Draw the layout of Housekeeping Department.
Answers
Answer:
The layout is dependent on the size of the hotel as well as physical space available. Factors taken into consideration while planning the layout are
Total number of guest rooms
Number of food & beverage outlets as well as function rooms
Amount of manpower required
The volume of business anticipated
Number of jobs contracted out
The flow of traffic ( people and equipment)
The following areas constitute the layout of the housekeeping Department
Housekeeping Office – This is the main administrative centre for the department. It must be an independent cabin to provide the Housekeeper with silence to plan his work. It also provides the housekeeper with the privacy to counsel her staff or hold departmental meetings. It should preferably be a glass-panelled office with blinds so as to give housekeeper a view of what is happening outside his/her office. The cabin should have one entrance/ exit door. The office should be preceded by a cabin for the secretary who would control movement into the housekeeper’s office. The room should have ample built-in shelves, cupboards with locks to store all files.
Control Desk Room – This is the main communication centre of housekeeping manned 24hrs a day. It is from here that all information is sent out and received concerning the department. It is the nerve centre for coordinating with FO, Banquets, etc. The control desk should have a telephone & a notice board to pin up staff schedules, day to day instructions. The control desk is a point where all staff report for duty and check out at the duty end. It would normally adjoin the Housekeeper’s office.
Linen Room – This is the room where current linen is stored for issue & receipt. The room should be large, airy and free from heat & humidity. It should have adequate shelves, easily accessible, to stack all linen. It should be secure & offer no possibilities for pilferage. The linen room should have a counter across which the exchange of linen takes place. The room preferable should be adjoining the laundry so that the supply of linen to & from the laundry is quick & smooth.
Uniform Room – This room stocks the uniform in current use. In a smaller hotel uniform room may be combined with the linen room. A separate uniform room may depend on the volume of uniform in circulation. The only difference would be that the uniform room would have adequate hanging facilities as many uniforms are best maintained when hung.
Tailors Room / Sewing Room – This room is kept for in house tailors who attend to the stitching & mending of the linen & uniform. If the house policy is to contract out all tailoring and mending work, the tailor room could be avoided. It should be large enough to accommodate sewing machines, an ironing table, work table and place for items to be repaired or stitched.
Lost & Found Section – This should be a small space away from the thoroughfare, secure, cool & dry with a cupboard to store all guest articles that are lost & may be claimed later.
Flower room – This is an air-conditioned room to keep fresh flowers for such flower arrangements as the hotel may require. The room should have work tables, a sink & water supply.
Equipment store – This will room to store bulky equipment like floor scrubbing machines, vacuum cleaners, roll away beds and mattresses. The room should be clean & dry. It should also be securely locked to avoid pilferage.
House Keeping Stores – This is a room for storing items such as guest supplies, cleaning agents etc.
Floor Pantry – This is also known as Maid’s Serv
