lost items that can be claimed later.
- Equipment store – This area can be used to store bulky equipment like vacuum cleaners, roll-away beds, and mattresses for cleaning floors. The room should be perfect and dry. Additionally, it should be securely locked to prevent theft.
- Stores for Housekeeping – This is a room for storing things like cleaning supplies and supplies for guests.
- Pantry – The floor pantry is also called as the service room. A floor pantry is required on each guest floor where linens, guest supplies, equipment, and other necessities for that particular floor is stored.
Job of Housekeeping
The housekeeping division in any hotel guarantees the neatness, support, and stylish allure of all rooms and public areas. The staff and management of the housekeeping department clean the guestrooms and also maintain the entire hotel to ensure that it looks aesthetically neat, tidy, and inviting as it opened its doors to business.
Each individual is assigned a task every morning. The layout of housekeeping department should be promptly prepared.
There is a primary communication between housekeeping and the front desk/reception team. It is their sole duty to check whether the guests are not left unattended or their calls doesn’t get noticed. In one call to the receptionist, the housekeeping department comes to action, if called for any assistance by any guest. It is due to their prompt actions and services, the entire hotel and the layout of housekeeping department is such that they have a prompt turnaround. The hotel software, telephone systems, mobile applications for housekeeping, and other new technologies make it possible to update a room’s status.
At the same time, the housekeeping department also works closely with the engineering and maintenance departments as well. It is their task to monitor whether the hotel and the rooms are looking absolutely tidy and neat.
While cleaning the rooms, the housekeeping staffs identify various types of maintenance issues and report them to the maintenance team for correction or replacement. For instance, problems with the air conditioner, the television, plumbing, lighting, heating system, electrical problems, broken furniture, toilet, and ventilation, among other things.
The role of housekeeping can change depending on the hotel’s type and the layout of housekeeping department. For instance, the housekeeping department only provides evening or turndown services in luxury or full-service hotels. The housekeeping division is one of the major divisions/departments as they have to look after all the issues related to the hotel rooms and other minor and major services. It is their task to maintain everything.
Who designs the facility and layout of housekeeping department?
A facility planner is tasked with designing the areas for housekeeping. Designing the layout of housekeeping department areas like restaurants, kitchens, laundry, and housekeeping is known as facility planning. In order to provide the owner with a return on investment and ease of operation, the design must make the most of available space. This necessitates blueprint preparation skills; administration hardware and staff jobs and abilities. Housekeeping, for instance, would like laundry facilities that are close to its linen and uniform rooms.
Proper planning of the layout of housekeeping department in medium hotel will guarantee proper services are executed. Planning a facility makes sure that the conditions needed for different operations are met. The laundry requires supplies of steam and hot water, while all storage areas cannot have steam and hot water pipes running through them. The facility planner carefully examines these considerations. Because of this, when designing the housekeeping layout, the facility planner fails to achieve certain goals:
Conclusion
When compared to different departments, the housekeeping department has always been a huge department in any hotel. This department has the most employed employees that take charge of the entire hotel.
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