Monthly Archives: June 2013

Housekeeping Training for the 2014 budgets

A reminder for your training budgets for 2014 – we will be coming to a city/region near you so put the funds into your budget this year for next years training. Venues include Hong Kong, Macau, China, Singapore, Manila, Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi/Dubai, London, Dublin and Malta with all course fees and charges included. We will also run the online “Finance for Housekeeping Managers” 4 times over the year at a cost of Aus$590.

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Recycling used guest room soap all over the world

Hotel guest room soap recycling programmes have been around a while but some new developments are worth noting.

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A Housekeeping Career that Spans 30 years and Crosses the Globe: Annelyse Dufour, Executive Housekeeper – Corinthia, London

Not many of us can boast of a career that has taken us to all four corners of the world. The experience Housekeepers gain running housekeeping departments of large hotels all over the world is remarkable. Moving from country to country and culture to culture is both challenging and rewarding. This has been the life of Annelyse Dufour, now Executive Housekeeper at the luxury Corinthia in London. I was excited to catch up with Annelyse when I was in London earlier in 2013. Our paths crossed for the first time in Jakarta in the mid nineties, when I was Executive Housekeeper at the Mandarin Oriental and Annelyse was Executive Housekeeper at the Shangri-La.

We have stayed in touch ever since. There is plenty to talk about when two Housekeepers get together. Especially when Annelyse has been working in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe! Here is an overview of Annelyse’s career in Housekeeping Management.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

My parents are both Belgian. I was born in the Belgian Congo and grew up in South Africa. When I finished high school in South Africa, I left to study at a hotel school in Belgium. Even before I got into hotels I was travelling!

What has been your career path to date?

My housekeeping career has spanned over 30 years.

My first role was at The Brussels Hyatt as a Floor Supervisor. I soon moved to the 250 room Europa hotel/Intercontinental in Brussels to take up an Executive Assistant Housekeeper role until I was promoted to the position of Executive Housekeeper at the age of 23. I remained in this position for four and a half years. I was quite young to be Executive Housekeeper but I learned so much. It was wonderful to be given so much responsibility as a young person.

I returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa where I was born, it was called Zaire at the time. I worked as Executive Housekeeper at the Sheraton for a few years. Sheraton then transferred me to the Sheraton Abu Dhabi, where I remained for the next six years; I was there during the time of the first Gulf War.  Staying on in the Middle East I moved to the Swissotel in Dubai for two and a half years until I relocated back to Europe, this time to the Swissotel in Istanbul.

My next career move was to Asia, to the newly opened Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia. From there I was off to Brunei, where I experienced my first pre-opening, the private property belonging to the brother of the Sultan of Brunei.

Drawing on my developing pre-opening skills, I returned to Dubai to work at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and was closely involved with the opening of the Bur Al Arab, looking after both hotels over the next two years. Following the successful opening of the Burj, I undertook a two and a half year period at the One and Only in St Geran, Mauritius, a 5 star deluxe beach resort. I then moved back to Hong Kong and re-joined Shangri-La as Group Housekeeper.

Back in Dubai I opened The Madinat Resort, which is made up of 3 different hotels in one resort. I remained there for six years before I moved back to Hong Kong to work at the Peninsula Hotel.

My last relocation saw me returning to Europe to be involved with the pre-opening and the 2011 opening of London’s newest Five Star property, The Corinthia London, where I am now in my current position as Executive Housekeeper.

It has been a career that has spanned countries, continents and cultures. I feel very proviliged to have had these amazing experiences.

What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper?

I was only 23 years old and it was at the Europa Brussels. It was a wonderful experience to have as such a young person in this industry.

What challenges did that bring?

I was working with older maids who had a lot of experience; so establishing a good rapport with them was hard because I was so young.  In the end it was about mutual respect and using the appropriate management style to get them motivated. It was actually a great learning experience for me, working with people who had been in the industry a long tome.

What is your current position and Hotel? What are your current job responsibilities at your hotel?

I’m currently Executive Housekeeper at Corinthia London; I’m responsible for the rooms, public areas, laundry, landscaping, florist, outside contractors and all the budgets that running these areas bring.

How many staff are you responsible for?

I have a team of 80 permanent staff along with agency staff for top up.

What is your typical day like?

