Behind the Scenes: Insights from Our Executive Housekeepers
It’s one of our favorite weeks of the year – International Housekeeping Week and we’re celebrating our associates who play a vital role in delivering hospitality, finely tuned. Our housekeeping teams ensure every detail is fine-tuned to create a welcoming environment, where guests feel not just at home, but truly valued. Because it’s the little things that turn a stay into a memorable experience. Meet three of our passionate housekeeping leaders who help us deliver unforgettable performances every day.
How long have you been in the hospitality industry?
Edith: I have been in the hospitality industry for 21 years. I started my career as a room attendant and have worked my way up through various roles, eventually becoming a director.
Doris: As long as I’ve lived here, for 9 years.
Claudia: 9 years.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Edith: The people I serve – my guests and my team. Over the years, I’ve found that sharing my knowledge to help others grow and doing something positive for someone brings me a great deal of satisfaction.
Doris: The great feeling of accomplishment when the room is clean after it was destroyed.
Claudia: My favorite part of my job is our guests. I take great pride in making their stay as perfect as possible.
Any tips [leadership or cleaning] to share?
Edith: Lead by example and empower your team members and lead by example. Create a fun and positive work environment. Demonstrate how working together can make a real difference—when everyone sees the positive impact of their collective efforts, it boosts morale knowing we all make each other stronger.
Doris: Use vinegar to clean anything if there are no chemical cleaners available. It works the same and is like magic!
Claudia: Making a bed that’s larger than a twin can be time-consuming no matter which corner you start with, you almost always realize you put the long end of a fitted sheet on the short end of the mattress. The trick is tags always go on the bottom.
How do you motivate yourself and your team?
Edith: I’ve learned that sticking to the same routine can make work feel boring and uninspiring. To keep things fresh, I challenge people to grow and chase their own goals in the industry. I love empowering my team to think and act like leaders—it keeps them excited and gives their work real meaning. I also promote a culture of sharing by encouraging everyone to teach others what they know. This way, everyone stays engaged and invested, and we all keep learning and growing together.
Doris: I’m always motivated, seriously, always. Tracking our service and cleanliness scores, working to achieve top brand ranking, and always knowing we can improve is what drives me. For my team, I love to serve them good food—tacos and consistently show my appreciation for their hard work to keep them motivated.
Claudia: Motivation is about more than just doing the job at hand, it’s about doing your job with passion and purpose. I’m a self-starter and I lead my team by example. I hold inspiring morning meetings and create fun incentives, not just focusing on where the team can improve but recognizing them for a job well done.
What does hospitality mean to you?
Edith: It’s about creating memorable experiences and making real connections with a diverse range of people—this applies to both our internal and external guests; they are all important to keep happy. Seeing their joy and knowing I played a part in it brings me a deep sense of personal fulfillment.
Doris: Making my guests comfortable, letting them feel like this is their home-away-from-home.
Claudia: Making sure every detail is finely tuned to create a welcoming environment.
From your genuine care and attention to cleanliness to inspiring your teams daily—thank you for being shining examples of what it means to make others feel welcomed.
_
24seven Hotels
