The layout of Housekeeping Department is very important. if it is well planned it enables the smooth functioning of the department.
It usually depend on the size of the hotel as well as physical space restrictions. The layout of the Housekeeping generally decided by the Executive Housekeeper.
The following factors are taken into consideration when deciding on the area and layout of Housekeeping Department –
- Total number of guestrooms
- Number of function rooms and number of food-and-beverage outlets
- Amount of manpower required
- Volume of business anticipated
- Number of jobs contracted out.
- Flow of traffic
Following areas are include in the Layout of Housekeeping Department
- Executive housekeeper office
- Secretary’s cabin
- Desk Control Room
- Lost and found Section
- Florist’s room
- Housekeeping Stores
- Linen and Uniform room
- Linen Store
- Sewing room
- Floor Pantry/Maid’s service room
Executive Housekeeper office
The executive housekeeper should have an independent cabin, since it is the administrative centre of the department.
A glass-panelled office with blinds to provide privacy at times, such as when meetings are conducted and confidential issues are discussed, is most appropriate.
The cabin should have one entrance-cum-exit door where entry is controlled by a secretary.
Ample built-in shelves and cup-boards with locks should be provided to store files and records.
Secretary’s Cabin
A smaller cabin should be provided for the secretary, preceding the executive housekeeper’s cabin, to enable the secretary to control movement into the housekeeper’s cabin.
Storage area for documents is essential in the secretary’s cabin.
Desk Control Room
This is the communication hub of the housekeeping department and this desk is manned 24 hours a day.
Desk control room normally adjoin the executive housekeeper’s cabin, as this is the point where all staff report their duty and sign out at the end of their shift.
It should have a large notice board to pin up information for staff.
Also have more than one telephone connection as well as storage shelves for registers and files.
Lost and found Section
This is usually an area set aside in the desk control room, away from high-traffic areas.
Acupboard with a good locking mechanism should be provided here for storing the lost-and-found articles so that they may be claimed later.
Florist’s room
This should be an air-conditioned room to keep flowers fresh for the flower arrangements required by the hotel.
It should have a work table, counters, a sink, adequate water supply, and cupboards to store equipment, containers, wire cables, and other accessories.
Housekeeping Stores
This is a room to store items such as cleaning supplies, guest supplies, and so on, which are issued on a daily basis.
And it should ideally be clean, dry, and securely locked.
Linen and Uniform room
This is the room where the linen in circulation is stored for issue when received from the laundry.
The room also stocks the uniforms in current use.
Should be situate next to the laundry.
The room should be large, secure, airy, and free from humidity.
There should be adequate shelves and racks to stock all linen and hanging facilities for uniforms.
Linen and yniform room have a counter across where exchanges can take place.
Large hotels prefer to have a separate uniform room and a dedicated linen room since the uniformed workforce is large.
Linen Store
This room stores stocks of new linen and uniforms.
It also stocks fabric and materials for soft furnishings, linen, and uniforms to be stitched.
Since the stock is used only when the linen in current circulation falls short of par, the area should be provided with shelves and racks to store linen for a longer time.
The room should be cool, well ventilated, and free from dampness.
Sewing room
This room is used for repair work carried out on linen, uniforms, and soft furnishing.
It should be large enough to accommodate sewing machines, an ironing table, and space for items to be repaired.
Floor Pantry
Though not attached to the department physically, floor pantries are very much a part of housekeeping department.
These are located on each guest floor to keep a stock of linen, guest supplies, and maid’s cart and cleaning supplies for that particular floor.
Floor pantry stores a complete set of linen for the whole floor over and above what is already in circulation in the rooms.
The floor pantries should be tucked away from guest’s view and should be situated near the service elevators.
In floor pantry store all housekeeping items so that the housekeeping staff does not have to keep going back to the housekeeping department or linen room for any item.
It should have shelves and cupboards for linen and supplies, and sufficient area to park a room maid’s cart.
Floor pantry provide water supply to floor.
Since the floor pantry is used to stock expensive items such as linen, it should remain locked at all times when not in use
The key to the floor pantry is kept by the GRA of that floor and a duplicate is kept with the floor supervisor.
The following items should be provided in a floor pantry
- Cupboards to store guest supplies, cleaning agents and equipment.
- Shelves and racks to store fresh room linen.
- Linen trolleys to store fresh and soiled linen and for transporting/dispatching the same to the linen and uniform room.
- A notice board to display information regarding expected arrivals, VIPs in the house, extra bed, and guest loan items given to guests.
- Sink with hot and cold water facilities to wash or disinfect glasses, fill drinking water in flasks, and for flower arrangements.
- Guest loan items such as rollaway beds, cribs, and bed boards.