My typical day starts at 6:45 am. At 8 am I have a briefing with the Room Attendants and at 9.30am a briefing with the porters. We have a full operations Management meeting at 10:30 am every day and at 11 am, I meet with the supervisors.

My day includes checking VIPs, spot checking rooms, talking to suppliers and contractors. We are now at the point of rebidding for contracts and as we have some staff turnover we are spending time on recruitment and interviewing. I also interview all the agency staff and spend part of my day training.  I usually leave between 6. 30 – 7.00 pm in the evening.

It is a lot of responsibility and a big workload but I have a great staff.

What are your top three challenges this week?

I think that they would have to be firstly getting consistency in our in-room cleaning, secondly getting room attendants to use their initiative and thirdly being full with a 24 hour check-in and check-out policy and always having room available for use!

How did you choose those Managers under you?  What criteria?

At this property I need Managers who have worked in London for a long time, they need to have five-star hotel experience and need to have worked in a big hotel. It is also useful if they have opened a hotel or been part of the task force doing an opening. Excellence in training is also a necessity. My number three is an internal promotion, she started at the opening as a Room Attendant and has been promoted from Junior Supervisor to Supervisor then Housekeeping Co-ordinator and finally to her current position of Housekeeping Manager. I like to see staff grow and watch their personal development within their career.

How do you manage moving from country to country?

I don’t really think about it, I just pack up and go. Each time I move I do find that my luggage gets bigger!

How do you deal with different cultures?

It’s important to respect different cultures and understand them. I never speak in a condescending way to my team. Never raise your voice, especially not in a public area. Learning the cultures and mannerisms of the country before you go is important. It is up to me as a manager to be respectful of my staff and their customs.

How does pre-opening work compare with working in an existing property? What are the top 3 challenges in an opening?

The great thing about doing an opening is that you make it yours; you are part of the “fabric” of a property. Your own concepts are crucial, as you know yourself what works. There are always restrictions with budgets that set challenges. I have found that most General Managers are not Housekeeping specialists and it’s important to be able to express your opinion. You need to be an exceptional communicator, negotiator and influencer. For example there is always discussion about reasons to work with or without a housekeeping trolley to service the guest rooms.

Going to from Middle East to Asia and then to Europe, what are the differences in your management style?

I didn’t change my management style at all. Different parts of the world have different challenges but that’s what makes housekeeping fun.

What are your top 3 tips for success in Housekeeping Management?

First of all, lots of patience! Secondly show your staff what you have done and that you can do the job yourself. For example sorting out the linen chute or stripping beds. It is important that you’re on the same page. Thirdly, make sure you have high visibility. You must walk the property and don’t just sit in your office. That was you know what’s going on but also you are accessible to your staff.

If you had to do it all over again what would you do differently?

Nothing specifically, but I will always learn from my mistakes and try to constantly improve my standards.

What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping?

You need to really like and enjoy a role in Housekeeping. If you are just looking for a job you won’t survive and ultimately won’t enjoy being an Executive Housekeeper with all its challenges.

The job requires your full commitment as work does take priority.

How about your personal life? How do you balance work and home life?

You need a partner who understands the commitments this role requires, otherwise it doesn’t work.

What do you do for fun?

I try to go to the gym and spend time with my family. I also love walking in the countryside and I am trying to see more of England. There is a lot to discover here!

How do you think housekeeping management has changed since you started?

I don’t think it has changed much unfortunately. You have always needed and still need to have a strong personality, be persistent, fair and draw on all your management skills to be effective.

Where do you think its heading in the future?

Technology will help to make the operation easier, for example Optii keeper, Triton, Rex, Hot SOS are al up-and coming technologies that will continue to develop the housekeeping industry.  Advances in cleaning equipment, such as microfiber, makes the job more professional and efficient and I think advances will continue in the future.

Twilight Exterior Corinthia Hotel London

River Suite Bedroom Corinthia Hotel London

Bumper Attendance at Hong Kong Hotel Association workshops June 2013

DP Parts 1 and 2 with HKHA Chairman and President

The ever popular Development Programmes for Housekeeping Managers Part 1 and Part 2 were rolled out again in Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Hotel Association in mid-June.

Over 22 participants joined in with 18 covering all 5 days together. A great opportunity to learn and network with many Front Office and Rooms Division colleagues joining in to brush up their Housekeeping management skills.

