Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Housekeeping House Attendant

🎯 Role Definition

The Housekeeping House Attendant is a critical support role and the backbone of the Housekeeping department. This position ensures that our Room Attendants have the necessary supplies, our hallways and public areas are immaculate, and guest requests are handled with speed and efficiency. More than just a support function, the House Attendant is a proactive guardian of hotel standards, directly impacting guest safety, comfort, and their overall impression of the property. This individual is a mobile hub of activity, responsible for the logistical flow of linens, amenities, and equipment, ensuring the entire housekeeping operation runs smoothly and seamlessly behind the scenes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

General Laborer or Cleaner
Dishwasher or Kitchen Porter
Retail Stock Associate

Advancement To:

Housekeeping Supervisor or Team Lead
Housekeeping Inspector or Quality Assurance
Facilities Maintenance Technician

Lateral Moves:

Laundry Attendant
Public Area Attendant
Bell Attendant or Porter

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Proactively stock and organize linen closets and storage rooms on guest floors with towels, sheets, pillowcases, and other terry products to ensure Room Attendants have adequate supplies.
Systematically remove soiled linens, terry, and trash from Room Attendant carts and designated collection points, transporting them to the laundry and disposal areas.
Respond with urgency and professionalism to guest and front desk requests, delivering items such as rollaway beds, cribs, microwaves, and extra amenities directly to guest rooms.
Maintain the cleanliness and presentation of all guest corridors, elevator landings, stairwells, and service areas, including vacuuming, dusting, and spot-cleaning surfaces.
Operate heavy-duty cleaning equipment, such as carpet extractors, floor buffers, and polishers, to perform deep cleaning and restorative projects in hallways and public spaces.
Act as a primary point of contact for the housekeeping team on the floors, relaying important messages and coordinating support via a two-way radio or other communication devices.
Assist Room Attendants with physically demanding tasks, including flipping mattresses, moving heavy furniture, and removing large or bulky items from guest rooms.
Ensure all housekeeping equipment, including carts and vacuums, is in clean, proper working condition, and report any malfunctions for repair.
Collect, sort, and dispose of recyclable materials according to the hotel's established sustainability guidelines and procedures.
Monitor and replenish cleaning chemical supplies in designated stations, ensuring all bottles are correctly labeled in compliance with safety standards.
Conduct regular patrols of assigned floors to identify and report any maintenance defects, safety hazards, or unusual activities to a supervisor or the security department.
Participate in scheduled deep cleaning programs, focusing on tasks like high dusting, wall washing, and detailed carpet care to maintain long-term property quality.
Safely and efficiently clear any blockages in laundry and trash chutes to maintain continuous operational flow.
Greet guests encountered in hallways and public areas with a warm and professional demeanor, offering assistance as needed to enhance the guest experience.
Meticulously log the delivery and subsequent retrieval of all guest-requested amenities and equipment to ensure accurate tracking and inventory control.
Provide crucial support to other departments during peak periods, such as assisting the banquet team with the setup and breakdown of event furnishings.
Perform scheduled inventory counts of linens, amenities, and cleaning supplies within floor closets, reporting any shortages or discrepancies to the Housekeeping Manager.
Ensure housekeeping service carts are immaculately clean, well-organized, and stocked at the end of each shift for the next day's operation.
Adhere to and champion all hotel safety and security protocols, including meticulous handling of lost and found items by logging and turning them in promptly.
Facilitate the movement of both soiled and clean linen between the laundry facility and the guest floors, ensuring a constant and efficient supply chain.
Shampoo carpets and perform stripping and waxing of hard-surface floors in guest corridors and service areas as outlined in the preventative maintenance schedule.

Secondary Functions

Assist with the onboarding and peer-to-peer training of new House Attendants, demonstrating proper procedures and safety protocols.
Provide supplemental support to the laundry team, including folding linens or operating machinery during high-demand periods or staff shortages.
Participate in departmental meetings to discuss operational challenges, share ideas for improvement, and stay informed on hotel-wide initiatives.
Complete daily checklists and logs detailing completed tasks, reported issues, and inventory levels, submitting them to a supervisor at the end of the shift.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Operation of commercial cleaning equipment (e.g., floor buffers, carpet extractors, wet/dry vacuums).
Knowledge of proper handling, dilution, and storage of industrial-grade cleaning chemicals and compliance with Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Physical strength and stamina to consistently lift, push, and pull heavy loads (up to 50-75 lbs) and remain on feet for an entire shift.
Basic inventory management for stocking and tracking linens and supplies.
Familiarity with operating two-way radios or other internal communication systems.
Understanding of bloodborne pathogen and biohazard cleanup procedures.
Ability to perform minor maintenance tasks, such as changing light bulbs in fixtures.
Knowledge of proper waste disposal and recycling separation protocols.
Skill in maneuvering large, heavy items like rollaway beds and cribs in tight spaces.
Awareness of security and loss prevention procedures, including key control and reporting suspicious activity.

Soft Skills

Time Management & Prioritization: Ability to manage a dynamic list of tasks and respond to urgent requests efficiently without direct supervision.
Attention to Detail: A keen eye for cleanliness, organization, and identifying maintenance or safety issues in the work environment.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Proactively supporting Room Attendants and other team members to achieve departmental goals.
Reliability & Dependability: A strong work ethic with an excellent record of punctuality and attendance.
Problem-Solving: Ability to think on your feet to resolve minor issues, like a supply shortage or a blocked hallway, independently.
Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust to changing priorities, high-occupancy demands, and unexpected guest requests.
Interpersonal Skills: Communicating clearly and professionally with a diverse team and interacting courteously with guests.
Discretion & Integrity: Respecting guest privacy and handling lost and found items with honesty.
Initiative: Recognizing and completing tasks that need to be done without being explicitly told.
Resilience: Maintaining a positive and calm demeanor while working in a fast-paced, physically demanding role.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

No formal education is required; ability to read, write, and understand instructions is essential.

Preferred Education:

High School Diploma or GED.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Hospitality Training Certificate
Custodial or Facilities Maintenance Vocational Training

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0 - 2 years.

Preferred: 6+ months of experience in a cleaning, janitorial, or manual labor role, ideally within a hotel, hospital, or large-scale residential facility. Experience in a customer-facing position is a strong asset.