warehouseandofficeorganization

The central warehouse, and more specifically, the office on each floor, are the logistical support points for the housekeeping department.

Keeping these spaces perfectly organized and clean is a challenging task due to the continuous movement of incoming and outgoing materials, but it is absolutely essential for the efficiency of the service.

The Flow of Supplies and the Function of the Office

Normally, a hotel establishment has a central warehouse that distributes the goods to the different departments.

The housekeeping department receives the necessary materials and stores them in the office on each floor.

This office is a small strategic warehouse that should ideally be located in the middle of the corridor to facilitate and speed up the movement of the chambermaid to the rooms.

It is the responsibility of each chambermaid to keep their corresponding office clean and tidy.

In some cases, the housekeeper may have their own small warehouse for their department, from where they supply their staff directly.

If this is not exists, the housekeeper centralizes the needs and places an order with the central warehouse using vouchers or tokens, generally on a weekly or biweekly basis.

Requirements and Infrastructure of the Plant Office

A functional office must meet certain infrastructure requirements.

It is essential that it has a running water supply, both hot and cold, to be able to fill the cleaning buckets or rinse cloths. It must also have a drainage outlet.

The space should be equipped with shelves or racks to store all the linen (sheets, towels, etc.) in a classified manner, allowing for easy identification and removal.

A very important general rule is that cleaning products should always be stored separately from other items, such as linen, to avoid contamination.

In some modern hotels, offices install "hoppers", conduits that connect directly to the laundry (usually located in the basement), allowing the maid to deposit the dirty linen and have it delivered directly to its destination, which saves considerable time and effort.

Work Planning from the Office

The housekeeper is the one who organizes and plans all the work for the department, often using the office as a base of operations in the morning.

Her day begins by meeting with her team to distribute the work, based on the lists provided by the reception.

These lists include key information such as the day's occupancy, expected entries and exits, and the occupancy forecast for the coming days.

The office must maintain minimum stocks of all the products necessary for daily work, which includes cleaning products, supplies and tools, machinery, replacement linens, and drugstore products.

For the correct overall operation of the storage system, it is essential that the facilities are appropriate in terms of space, that there is rigorous internal control of entries and exits, and that all merchandise is preserved and protected according to its characteristics.

Summary

Supplies flow from a central warehouse to a strategic office on each floor to streamline work, with the housekeeper managing orders to keep it stocked.

A functional office requires infrastructure such as running water and shelving for clothing. Cleaning products should be stored separately from linens to prevent contamination.

The housekeeper uses the office as a basis for planning daily work, based on the occupancy rosters. The office should always maintain a minimum stock of necessary products.