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L&A Back in Bali for more workshops run through the Bali Hotel Association

Coaching Skills for Hospitality Supervisors workshop

Liz and Agnes continued with the ever popular Housekeeping Management training workshops conducted in association with Bali Hotel Association in Den Pasar Bali at the end of May.

Courses included the 2 day Quality Assurance workshop and the Coaching Skills for Hospitality supervisors with many Front office and Rooms Division colleagues joining in.

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Soap Aid Update

Here is a quick update on the Soap Aid programme in Australia …

They have recently signed an agreement with Rotary International to commence a pilot programme together with Soap Aid and 13 selected hotels here in Melbourne. The pilot involves selected members of Rotary collecting the cartons of wastes soaps from those selected hotels and returning those cartons back to their facility so they can be re-processed.

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Review of microfibre use at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney

Maureen Jolowicz and her Housekeeping team at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney

It is now over 6 years since Maureen Jolowicz ran her initial trials on microfibre and started using this cleaning technology exclusively at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney. She has still maintained the overall system as when she first started with some modifications.

Housekeeping Room Attendants pick up their cleaning pack every morning at the start of their shift including a blue microfibre cloth for each room, 3 scourers with microfibre for the floors and shower tiles and their bucket with a water spray bottle and disinfectant for the toilet bowl.
Their cleaning routine incorporated in the sequence of service is to use 1 clean cloth to clean the bathroom glasses, then dust in the room, wipe down all bathroom surfaces finishing off with the toilet. 1 microfibre cloth per room.

There are also separate cleaning tools including the extendable wand for high surfaces and the fluffy duster for bedroom walls.
Maureen is only just now replacing some of the equipment. The clothes have lasted for up to 1 year. They are washed daily in 60 degree water with detergent, no bleach or softener.

Public Area staff also use the microfibre tools in their areas –

With an estimated saving of 1 million litres of water a year, there has been a reduction in use of chemicals and a reduction in housekeeping health and safety issues and over 95% saving on chemicals – it’s easy to see why this the natural choice for housekeeping cleaning in the future.

Words of advice from Maureen for those who want to put this system are:-
• Trial it thoroughly for a minimum of 3 months on 1 or 2 floors
• The staff from the trial floors will be your ambassadors for the system because they realise it is so much easier.

Cleaning caddy with disinfectant and water

Key Performance Indicators

Water Usage

The system is fully utilised by the staff and monitored by the supervisors to ensure compliance. The conservative figure of saving 10litres of water per room cleaned is being realised. The microfibre cleaning system means there is no rinsing of surfaces with water, no steaming of showers or soaking of glassware or china. Calendar year 2012 with 132,492 rooms cleaned, over 1.3million litres of water has been saved. Water consumption has reduced in the property

Costs - 

Replacement microfibre cloths and hardware for 5 years April 2008 – April 2013 =  $14,319.20. Average  $ 2,863.84p.a. Please see attached. This cost is less than anticipated. The cost of individual items has reduced with improved technology and increased supply

Staff Satisfaction

Staff  continually praise the system for ease of use. New staff in particular find the system superior to the normal cleaning with chemicals

Workplace Health and Safety

Only 1 significant injury in 5 years

Floor mop with scrubber

High dusting tools

Room Attendant cleaning pack

PHAN Seminars 27th June 2013 – An ageing workforce in housekeeping and how to handle a death in your hotel

THE PROFESSIONAL HOUSEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION OF NSW INC PRESENTS TWO DYNAMIC SEMINARS - NOT TO BE MISSED !!!

1. The Ageing Workforce  -  Presented by Judy Jankovics,   Training and Corporate Health Specialist, Injury Treatment P/L

• What is “Old Age”?
• Biological v’s chronological ageing
• Trends in the Australian population/workforce
• Facts and Myths (pop quiz)
• What happens when we age
• Physiological/musculoskeletal/neurological changes
• Risk factors for health conditions
• Modifiable factors
• How these changes may affect ability to perform housekeeping tasks

Strategies for managing the ageing worker:

• Recruitment
• Assessment
• Education and Training
• Accommodation
• Case studies

2. How to Handle a Death on Site   -   Presented by George N. Livanios Managing Director, Neutralzone

• How to remain calm
• Requirement to the discovery of the body
• Contact Communications – what to say and how
• How to protect the scene
• Managing Notification of the Next of Kin
• Managing the Incident Management Controls
• Understanding the Media Policy of the site
• How to attain a counselling service
• Signs of post traumatic stress and symptoms of stress
• Post analysis of the death within the workplace

