Interview with Anne Britton Executive Housekeeper – Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, London

Lycette & Associates’ director Liz Lycette spent the whole summer in the UK working on various Olympic Projects, during which time Liz was delighted to meet with the Executive Housekeeper at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower London – Anne Britton.  Anne is not only the Executive Housekeeper of a 220 room 5 star hotel; she is also the National Chairman and London & SE Chairman of the UK Housekeepers Association. Anne is an inspirational speaker, who frequently speaks on the importance of housekeeping, career progression and raising the skills required in the industry. She is an amazing ambassador for housekeeping. With all of this Anne is a difficult woman to get hold of and we are grateful she has taken time out of her busy schedule to meet with Liz.

What is your cultural background?

I am French, I moved to the UK when I was 19 and never left.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in the French countryside, in the mountains close to the border with Switzerland.

What was your career path to date?

I attended the Madame Cheval Hotel and finishing school/hotel school and was sent to the Sofitel in Paris as a trainee where I became a Housekeeping Floor Supervisor. As I needed to improve my English, I moved to Cambridge, UK and worked as a silver service waitress in a Restaurant.  After 1 ½ years, I met my husband. We married and we purchased a pub in Somerset near the Cheddar Gorge, which we managed for 3 years. I missed Hotel life so we returned to London where I started from the bottom as a Chambermaid at the 900 bedrooms Cumberland Hotel. I had 6 promotions in less than 5 years and ended up as Head Housekeeper at that property at the age of 25.  I then moved to the Chelsea Hotel, a 220 rooms 4 star property and was there as Executive Housekeeper for 7 years. My last move to my current property was 15 years ago in 1997. I am also currently President of the UK Housekeepers Association.

What was your first role as Executive Housekeeper?

I was Head Housekeeper at the Cumberland hotel when I was 25 years old.

What challenges did that bring?

Being so young it was hard to be taken seriously. Looking back it was harder than now, as I did not have the same level of maturity, experience and contacts.

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

I am Executive Housekeeper of the 220 room, 5 star Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in central London. I have from 60-100 staff and along with the usual responsibilities of an Executive Housekeeper I am responsible for negotiating all housekeeping contracts including night, agency, florist, drycleaner, laundry and showcases. I source items for the rooms or for our operation like the linen or uniforms. I am part of the refurbishment planning of the hotel. I have to ensure my team is properly trained. It is a Jumeirah requirement that we have a proper succession plan and that all managers have an individual development plan so all can grow. On several occasions it is my turn to be the senior Manager of the whole hotel over certain weekends. I have the responsibility over a very large budget.  I sometimes assist with the openings of our Jumeirah European hotels including the planning, review of mock up rooms and onsite work.

How many staff are you responsible for?

Up to 100 staff

What areas are you responsible for?

Rooms, Public areas, Linen room, uniforms, valet, showcases & general upkeep of the hotel.

What would your typical day be like?

There is no such thing as a typical day, every day is different. I usually start at 8.30am with emails and then the Management team meets at 9.00am. I may have a day of meetings with suppliers, presentations on refurbishments. I spend time working on cost control, sourcing new ideas, organizing the reparation and recovering of areas/furniture, recording and tracking all invoices, controlling and general supervision. I get called by UK or European Hotels for assistance or advice I meet with guests and of course I have a briefing with the team. I usually finish at 7.30 – 8.00pm. As Chairman of the UK Housekeepers Association I have work commitments with that too.

What are your top three challenges this week?

1. Renegotiating every showcase contract, interviewing and finding new clients for the showcases. Doing a feasibility study on the construction of new ones.
2. Review of the 2013 budget
3. We are currently reviewing a change in legislation with regards to agency staff and I need to review how we will balance our manning in 2013 between temporary staff, permanent staff and agency staff.

How did you choose those managers under you?

My four most senior assistants have been with me for years. We focus on each person’s core strengths to ensure these combine well with each other. Personality is a key factor. We have a good team and for this reason we can ensure we develop and nurture each individual. We promote from within 80% of the time, the other 20% is hired from outside and bring with them new ideas and perspectives.

