The Harrowgate Hotel: Staff Areas on the Lower Ground Floor

Welcome

Guests at the Harrowgate Hotel never see the lower ground floor, but almost every member of staff passes through it each day. This part of your induction pack explains how the floor is laid out so that you can find your way on your first shift. Departments are listed in the order you will usually reach them after arriving.

Arriving and leaving

The staff entrance is at the south-western corner of the hotel, down a short ramp from Clarence Street. Inside the door you will immediately pass the security office, where you must show your identity badge and collect any keys you need. The officer on duty also holds lost property and can issue a temporary badge if you have forgotten yours. Directly to the east of the security office, filling most of the south side of the floor, is the staff restaurant, where meals are free for anyone working a shift of six hours or more.

Uniforms and housekeeping

From the security office, walk north to the uniform room, which is against the west wall. Clean uniforms are handed out here between 6.30 am and 2 pm, and dirty ones must be returned in the marked bags. The long service corridor runs east from the uniform room across the middle of the floor. At its eastern end, against the east wall, is the housekeeping office, where room attendants receive their lists of rooms each morning and report any damage they find.

Laundry and linen

The laundry takes up the north-western part of the floor and runs twenty-four hours a day. Next to it, on the east side of the laundry, is the linen room, where clean sheets and towels are folded and stored on shelves before being taken up to the bedrooms. Room attendants may collect linen themselves but should not enter the laundry, where the machines are hot and the floor is often wet.

Technical areas

The boiler room in the north-east corner is locked at all times and may only be entered by the maintenance team. If you notice a strong smell of gas or hear an alarm from this area, call the maintenance supervisor on extension 400 straight away. The goods lift, in the south-east corner beyond the staff restaurant, carries trolleys, linen and deliveries to the upper floors. Guests are never allowed to use it, and staff should not ride in it with heavy loads unless the load is secured.

General rules

Please keep the service corridor clear of trolleys and boxes, as it is also an emergency escape route. Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere inside the building. Staff should use the guest lifts only when accompanying a guest or when instructed to by a manager.