An investigation into the hygiene practices of Piton Vista Villa

Student Name: Shanata Joseph

Candidate Number: 20190013351

Business Cognate Subjects: POB

School: Vieux- Fort Comprehensive Secondary

Centre Number: 140005

Territory: St. Lucia

Date: 12/01/19

Teacher: J. Dalsou
 Table of Contents

Topic Statement ……………………………………………………………….. 1

Objectives …..………………………………………………………………….. 2

Background/ Overview ………………………………………………………….3

Methodology ………………………………………………………………….... 6

Presentation of Data …………………………………………………………….16

Analysis …………………………………………………………………………28

Findings ………………………………………………………………………… 30

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………… 34

Recommendations ………………………………………………………………. 35

Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………. 36
 Topic Issue

An investigation into the hygiene practices of the Piton Vista Villa.

1
 Objectives

1. To determine if the hygiene practices of the Piton Vista Villa are up to

required guest room and housekeeping standards.
2. To identify any unhygienic conditions which may cause dissatisfaction
among guests during their stay at the Villa.
3. To determine ways of improving the hygienic conditions, so that it would
satisfy guests further.

2
 Background/ Overview

The Piton Vista Villa is a guest accommodation located in Victoria, Choiseul St.
Lucia. It was established in 2011 by its founders Martin Joseph and Joanna Joseph,
with the intention of providing a scenic, exotic and comfortable atmosphere for
both locals and international tourist. The villa contains two rooms, one of which is
a master bedroom, two bathrooms, a small kitchen, a spacious living area, and a
balcony with a prepossessing view of Gros Piton, and Petite Piton, which are two
of St. Lucia’s most famous landmarks. Occupants pay $70US -$100US for a night
depending on the time of year, and prices of its competitors. The average income
for the business is approximately $4000US a month.

The factors affecting the value of the business, are its rurality, since most guest
prefer a certain level of privacy. However, noise pollution from nearby residents
can lower the desirability of the Villa due to noise generated from loud music, or
heavy construction work. Other factors include; cool temperatures, easy road
access, surrounding vegetation for optimum privacy, and its unique scenery. The
business is primarily dependent on tourism as a source of income. In addition, the
tourism industry is the dominant foreign exchange earner in St. Lucia, due to this,
there is a vastly growing market for guest accommodations to tourist who have
chosen St. Lucia as their destination, as well as locals.

The issue of unsanitary conditions is a rapidly growing problem amongst guest

accommodations, like Hotels and Villas. Formerly, guests have been hoaxed by
false advertising / claims by guest accommodations which fails to accurately
represent the sanitary conditions present. This can intern cause immense

3
disappointment, discontent and frustration among guests. The researcher has
experienced firsthand encounters with unsanitary conditions at hotels and guest
accommodations who have misrepresented their hygienic facts. Some of the
unsanitary practices include; moldy sinks, lime scale plagued faucets, and rat
infestations. This can lead to detrimental health threats, and fatal illnesses to its
residing guests. Some known illnesses include; leptospirosis, E. coli, rotavirus, and
fungal infections.

In order for the Piton Vista Villa to reinforce and maintain pleasing sanitary
conditions to please guests, it must determine what practices cause dissatisfaction,
and ways of possibly improving it. If unsanitary conditions are not corrected, it
can deter both tourist and local guests, which might damage the financial growth
and reputation of the business, as well as the country’s economic development
since tourism is the backbone of St. Lucia’s economy, and many other Caribbean
countries.

Therefore, it is the researcher’s endeavor to conduct an investigation into the

sanitary practices of the Piton Vista Villa, to determine if their practices are in
accordance with accepted international standard, and ways of possibly improving it
to continuously satisfy their guests.

4
 Methodology

The researcher has proposed to obtain the necessary primary data needed via an
observation checklist and an interview. The definition of an interview according to
Wikipedia is a conversation where questions are asked, and answers are given. In
common parlance, the word "interview" refers to a one-on-one conversation with
one person acting in the role of the interviewer and the other in the role of the
interviewee.