What criteria?

Their strengths, job skills, commitment and personalities are all important.

How do you deal with staff coming from different cultures?

I believe it is important to be aware of different cultures; I try not to have a majority of any one nationality. My team is not permitted to speak their mother tongue other than English in front of others. Everyone is well integrated and everyone is treated the same. Team spirit and training with a buddy ensure everyone is unified into our big family. The staff restaurant offers food from all over the globe; this educates us on all different culinary delights and promotes a motivating environment and hence reduces absenteeism.

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

Being involved at the planning stage of a project is a big advantage. Ensuring there are sufficient funds in place at the start and getting involved in the mockup room important. Often I get called on to review plans before the hotel is constructed. It is vital that a Housekeeper approve plans at this stage to ensure the work flow and spaces are correct.  For example when I was involved in a project in Majorca, I spoke to many Housekeepers there and learnt essential information such as staff requiring summer and winter uniforms and the need for a refrigerated rubbish and recycling area at the loading dock because of the heat in summer. Consideration on how employees will commute was important and the ways that different levels of staff work together. When undertaking any project, I love reviewing plans and elevations. I also enjoy the travel aspect of experiencing new cultures, reviewing new spaces, new machines, equipment, technology and meeting new people with different ideas and perspectives.

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

1. Know finance and be in charge of the financial workings of your Department
2. Focus on what you need to achieve to reach the standards required.
3. It is all about your team. Be flexible, treat everyone as an individual. Be fair and communicate as much as possible to each and every one.

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

Not a lot.  You need to make mistakes to learn by them and grow.

Had I known, I would have developed my financial acumen faster, now knowing how important this is for a Housekeeper.

We, as Housekeepers often undervalue ourselves, now I spend time promoting our role. This has improved the awareness of our importance within the operation and has emphasised my own position within the hotel.

What advice would you give someone starting out in housekeeping?

1. You need to have a strong personality and be able to stand up for yourself
2. You need an eye for detail and a wide vision
3. You need to be able to solve problems
4. You need imagination
5. You need to be able to think on the spot
6. You need to be organized and focused.
7. You need to be a motivator and act always fairly.
8. Do not accept micro-management if you want to perform properly.
9. You have to be flexible.

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

My daughter grew up with little support, on the positive side this made her stronger and more independent. I have an extremely supportive partner, someone who accepts all that I do.

What do you do for fun?

Horse riding, skiing, sailing and decorating. I love new ideas. I would rather spend my Sunday in a DIY shop than in a girly shop.

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

I feel the role has been downgraded over the years because Housekeepers have lost control of the finances of their Department. This is not the same for other Departments. Too many Housekeepers are promoted too quickly and there are not enough Professional Housekeepers to teach and train the next generation. Since Rooms Division Managers came into play, Housekeepers are lower paid and the role is less attractive creating a down ward spiral.

Where do you think it is heading?

Hotels are starting to realise they need the expertise of a good Housekeeper to achieve high standards, properly manage costs and save in the right areas of the operation without compromise. Websites like TripAdviser have increased the awareness of the importance of service and standards. Housekeeping is no longer a department that should be used to make savings. A bad reputation is very costly.

About Jumeirah Carton Tower

The 5 star Hotel has 220 rooms and diverse banqueting suites with a wonderful pool, gym, golf simulator and massage/therapy rooms. It is situated in the heart of Knightsbridge and is located within walking distance of Harrods and Harvey Nichols department stores and the exclusive designer boutiques of Sloane Street. Jumeirah Carlton Tower was voted Europe’s Leading Business Hotel 2011 at the World Travel Awards; top three best hotels for service in the UK in the Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2011 and 4th place for Best UK Business Hotel in the 2010 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards.

About Lycette & Associates

L&A specialises in all aspects of Housekeeping Management including on-site consulting, training and development workshops including assistance with initial set-up of housekeeping operations at the pre-opening stage. L&A also undertakes customised operational reviews of existing housekeeping operations identifying and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of current departmental procedures. For more information visit www.lycetteandassociates.com or e-mail info@lycetteandassociates.com