Hotels struggled to stay upright in 2020: even breaking even was considered a monumental achievement. To do so, many hotels have been forced to perform the unenviable – if necessary – task of removing services where they could. One of the most notable was and is the daily cleaning of the rooms in many hotels. The service, once taken for granted by guests, was delivered on request and usually only offered several days after check-in.

Hotels struggled to stay upright in 2020: even breaking even was considered a monumental achievement. To do this, many hotels were forced to perform the unenviable – if necessary – task of cutting services where they could.

One of the most notable was and is the daily cleaning of the rooms in many hotels. The service, once taken for granted by guests, was delivered on request and usually only offered several days after check-in.

Hilton was one of the first to bring out a formal stance on housekeeping but most brands followed suit, either by stating this publicly or by letting customers check in. The measure was reportedly a strategy to protect guests and staff from exposure to COVID-19, but it was also seen as a money saver that limited the housekeeper ‘s working hours.

Some say the move to housekeeping on demand could be one in a cascade of services and amenities, much like airlines do, which incur charges for various things that used to be free.

Does the transition have a real impact on the bottom line – save money and increase profits? Will it continue when the workload increases? What do guests think?

Like most aspects of the hospitality industry, the subject is more complex than meets the eye.

Beyond the numbers

“The reduction in stay-over cleanings has certainly brought an advantage,” said Michael Doyle, Managing Director and EVP of asset manager CHMWarnick. “If we look at household hours and equate them with a productivity metric, the total savings are 14%. While productivity has a short-term benefit, the long-term impact is not there because we had to raise wages to do housekeeping and other functions. These higher wages offset the savings.

“Industry research we’ve seen suggests that changes in housekeeping can result in savings of 100 to 200 basis points, which would affect hotel performance. However, the shortage of manpower and the extra training housekeepers need now that they haven’t cleaned the rooms all the time prevent the productivity rate from rising. “

There is also the problem of guest tolerance as guests who are not out of the hotel Leisure area coming back like business travelers, observed Doyle. “Although many leisure travelers are smart, they have a different level of tolerance than corporate guests who want everything back where it was before the pandemic.”

Jordan Bell, VP of Hotel Operations and Management Consulting at consultancy hotelAVE, also sees productivity gains from the change, but said other factors may play a role.

According to Bell, a sample of seven properties achieved a productivity increase of 10.1% in all positions of the room area in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the first quarter of 2019.

He noted, however, “We hear of significant cross-workloads due to the labor shortage over the past year, with salaried managers and employees from other areas of the hotel tampering with cleanrooms on busy days. This has the effect of artificially increasing the productivity of the rooms, while the reported managerial workforce remains relatively flat and productivity in other areas is potentially impaired. “

The data

Housekeeping per available room continues to decline globally but is showing some signs of resurgence as the demand for inchmeal declines.

As the data shows, work creep is real. And although many hotels forego daily cleaning, some brands like Omni Hotels & Resorts still offer full cleaning upon request. Like most other hotels, Omni offers the option of partial cleaning, which includes freshening the towels and disposing of rubbish.

In 2020, Omni began encouraging guests to forego cleaning services altogether, a spokesman said. “Last year Omni launched the ‘Opt Out to Help Out’ program, which gives guests the opportunity to give something back to their local communities. In return for not using cleaning services, Omni will donate a meal to Feeding America. “

consistency

Whether or not the end of the stay – Over Cleans stays in place, brands need to stay consistent in their actions, Bell said.

“From a brand perspective, there needs to be consistency, and while some markets only support housekeeping on demand or not at all, other markets will not support it. There has been a gradual evolution from changing sheets every night to green programs with occasional changes, and I honestly wonder if it will stay – over-service goes that route?

“It will likely take a brand to take the plunge, and then others will figure out how to get around it. It is not clear whether this is a decision to hold or cut; There are a number of variations in scope, frequency, additional fees, etc. that could take shape and give each brand a little leeway to do the best for their guests. “

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