A series of 10 questions will be asked to a sample of 15 of guests categorized by

their age, sex, length of stay, and nationality. The sampling size was determined
due to the accessibility of guest at the time of the month, and the fact that the
average stay period is 1-2 weeks, so a large sample would mean that there would
be a very lengthy interval between available guests. The method of sampling
chosen is convenience sampling, where the desired number of participants is
randomly selected, due to availability and willingness to co-operate. The questions
will comprise of both open-ended questions, which required a yes or no answer,
and closed-ended questions which will give a more detailed response to the
questions proposed.

An interview was chosen as a way of attaining primary data because the researcher
is satisfied with its versatility, freedom of perspective and opinions, and its ability
to be customized or altered to suit the objectives developed. The main limitation
which accompanies the use of an interview is that it is very tedious and time
demanding.

5
The researcher also selected an observation checklist as another means of primary
data allocation. According to Oxford Dictionary the purpose of an observation
checklist is to provide a rubric that state specific criteria’s that allow the observer
to gather information on desired topics to make proper judgments. The researcher
has developed a customized observation checklist based off of the housekeeping
standards, to gain further data on the sanitary conditions of the Piton Vista Villa, in
an attempt to determine if they operate within accordance. The criteria’s consist of;
bathrooms, bedrooms, doors, furniture and furnishings, windows and bedding and
beds. An observation checklist was selected as a medium of data collection
because the researcher has previously worked with this method and has found that
it can be carried out with ease, it entices them to make quicker judgements, and it
provides firsthand insight into the hygienic conditions, in the event that the owners
are biased and give falsely positive declarations.

6
 Data Collection Instruments

Observation Checklists for the Piton Vista Villa

Doors  Exterior and interior frames

are dusted/washed
Bedroom  Floors are vacuumed/swept
 Walls cleaned as required
 Celine cleaned as required (no
cob webs should be present)
Windows  Exterior washed
 Interior washed
 Sills cleaned/ dusted
 Clean Curtain/drapes
 Window sills polished with
appropriate products
Bedding/Beds  Clean Fresh Linens
 Stain free bedspread
 Bes curtains/ hide-a-way bed
linens present
Furniture and Furnishings  Furniture polished/dusted
 Wastebasket/ ashtrays emptied
 Sanitized glasses in place
 Missing hangers replaces
 Disposable items discarded

7
  Standard guest room
amenities replenished
 Mirror polished
 Remote disinfected with
appropriate products
 Television dusted
 Lampshades dusted
 Re-washing of all pots and
cutlery
 Disinfecting and replacement
of ice trays with clean water
 Dust all woodwork such as
paintings and figurines
 All fans and air condition
vents are dusted
 Cupboards adequately dusted
to remove cobwebs
Bathrooms  Shower cleaned/ disinfected
 Tiles Scrubbed
 Toilets disinfected
 Sink disinfected
 Shower rod wiped clean
 Chrome taps polished
 Shelving Wiped down
 Floors washed

8

Check for Guests Belongings
Cleaning Supplies Used
 Mirror cleaned
 Toilet paper replenished, with
spare ones
 Fresh cleaned towels and
bathmats supplied
 Potent cleaning products and
gloves are used
 Soaps and shampoos (personal
amenities) are replaced after
every set of guests
 Under bed
 Inside drawers
 Back of hooks behind doors
 Cabinets
 Are strong enough to kill
bacteria but not harm human
health
 All instruments should be
cleaned after every use
 Each are of the villa should
have designated cleaning
instruments e.g. the rag used
in the bathroom cannot be
used of surfaces in the kitchen
9
 Interview

I am a Principles of Business student at the Vieux-Fort Comprehensive Secondary

School, and part of our CSEC curriculum is to complete a school-based assessment
(SBA) based on our selected subjects. As a result, I endeavor to conduct an
investigation into the hygienic conditions of the Piton Vista Villa to determine if
their hygienic practices are in accordance with international standards, and ways of
possibly improving it. It will be greatly appreciated if you consent to answering the
following questions based on your experience at Piton Vista Villa.

