8th Floor Chrysotile, Parkade Centre

Cnr. Fife St/9th Avenue

Bulawayo
Email: trainingcoordinator@gihthospitality.com
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HEXCO
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE
TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
_________________

THEORY ASSIGNMENT ONE

QUESTION: Explain the relationship between housekeeping and all other departments in a

hotel.

NAME: Mhlekazi A.
SURNAME: Mhlanga
SUBJECT: Housekeeping
LECTURER: ____________________________________

DUE DATE: 29/08/2023 MARK _____/100

COMMENT: ______________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Housekeeping refers to the daily maintenance of cleanliness, tidiness and order in all parts of the

establishment. Housekeeping is an important part of hotel operations and is very closed linked to

other activities. Good housekeeping not only ensures a clean hotel environment, but also provides a

safe, healthy and welcoming environment. It ensures the smooth running of the hotel.

Housekeeping is central to the hotel’s operations, maintaining close relationships directly or

indirectly with all other major departments in the hotel.

A hotel will typically have a reception or front office, guest relations, marketing, guest rooms, food

and beverage department, restaurant, bar, recreation areas, security, among several departments.

Housekeeping is related to these other departments in certain ways. For example, housekeeping

staff ensure that guest rooms are clean and in order before reception checks in new guests. They

also replenish items like tea, coffee and sugar in cooperation with the food and beverage

department.

The cooperation between housekeeping and front office should be very close if guests are to be

checked into ready, clean rooms. Without this close cooperation, it would be difficult for the front

office to sell a room to a potential guest, as it is housekeeping which is responsible for ensuring that

the room is clean and ready for occupation. Again, it is housekeeping that ensures that the room

stays clean during the guest’s stay and after they depart. The front office informs housekeeping

about the numbers of rooms that have been vacated so that the housekeeping department can

clean the rooms thoroughly and prepare them for the next guest.

Housekeeping coordinates with the personnel department for recruitment of staff, issuing of identity

or access cards, lockers, promotion and confirmation, among other activities.

The guest room is a private place and the hotel spends a lot money to ensure privacy and security.

However, guests may take advantage of the privacy and security afforded by the hotel and engage in

illegal or illicit activities inside the room, for example, gambling or illegal financial deals.

Housekeeping staff, who have more frequent contact with guests and the rooms they are checked

in, thus have to be very alert to such activities and other gPoings-on and be ready to inform security

and front office to take action. The vital relationship between housekeeping and security is thus

made clear.

Housekeeping and maintenance also have a key relationship. It is the duty of housekeeping staff to

report any broken or malfunctioning items, whether it is furniture, plumbing, mechanical or

electrical fittings. Failure to do so may compromise guest comfort and safety, as well as the hotel’s

reputation. A proper correlation is necessary between housekeeping and the maintenance or

engineering department for proper maintenance of hotel facilities.

Housekeeping also works in close coordination with the laundry department. The laundry is

responsible for the washing and cleaning of used hotel linens – towels, bedding, curtains as well as

linens for the restaurants, gym or health club and other departments. The laundry ensures fresh

linens are delivered to housekeeping and other departments in time and in good order so that the

hotel operation runs smoothly.

Housekeeping also coordinates with the kitchen department, supplying fresh and clean uniforms and

cleaning linens. They also carry out regular and thorough pest control in the kitchens to ensure a

safe and healthy food preparation environment.

Normally, a hotel has an independent linen supplies store where they keep all clean linen items.

Smaller hotels have one store, which is called a general store. The relationship between the store
and the housekeeping department is of utmost importance as it ensures the day to day availability of

items required by the housekeeping department.

Another important department working in close liaison with housekeeping is the purchasing

department. Linens do reach the end of their usability lives, getting worn out or spoilt, needing

replacement. Cleaning equipment, materials and agents or chemicals do get depleted and need to

be replenished. Room stationery and beverages also need to be restocked. Housekeeping staff are

responsible for informing the purchasing department to ensure that all these requirements are met.

Is sum, the housekeeping department is the nerve centre of any hotel, ensuring the smooth running

of the hotel and a pleasant guest experience. Any lapses or poor housekeeping work can result in a

poor reputation for the hotel. Many hotel staff have gone through housekeeping duties before they

rise up the ranks, underlining the importance of this department.

REFERENCES

1. https://bngkolkata.com/housekeeping-co-ordination/#:~:text=Housekeeping%20is%20like

%20a%20center,the%20organization%20without%20any%20hazard