• WHEN                      THURSDAY 27th June 2013
• WHERE                    ST MARY’S CATHEDRAL HOUSE

St Mary’s Road Sydney (Just down from College Street)

• TIME                         4.00 P.M. TO 6.30 P.M.
• COST                         INVALUABLE INFORMATION    -   FREE
• RSVP                        THURSDAY 20th JUNE 2013 – Mavis Hedrik mavis007@tpg.com.au

Tea and Coffee on arrival
Hot Canapes and Drinks at conclusion
How to get there: At the end of College St turn right down St Mary’s Road under the red balloon shown on map.  Enter Cathedral House through Big Green Iron Gates, proceed past Jacaranda tree to Cathedral House Front Door.

SEQPHA Inc Trade Show 2013 and Hospitality Stimulus Day

The SEQPHA committee is organising another fabulous Trade Show at the Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort this year. The show will be held on Wednesday the 28th of August.  Mel would love to hear back from suppliers by the  19th June if interested, to organise and confirm the event will go ahead. A donation of raffle prizes are welcome too.

The programme:
DAY / DATE –    Wednesday the 28th August, 2013

• 9.00 am to 12.00 pm Setup
• 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm   Open to the Public
• 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm   Finger Food and Beverages

PLACE –              The Grange

Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove Resort
Manor Circle, Qld, 4212
PH – 07 5530 1234

COST TO EXHIBITORS –
For one 2 metre trestle table with white table cloth and 2 chairs provided
SEQPHA Members -   $250.00
Non Members –           $350.00

ENTRANCE COST TO THE TRADE SHOW – Free to all.

Nibbles and beverages $25.00 to non members
Nibbles and beverages complimentary to members and exhibitors.

The Committee hopes to have a number of items available for lucky door prizes and raffles on the day. Anything you may wish to donate as a lucky door prize would be greatly appreciated.  Please email list to Mel

ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES –
The Intercontinental Sanctuary Cove is offering very generous accommodation packages to Exhibitors.

For trade show attendees only please contact Melissa Bent
email: MelissaB@scuttle.com.au Mobile: 0427 142 664

New Housekeeping Demo Lab at Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School

Students at the School practice making up rooms in the housekeeping new demo lab

It’s great to finally see a Hospitality School get serious about designing and installing a housekeeping demonstration laboratory where students can learn what the realities of housekeeping are.

The new demo lab at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS) has all the bells and whistles.

It took 6 months from first inception till it was completed in November 2013 and incorporates the following:

• A state-of-the-art bedroom space with a split king, allowing students to participate in demonstrations of different bed making methods and styles, and bedroom detailing.
• Purpose built bathroom, which has 5 different sizes of tiles and surfaces with 3 different coloured grouts, 2 styles of vanity atop a marble benched polyurethane cabinet. These variations enable demonstration of all cleaning requirements. The bathroom completely opens out into the room so demonstrations are easily visible to the group of up to 20 students.
• The bedroom area has 4 different carpets, 2 of which are tiles, along with 3 different wood surfaces including bamboo.
• The cube shaped seats for students also use a variety of upholstered materials, so that students can view wear and tear and address cleaning issues.
• Wall surfaces include framed textured wallpapers that form part of the décor along with painted surfaces.
• The area also has a mini housekeeping storeroom that is built from laminate, this stores the housekeeping trolley along with various pillow types, linen and also a porta cot. There is a desk and wardrobe area, which was built using a veneer timber. This stores a rollaway bed.
• The room features all the guest supplies and amenities one would expect in a hotel room

The room was designed and put together by Liz Boyd, Design Consultant in conjunction with BMIHMS Executive Housekeeper Vicky Jakus. Its purpose is to reflect the diversity of surfaces found in a typical hotel room so as to enable our students to learn the entire operations of the housekeeping department of a 5 Star hotel.

Students undertaking the Bachelor of International Hotel and Resort Management and Master of International Hotel Management degrees use the facilities. Their aim is to graduate with business degrees and progress to management positions with acute knowledge of hotel operations.

Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School  is very proud of their latest addition to their learning spaces and wish to thank all the suppliers who contributed to this project.