Ivydale Grand Hotel Housekeeping Staff Handbook

Your working day

Room attendants at the Ivydale Grand Hotel normally work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. At the start of each shift, collect your room list and keys from the housekeeping office on the lower ground floor. Each attendant is usually given fourteen rooms to clean, although this may be reduced when there are a large number of guests checking out on the same day, as these rooms take longer to prepare. Attendants who finish early should ask the supervisor whether help is needed on another floor.

Entering a room

Always knock firmly and announce yourself as Housekeeping before entering a room. Wait ten seconds, then knock and announce yourself again. If there is no reply, open the door slowly. Never enter a room displaying a Do Not Disturb sign. If such a sign is still on a door at 2 p.m., inform the housekeeping supervisor, who will telephone the guest to check that they are well.

Cleaning standards

Bed linen and towels in occupied rooms are changed every third day, unless the guest asks for them to be changed more often. In rooms where guests have checked out, everything must be replaced. Use only the cleaning products supplied on your trolley, and never mix different products together. Hairdryers, kettles and televisions should be tested in every room, and any faults reported through the maintenance app on your phone.

Guests' belongings

Do not move or open a guest's luggage, and leave personal items such as jewellery and papers exactly where you find them. Any items left behind in a room after a guest has checked out must be taken to the housekeeping office immediately and recorded in the lost property book. Items of value are kept in the hotel safe for six months, while clothing and other items are kept for three months.

Your own safety

Keep your trolley across the open doorway while you work, so that nobody can enter the room without your knowledge. If a guest behaves in a way that makes you uncomfortable, leave the room at once and report the matter to your supervisor. Gloves must be worn when cleaning bathrooms, and any broken glass should be placed in the yellow container on your trolley, not in an ordinary bin bag.

Uniform and breaks

Your uniform is supplied and laundered by the hotel. Flat shoes with non-slip soles must be worn, and you will receive an allowance of £40 a year towards their cost. You are entitled to a thirty-minute paid break and a free hot meal in the staff canteen. Breaks are arranged by your supervisor so that each floor always has at least one attendant on duty.