Room Attendant Jobs

A room attendant is a service job in the hospitality and tourism industry. There are two forms of room attendants: maids and housekeepers are commonly known as room attendants, as are locker room, coat room, and dressing room attendants. Both types of job serve the needs of others, either face-to-face or unknown to a patron or customer. Room attendants are important because they help ensure the comfort of their guests.

Descriptions

Housekeepers or maids clean and maintain the environmental conditions of rooms at places of accommodation, such as hotels or motels. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, room attendants can alternatively serve as locker room, coat room, or dressing room attendants. Their duties are to provide personal items to customers or patrons within locker rooms, coat rooms, or dressing rooms.

Preparation

There is little or no preparation needed to become either kind of room attendant. Training may take the length of a few days to a few months. An experienced employee may show how you conduct job duties. Typically, no knowledge, previous work-related skill, or experience is necessary. An employer may request a GED certificate or high school diploma. Both jobs require hands-on knowledge of home economics.

Duties

For room attendants who serve as maids and housekeepers, duties may include making beds, replacing linens, cleaning halls and rooms, replenishing disposable objects, or vacuuming. For the locker room, coat room, or dressing room attendants, duties may include providing beverages, food, or other items to patrons, replenishing supplies, answering customers' questions about the facility, or assigning space to patrons of bathing and athletic establishments. Both jobs require working indoors, physical effort, and long periods of standing. Hours vary greatly, depending on the location where either form of room attendant is employed.

Promotion

In both forms of room attendants, it is possible to move up in these careers. With further training, experience, and sometimes educational knowledge, progression into managerial or supervisory positions is possible. For maids and housekeepers, promotion may lead to executive housekeeper. For locker room, coat room or dressing room attendants, promotions may lead to such titles as athletic equipment manager, locker room manager, or locker room supervisor.

Median Wage

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, in 2008 the median wage for a maid or housekeeper was $9.13 hourly and $18,990 annually. The median wage for a locker room, coat room, or dressing room attendant was $9.48 hourly and $19,720 annually.

References

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants
• My Future: Occupation Information- Room Attendant
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners