Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

Housekeeping Department
Guestrooms cannot be sold until they have been cleaned and made ready for the next
guest. The executive housekeeper typically receives a PMS-generated report specify-
ing the rooms that were occupied the previous evening. Information about room sta-
tus is provided, for example, rooms that are clean or dirty, vacant or occupied.
Although formats of reports may vary by property, all housekeepers depend on the
PMS and the FOM to produce accurate room status updates when they are needed.
On days when checked-out rooms are required for arriving guests, the rooms
should be cleaned as soon as possible, before rooms for stayover guests are freshened.
A first step is for front desk agents to notify the housekeeping department as soon as
a check-out occurs. Conversely, housekeepers inform the front office about rooms
that were occupied by guests who checked out without notifying the front desk. As
you can see, ongoing and effective communication between these two departments is
critical. The situation is complicated by the various types of rooms—smoking and
nonsmoking, double-bedded, ocean view, and so on. Matching the needs of incom-
ing guests with the sequence of rooms to be cleaned requires an executive house-
keeper with a significant amount of skill, experience, and judgment.
Traditionally, after rooms are cleaned and inspected, they are ready to sell, and
the front desk is notified. In some properties, housekeepers hand-carry room status
reports to the front desk or phone the front desk from the executive housekeeper’s
office or a guestroom to inform the front desk of status changes. When telephones
are interfaced with the PMS, updates can be made from the guestroom’s telephone,
and wireless technology even permits instant communication between the room
inspector and front office personnel.
One method of interaction between the front office and housekeeping depart-
ment involves room checks. In many properties, two regular room checks are made
daily: one in the morning and one in the afternoon.