Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 - (Page 56)

56 Special Report H&MM October 1, 2007 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition CLEANING & MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS Efﬁciency Continued from page 54 ity Group to offer second language programs to its housekeeping staff, Kerrigan said. And employees across the board now are being trained on how to operate the newest technologies, which increase efﬁciency in keeping a hotel clean. At the Gaylord Opryland, a property-management system is run solely by computer programs that are much more sophisticated than they were in the past. When housekeeping personnel arrives, instead of printing a report of all the rooms that were occupied the previous night, management now is able to allocate certain rooms to certain housekeepers and provide more details to the staff. “We no longer spend hours breaking down room counts,” McCann said. “It’s a huge amount of labor savings.” Easier time Efﬁciencies in the cleaning industry have helped considerably. Coffee makers now brew by the cup directly into a mug, which means housekeepers don’t have to remove and clean coffee pots on a daily basis. Housekeepers use lighter, quieter vacuum cleaners that can be run throughout the night without disturbing guests in adjacent rooms. In lobbies and hallways, housekeepers use mostly cordless devices, which prevent accidents and help staff move more quickly. But the introduction of technology has brought with it a vast array of guest expectations. Guests CIRCLE NO. 110 expect the newest technology and best products in their room, and they expect service to be quick and painless. For example, at Windsor Hospitality Group properties, all rooms are triple sheeted, which affects the time housekeepers put into cleaning linens. “Things that 15 to 20 years ago were considered concierge are now standard,” Kerrigan said. “The expectations of the customer have changed.” Gerry Chase, c.e.o. of New Castle Hotels and Resorts, agreed, saying New Castle’s biggest change has been in its bedding/linens program. With the introduction of duvets about six years ago, there has been a 10 percent increase in linen costs, and it also takes more time to clean each room. Therefore, he said, the amount of rooms a housekeeper cleans per day, or per eight hours, has decreased slightly. Chase NEW CASTLE “As a company, we have made adjustments to that,” he said. “More demand in the hotels has helped offset the costs.” Chase said New Castle has spent a great deal of time over the past six months looking into their green program. They are attempting to use new technologies to speed up the laundry process while saving on energy consumption. More biodegradable products are being used, and New Castle is transferring to new washing machines that consume less water. “We hope to have it down by the end of this year,” Chase said. As new technologies are introduced, housekeeping duties continue to evolve. Hoteliers focus on training their staff on the newest equipment, and the new equipment helps employees work more efﬁciently. As these changes aim to improve the quality of a room, Kerrigan said it is important to have excellent communication with the housekeeping staff. “They need to be given the tools,” he said. “It’s one of those under-appreciated departments, and they need to be valued employees.” jfreed@questex.com http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007 Contents Independents Rely on Guest Feedback Models Showcase Aloft, Element Brands Trainers Emphasize Communication, Cooperation Perspective At Your Risk Satisfaction Trends Sales Clinic Energy Star Update HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Dressing Walls in 'Green' Music Programming Provides a Sound Solution Remote Check-In/Out for Leisure Travelers Q&A: Western U.S. Pipeline Softgoods - Beds and Bedding Transactions A Cause Célèbre Awards People on the Move Events Cleaning and Maintenance Solutions Marketplace Ad/Editorial Index Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 1, 2007

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