Age Range:

18-24 years  25-34 years  35-44 years  45-54 years  55-64  65-74 
75+ 

Sex: Male  Female 

Nationality: _______________________

Length of Stay: ____________________

1. (a) Is this your first visit to St. Lucia? Yes  No 

(b) If no, is this your first time staying at Piton Vista Villa? Yes  No 

(c) If yes how many times have you stayed at this villa?
_____________________

10
2. How often was your room cleaned?

Every day 

Every two days 

Once a week 

3. Were you pleased with the cleaning services offered at the Villa?
Yes  No 

If your answer to the above question is no, give a reason for your response.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________

4. How does the hygiene conditions at the villa compare to that of previous
accommodations?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________

5. What was the best/most pleasing hygiene practice at the Villa?

11
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________

6. What was the most unhygienic practice/condition experienced at the Villa?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________

7. How satisfied are you with the hygienic conditions at Piton Vista Villa?

Extremely satisfied 

Moderately satisfied 

Slightly Satisfied 

Dissatisfied 

Give a reason for your answer

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________

12
8. How likely are you to return to this Villa in the future?

Very likely 

Likely 

Unlikely 

Highly Unlikely 

If your answer to question 5 above unlikely or highly unlikely? Is this response

in anyway related to poor hygiene practices at the villa?

If yes explain

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_________________________________

9. What possible improvements do you think can be made to the hygiene

conditions at the Villa?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________

13
10.Are you likely to recommend this Villa to future travelers who have chosen
St Lucia as their destination Yes  No 

Give a reason for your answer.

14
 Presentation of Data

Research Objective Number 1:

To determine if the hygiene practices of Piton Vista Villa are up to required

guest room and housekeeping standards.

To answer research objective number one, refer to the observation checklist

which was utilized (pages 4-5) as well as interview questions 4,5,7,8, and 10
.

PERCENTAGES OF HYGIENIC CONDITIONS IN

ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL
CONDITIONS
2%

98%

Not in Accordance Within Accordance

Figure 1. Shows the observance of hygienic conditions which were in accordance

with international standards.

15
Interview question number 4: How does the hygiene conditions at the Villa
compare to that of previous accommodations?

PIE CHART SHOWING THE COMPARISON OF THE VILLA

TO THAT OF OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS
The conditions at the villa were exceptional The conditions at the Villa were the same
The conditions at the villa was less than average

20%

20% 60%

Figure 2 . Shows the comparison of the Villa to other accommodations

Interview Question 5: What was the most pleasing hygiene practice at the Villa?

PIE CHART SHOWING THE MOST PLEASING HYGIENIC

PRACTICE AT THE VILLA
The clean toilets the clean cutlery The clean bedding The dust free closets

7%

27%

33%

33%

16
Figure 3. Shows the most pleasing hygienic conditions at the Villa according to the
guests.

Interview Question 8: How likely are you to return to this Villa in the future?

BAR GRAPH SHOWING THE LIKELINESS OF A GUEST TO

RETURN TO THE VILLA

Highly Unlikely

Unlikely

Likely

Very Likely

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Series 1

Figure 4 . Shows the likelihood of a guest returning to the Villa.

17
Interview Question 10: Are you likely to recommend this villa to future travelers
who have chosen St. Lucia as their destination?

PIE CHART SHOWING THE LIKLIHOOD OF GUESTS TO

RECOMMEND THE VILLA TO FUTURE TRAVELLERS
Yes No

20%

80%

Figure 5. Shows the probability of guests recommending the Villa to other

travelers.

