Housekeeping Room Attendants Job Description

Housekeeping room attendants keep rooms clean and well-stocked

Housekeeping room attendants work throughout the hospitality industry in hotels, lodges and resorts. They perform a variety of duties with the goal of providing a clean, comfortable and pleasant environment for the facility's guests and visitors. Housekeeping room attendants should be able to handle a large workload in an efficient and fast-paced manner. They must possess physical stamina and be able to manage time well.

Room Cleaning

Housekeeping room attendants cleaning and prepare rooms as guests leave and new guests arrive. Daily duties include vacuuming carpet and upholstery, changing sheets and linens, replenishing towels, sweeping, dusting, polishing and disinfecting bathroom floors, walls, tubs and sinks. Room attendants are also conduct such occasional duties as carpet steam cleaning.

Public Space Cleaning

Housekeeping room attendants are also assigned to maintain clean and orderly public spaces within the facility. Attendants vacuum, sweep and dust such areas as lobbies, swimming pool areas and hallways. This is important, as guests and visitors spend a lot of time in these areas. As a result, these areas become dirty quite quickly.

Waste Management

Housekeeping room attendants are responsible for managing and properly disposing of garbage from waste cans throughout the facility. Because hazardous materials may be present, proper safety procedures, such as wearing gloves and/or masks, must be followed. Waste containers must be emptied daily from public areas and between each guest room visit. Waste is often collected in a larger container and moved to the facility's outdoor garbage collection bin.

Supplies

Room attendants take inventory of each guest room and replenish such supplies as towels, facial tissue, toilet paper, hair products, hand soap, coffee and any other complimentary items. They also take inventory of the noncomplimentary items, such as bottled water or minibar contents, to bill guests for anything consumed and restock anything that was used.

Guest Interaction

Housekeeping room attendants are often called upon to address the specific needs of guests. This includes delivering additional such supplies as towels and toiletries to the room, retrieving room service dishes and spot cleaning after incidents that may occur while the guest is occupying the room. Because room attendants constantly interact with guests, these workers play an important role in providing a hospitable environment. Attendants must maintain a positive and friendly attitude. Rooms may need cleaning while a guest is still visiting, and housekeeping room attendants must be professional and efficient in such instances.

Laundry

Housekeeping room attendants wash, dry and fold a large volume of laundry, including sheets, bath towels, robes, comforters and other linens. Laundry must be thoroughly cleaned, bleached (if necessary) and folded to present a clean and comfortable experience for guests. Room attendants are responsible for sorting all laundry and placing it in the proper place in the laundry room or on cleaning carts.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Hotels and Other Accommodations
• O*NET: Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners