LESSON 1.

HOUSEKEEPING AND ITS IMPORTANCE

Housekeeping is an important and integral part of the guest experience and satisfaction. Other
things such as security are important, but what guests really want is to feel at home, to feel comfortable.
Although the staff providing this service do not necessarily interact directly with the public, the quality of
their work is critical in shaping guests‟ pleasant memories of their stay.

IMPORTANCE OF HOUSEKEEPING
1. Comfort: Achieve the maximum efficiency possible in the care and comfort of the guests and in
providing support services for the smooth running of the hotel. It is the duty of the housekeeping
department to ensure comfort and a welcoming atmosphere to the guests as well as strive to extend
courteous, reliable and satisfactory service from staffs of all departments.

2. Cleanliness and Hygiene: Ensure a high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep in all areas. Clean
and well maintained areas and equipment create a favorable impression on the guest. Hygiene is
maintained especially in the wash rooms, toilets, pool changing room, health club, etc.

3. Privacy: The prime concern of any guest, irrespective of whether rich or poor, common man or celebrity,
is privacy. Housekeeping staffs ensure the privacy of the guests and they should be trained with proper
procedures to enter the room.

4. Safety and Security: Security is one of the prime concerns of a hotel guest. The housekeeping
department staffs should ensure the safety and security of the guests with the help of security services.
They should also ensure peace, quiet and noise free atmosphere in the area.

5. Décor: Creating a pleasant and classy ambience is also one of the major concerns for a guest. This is
not easy and requires a good eye for detail. This work is an art and the housekeeping staff is mainly
responsible for creating a pleasant atmosphere.

HOUSEKEEPING ROLE IN A HOTEL INDUSTRY

Housekeeping department in a hotel is responsible for the cleanliness; maintenance and aesthetic
up keep of the hotel. The role of housekeeping is to keep a clean, comfortable and safe house. Just as we
enjoy keeping a “Sparkling” home for guests and ourselves who visit us at home, the housekeeping
department takes pride in keeping the hotel clean and comfortable so as to create a “Home away from
home”.

The room sale is dependent on, apart from several other things the quality of room décor, room
facilities, cleanliness of the room and how safe it is. The criteria by which each guest decided whether a
room is good or bad are strictly personal. To make a room appealing to a guest is the task of
housekeeping which has to ensure the basic human needs of comfort and security. Thus the personal
effort the housekeeping department makes in giving a guest a desirable room has a direct bearing on the
guests experience in a hotel