Interview Question 7: How satisfied are you with the hygienic conditions at
Piton Vista Villa?
Extremely Satisfied 
Moderately Satisfied 
Slightly Satisfied 
Dissatisfied 
Give a reason for your answer

18
 BAR GRAPH SHOWING THE LEVEL OF SATISFACTION OF
THE GUESTS ON THE HYGIENIC CONDITIONS AT THE VILLA
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Extremely Satisfied Moderately Satisfied Slightly Satisfied Dissatisfied

Number of Guests

Figure 6.1 Shows the level of satisfaction of the hygiene conditions experienced by
the guests at the Villa.

19
 REASONS WHY GUESTS CHOSE THE RATING OF 'EXTREMELY
SATISFIED ' OR 'MODERATELY SATISFIED ' FOR INTERVIEW
QUESTION NUMBER 7

The showers were cleaned well

The beds were clean and well made

The hygeinic conditions were exceptional

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Number of Guests

Figure 6.2. Shows why some guests chose the option of ‘extremely satisfied’ or
‘moderately satisfied’.

20
 REASONS WHY GUESTS CHOSE 'SLIGHTLY SATISFIED' OR '
DISSATISFIED' AS A RATING FOR INTERVIEW QUESTION
NUMBER 7

The Kitchen Counters were Greasy

Behind the Stove was Dirty

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Number of Guests

Figure 6.3. Shows why some guests chose” slightly satisfied” or “dissatisfied”.

21
 Research Objective Number 2

To identify any unhygienic conditions which may cause dissatisfaction among

guests during their stay at the villa.

To answer research objective number 2, interview questions number 6, 2 and

3 were used.

Interview Question 6: What was the most unhygienic Practice/condition at

the Villa?

PIE CHART SHOWING THE UNHYGIENIC CONDITIONS

WHICH CAUSE DISSATISFACTION TO GUESTS
Animal droppings on the balcony Greasy Kitchen Counters
Dirty Television Screen Dust Present Behind the Stove

13%
27%

40%
20%

Figure 7. Shows the unhygienic conditions which caused dissatisfaction to

the guests.

22
Interview Question 2: How often was your room cleaned?
Everyday 
Every Two Days 
Once a Week 

BAR GRAPH SHOWING HOW OFTEN THE VILLA WAS

CLEANED DURING THE LENGTH OF THE STAY
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Everyday Every Two Days Once a Week

Series 1

Figure 8. Shows how often the Villa was cleaned.

23
Interview Question 3: Were you pleased with the cleaning services offered at
the villa?
If your answer was no, give a reason for your response.

PIE CHART SHOWING IF THE GUESTS WERE PLEASED

WITH THE CLEANING SERVICES OFFERED AT THE VILLA
Yes No

13%

87%

Figure 9. Shows if the guests were pleased with the cleaning services offered
at the Villa.

24
 Research Objective Number 3

To determine ways of improving the hygiene practices that would satisfy their
guests further.

Interview question number 9 was used.

Interview question 9: What possible improvements do you think can be

made to the hygienic conditions at the Villa?

SUGGESTED WAYS TO IMPROVING THE HYGIENIC CONDITIONS AT THE PITON VISTA VILLA
To properly clean
the kitchen
counters To clean the
13% television screen
To get rid of all cob 27%
webs in the celine
7%

To empty the bins

more often
20%

To clean the air

To properly clean condition vents
behind the stove 20%
13%

Figure 10. Shows the suggested ways of improving the hygienic conditions
at the Villa.

25
 Analysis of Data

Research Objective 1: To determine if the hygiene practices of Piton Vista Villa

are up to required guest room and housekeeping standards.

For this objective, an observation checklist was used, as well a questionnaire which
was distributed to 15 guests who stayed at the Piton Vista Villa.

The observation checklist was constructed in accordance to established international

standards for housekeeping. It was seen that 98% of the hygienic practices were in
accordance to international standards, whereas only 2% was not. This is due the fact
that the air condition vents and the tv were not dusted properly. This is shown in
figure 1.

