In this short article, we pay homage to unsung heroes, the people behind the scenes that service hotel suites, housekeepers across the world work tirelessly to ensure that hotel suites are ready for occupation when guests arrive. Housekeepers work in shifts to ensure someone is available 24/7 and hotels can offer a round-the-clock service to their guests.
Housekeeping equipment
A housekeeper is only as good as the equipment they use; sprays, wipes, new bedding and towels, top ups for the kitchen and bathroom, all stored in a housekeeper cleaning cart that the housekeeper wheels around. Every single item in their cart is necessary and they top up from the main stores, usually right before they start their shift.
Daily room cleaning
Let’s face it, an experienced housekeeper has seen it all, and some! They all have stories to tell; people come in all types and there’s no accounting for what goes on behind closed doors. Despite that, they always have the suite ready when the guests arrive and they should be commended for that. The housekeeping staff have several duties; aside from the daily room clean, they are on hand to deal with emergencies, which do happen. Spilt drinks and food are common issues that a housekeeper would encounter.
Keeping hotels and resorts running smoothly
Housekeepers are the backbone of the hospitality sector and are rarely recognised for their behind-the-scenes role. The hospitality industry has many occupations that are seldom seen by the customer and without them, many businesses would not be able to operate. A hotel would have a housekeeper manager whose job it is to manage the workforce and make sure the establishment has all the cleaning supplies. Click here for creative interior design ideas.
Heavy schedule
Ask any hotel housemaid and they will confirm that there is no time to waste when on duty; a maid would have a quota of rooms to service in her shift and an experienced housemaid can clean a room very quickly. They rarely work as teams, most housemaids work alone, just their housekeeping cart and their master keys and they are ready to work.
Long working shifts
Most hotel cleaning staff would work a 12-hour day, which would likely be 6am to 6pm, with a few breaks, of course. Their working week would be 6 days and there is always overtime for those who wish to earn more money.
To summarise, people forget that their hotel room is serviced when they are out and about; next time you stay in a hotel or resort, spare a thought for the housekeepers and other staff members who work behind the scenes to keep the hotel running smoothly. If you are planning to stay in a hotel in Thailand very soon, we feel sure that the service will be excellent and that your holiday will be a truly memorable experience.