Hotel Industry Comes Clean on Cleanliness

One of the top priorities for general managers and department heads of a hotel is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, ensuring guest satisfaction in all areas of the property extending from entrances to workout facilities. This enables the property to get positive comments on review sites, which in turn ascertains increase in business. Further, positive customer experiences result in repeat business. Irrespective of the size of your property, it is necessary to maintain a high degree of cleanliness and hygiene – not only in the hotel but also in F&B outlets of the property. Ashok Malkani examines of how the cleanliness and hygiene standards are maintained.

- Ashok Malkani

One thing that attracts a customer to Hotels is the fact that, irrespective of them being luxury or economy, they are clean. Extending from the lobby to the rooms they have a stamp of neatness and sparkling cleanliness. New research commissioned by P&G Professional (the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble), shows 78% of hotel guests believe cleanliness is the most important factor affecting their choice of where to stay. The study reveals dirty bedsheets (71%) are most likely to make a guest walkout, followed by a disgusting bathroom (69%) or a smelly room (65%).

The importance of cleanliness can be gauged from the fact that guests would walk out if they find that the hotel is messy. That is one of the reasons why even the exteriors of the hotels are cleaned at regular intervals.

Whether you are responsible for maintaining a budget hotel or a five-star facility, your task to live up to guests’ expectations should not be underestimated.

Ayesha Sehgal, Executive Housekeeper, Hilton Mumbai International Airport, states, “Cleanliness is one of the key factors for selecting the hotel. Guests check the website and may be lured by the ambiance and décor to book a room. Repeat visits would only happen if the desired cleanliness levels are maintained by the property. With the onset of many contagious and viral diseases, one needs to ensure that the hotel booked is matching the cleaning and sanitation levels. Asthmatic guests are allergic to dust so they would always choose a hotel that is clean. To state an example, linen may look clean but could have germs. So washing it at 80 degrees Celsius would ensure that the linen and towels in the guest room are definitely sanitized.”