Furthermore, when guests were asked to compare the villa to that of other
accommodations, (figure 2), it was observed that 60% deemed the Villa as
exceptional, 20% rated it as less than average, and 20% claimed that the conditions
were the same. This is an indication that Piton Vista Villa does not meet all the guest
room and housekeeping standards and as a result there is room for improvement.
The guests, however, were very pleased with some of the hygiene practices during
their stay. (figure 3). The majority (33%) of the guests were pleased with the clean
cutlery as well as the clean bedding, followed by 27% who were pleased by the dust
free closets whilst the remaining 7% were most satisfied with the clean toilets. In

26
addition, these areas came out positive when the observation checklist was used to
determine if Piton Vista Villa meet required housekeeping standards.

Additionally, the majority of the guests were satisfied with the overall hygienic
conditions at the Villa (Figure 6.1). It shows that 9 out of the 15 guests selected
extremely satisfied, 3 out of the 15 guests chose moderately satisfied, followed by
the least number of guests (2 out of the 15) who selected slightly satisfied.
Furthermore, no guest chose the option of dissatisfied. This provides evidence that
the majority of the guests were pleased with the hygienic conditions at the Villa

As a result, the majority of guests are likely to return to the villa in the future,
(Figure 4). Most selected very likely as an option, and the minority selecting
unlikely. Furthermore, no guests selected the option of highly unlikely. These
responses can be due to the hygienic conditions experienced while staying at the
Villa. For this reason, the majority (80%) pointed out that they would recommend
the villa to future travelers whilst the minority (20%) would not, (figure 5). This
proves that the majority of guests were satisfied with their stay.

It was observed that the majority of guests were pleased with the overall hygienic
conditions at the Villa. A significant number of guests chose the option of
extremely or moderately satisfied (Figure 6.2). The reasons expressed were that the
showers were cleaned well, the beds were well made, and the hygienic conditions
were exceptional. These areas were also checked positive in the observation
checklist conducted. In connection, figure 6.3 shows that due to the greasy
counters and dirty stove observed, the minority of guests chose the option of
slightly satisfied or dissatisfied as an option. These factors are what caused the
dissatisfaction expressed by the minority of the guests.

27
Research Objective Number 2: To identify any unhygienic conditions which may
cause dissatisfaction among guests during their stay at the villa.

For this objective, an observation checklist was used, as well a questionnaire which
was distributed to 15 guests who stayed at the Piton Vista Villa.

The unhygienic conditions which caused dissatisfaction amongst the guests is

shown in figure 7. It is illustrated that the majority (40%) of the guest expressed
dissatisfaction due to greasy kitchen counters, followed by 27% who claimed that
there was dust behind the stove, 20% said that the television screen was dirty, and
the minority (13%) of the guests indicated that there were animal droppings on the
balcony. The undusted television screen was checked as negative on the
observation checklist. In addition, the presence of animal droppings is due to the
local wildlife (birds and lizards) which dominate the district in which the Villa is
found. This factor cannot be controlled but, has a direct impact on the hygienic
conditions.

The unhygienic conditions experienced by guests may have been due to the
frequency in which the Villa was cleaned. According to guests (shown in figure 8,)
the majority (8 out of 15) selected the option of every two days. Followed by 5 out
of 15 who selected once a week, and the minority (2 out of 15) who selected every
day. It should be noted that the length of stay will impact how often the room is
cleaned. Guests who occupy the room for a short period of time will get the room
cleaned less frequently, than those who stay for an extended period of time, who
would get their rooms cleaned more often.
28
Moreover, the majority (87%) of guests were pleased with the hygienic conditions
at the Villa (Figure 9) The minority (13%) of the guests chose the option of no.
The responses given in figure 9 can be connected with the responses chosen in
(Figures 4,5,6.1) since they are directly in connection with the hygienic practices
of the Villa and how they impacted the guests. This proves that the majority of
guests were pleased with the hygienic conditions at the Villa. The responses
received is in direct connection with the cleaning services offered at the villa, in
the sense that the cleaning services is what determines either positive or negative
feedback from the guests. The guests who were unsatisfied could have possibly
gotten their rooms cleaned less often because they were staying for a shorter period
of time, in comparison to those who stayed for a longer period of time, and got
their rooms cleaned more frequently, hence positive responses.

