More Towels, Please!

Posted by in Tourism & Hospitality •


 

When my husband and I decided to take a little trip down to Ocean city, MD in June, we stayed at the Commander Hotel.  This is a hotel that we’ve stayed at the past six years or so and have always had a pleasant stay.  On this particular visit, our housekeeper’s name was Denise.  She was friendly, did her job effectively and chatted as she worked.  We talked about family and work and things like that.  It did get me to thinking though; just what did a housekeeper at a hotel do?  What qualifications do you need? So I looked in to it.

 

 

I found out that most hotels require you to have a high school education or at least an equivalent of it.  If you have your eye on becoming a supervisor you have to have college hours in addition to the high school diploma.  A lot of supervisors are members of the International Executive Housekeepers Association.  There are two certificates for this association;  the Certified Executive Housekeeper if you have a high school degree and the registered Executive Housekeeper for people with a college degree.  Many hotels do have training programs for their new housekeepers.  The new employee will work with a veteran employee to be taught the cleaning methods and the safe way to use the cleaning products.  Once the employee knows what they are doing, then they are left on their own.

 

What are the duties of a housekeeper really?  You would be responsible for keeping the guest rooms clean.  You also would provide clean linens and bedding, vacuum and remove trash.  You would change and provide fresh towels and scrub floors.  Some jobs include tidying up the hallways, lobbies and other public areas.  You would also provide a thorough cleaning after the guests have left and take inventory and report if anything is missing or damaged.  You do need to be in decent physical condition, be able to lift or carry small to medium amount of weight and you have to stand for long periods of time.  A really good trait to have is an eye for detail and be able to carry out and perform instructions on your own.

 

How’s the pay?  You would start at minimum wage in most places. If you have previous experience, your pay may be based on that.  However there is room for advancement if you have strong leadership skills and communication skills.  Some employers offer full time employees healthcare coverage, paid time off and discounts on hotel rates.

 

So is being a housekeeper a good job to have?  Denise thought so.  She came to work early and left around three pm which gave her time with her family.  She said the work could be hard some days but she did meet a lot of nice people in her line of work. 

 

So, the next time you stay at a hotel, greet your housekeeper with a cherry good morning, say thank you when they bring you those extra towels and leave a nice tip!

 

Have you ever thought about applying for a job in housekeeping?

 

 

 

 
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  • Linda Ruzicka
    Linda Ruzicka •
    Nikita, it sounds as if you found your nitch!  Good luck on your new job! Thanks for your input.
  • Nikita
    Nikita •
    rather be a housekeeper than be fliippng burgers and taking abuse from customers. There is nothing wrong with doing housekeeping, as a job of course. right now I work in food, but I just got a transfer as a housekeeper and I am excited. Don't have to deal with nobody, etc. The job is not that bad. Compared to telemarketing and foodservice, housekeeping is better. Especially since I work in disney=) I know the job isn't for everybody, but for me it is.
  • Linda Ruzicka
    Linda Ruzicka •
    Desiree, People need to remember that you are doing THEM a service and should treat it as such! Thanks for your comment.
  • Desiree l
    Desiree l •
    i have been a housekeeper and i give a service but some guests think theyve already paid enough for their rooms so they think its not important to greet us with a smile say thanks or even think about a tip
  • Linda Ruzicka
    Linda Ruzicka •
    Rena, excellent advice..after all, housekeeping is picking up after you!
  • Rena K
    Rena K •
    This a nice article but a lot of hotels don't pay minimum wage. I have worked in hotels for over 30 years. Housekeepers sometimes make a per room rate and not hourly. The one I currently work at they only make $3.75 a room. Please, remember that no matter how your stay goes at any hotel, tip your housekeepers.
  • JULIE S
    JULIE S •
    YES. I do want to work in  housekeeping. but theres hundreds of motels and hotels that are hiring. filled alot of applications. but no catch on one job. I do have cleaning experience, resorts. private homes. schools. I know every place is different on settings. but that is what training is all about.
  • Linda Ruzicka
    Linda Ruzicka •
    very true!  I hoped that you registered a complaint at the front desk because the housekeeping staff at your hotel was not doing their job correctly.  
  • Jessica G
    Jessica G •
    Hi I stayed at a Inn ( will not name) in Bowling Green Kentucky for 2 nights we would come back to our room in the early evening between 6p.m. and 8p.m. and our beds had not been made and the used towels had not been picked up nor were any clean towels brought to us.  I do not have any Housekeeping experience, but I am very clean when it comes to cleaning my place. I even find myself cleaning up after my co-workers, whether its in the break room or in the bathroom. I have had some little experience when it comes to cleaning other residence homes.   I do know this much, just because you are someone that is in the Housekeeping business that does not mean you know how to do Housekeeping.  

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