29
Research Objective Number 3: To determine ways of improving the hygiene
practices that would satisfy guests further.

For this objective, an observation checklist was used, as well a questionnaire which
was distributed to 15 guests who stayed at the Piton Vista Villa

When the suggested ways of improving the hygienic conditions at the Villa were
asked ( Figure 10), the majority (27%) of the guests suggested to clean the
television screens, a significant amount (20%) suggested to empty the bins more
often and to clean the air condition vents, 13% suggested to clean behind the stove
properly, and to clean the kitchen counters. The minority suggested to get rid of
cob webs in the Celine. These suggestions can be applied by the owners to
improve the hygienic conditions at the Villa, to boost efficiency and to improve the
quality of the stay for the guests.

30
 Findings

The finding revealed that:

• The Piton Vista Villa was in accordance with 98% of the guidelines
from the observation checklist, except in the category of Furniture and
Furnishes. In this category the requirement of dusted and polished
furniture, and dusted televisions wasn’t met. As a result, it can be
concluded that the Piton Vista Villa operates within international
hygiene standards.

• It was also shown that the majority of guest were satisfied with their
stay as well as the hygienic conditions experienced. The favored
hygiene conditions are; the clean and well-made beds, and the clean
showers.

• It was also found that the majority of the guests would recommend the
Piton Vista Villa to other travelers who have chosen St. Lucia as their
destination.

• The study revealed that the majority of guests would return to the Piton
Vista Villa in the future.

• The investigation also revealed the suggested ways of possibly

improving the hygienic conditions at the Villa, these suggestions
include; properly cleaning the kitchen counters, getting rid of cobs
webs, emptying the bins more often, dusting the television and air
conditioner vents, and cleaning behind the stove.

31
 Conclusion

It was the researcher’s intention to conduct an investigation into the hygiene

practices of the Piton Vista Villa, to determine if they operate within international
hygiene standards, since history has continuously proven time and time again, that
guest accommodations sometimes negatively misrepresent their existing hygienic
conditions, this can intern disappoint guests. From the findings generated, it can be
concluded that the Piton Vista Villa is in accordance with 98% of the required
housekeeping guidelines, but however did not meet two guidelines found in the
category of Furniture and Furnishings. It was proven that the Villa operates within
accepted international hygiene standards. On this note, the majority of guests were
satisfied with the hygienic conditions, would return, and would recommend the Villa
to future travelers who have chosen St. Lucia as their destination. Additionally, the
guests provided suggestions on ways of possibly improving the present hygienic
conditions at the Villa, such as dusting the television screen and air conditioning
vents.

32
 Recommendations

• The owners of the guest accommodations should apply suggestions given in

areas which caused dissatisfaction amongst guests in order to improve the
hygiene conditions. This will further satisfy future/ returning guests. The
areas which came out negative on the observation checklist fell into the
category of Furniture and Furnishings, and they were: Dusted Television,
and Air Conditioning Unit. Therefore, these are the areas which require
improvement to further satisfy guests.

• The owners of guest’s accommodations should utilize the observation

checklist for housekeeping standards as a means of verifying if all the
requirements are met. This will improve the overall quality of the
accommodation.

• Further research can be used to determine what guests look for in terms of
hygienic conditions when selecting an accommodation. These hygienic
practices can be applied in operating the villa in order to ensure that guests
remain satisfied and are encouraged to return in the future.

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 Bibliography

Robinson, Bob(2018) Hotel Room Cleaning Checklist. Retrieved from

https://kaivac.com/a_728-Hotel-Room-Cleaning-Checklist

34