Five-star hotels are the ultimate splurge for travellers, but what goes into maintaining a luxury hotel?
According to Melissa Hugo, rooms division manager at The Table Bay, a Cape Town hotel frequented by celebrity clientele, besides the usual perks of a fancy hotel, travellers want top-notch cleanliness.
She said the role of housekeepers were extremely vital in a five-star property, especially during the pandemic.
“They can make or break a hotel, so they are important when you are a five-star property like The Table Bay. Everything has to be perfect from check-in to check-out and everything in-between,” she said.
Hugo, who has worked as an executive housekeeper for many hotels, is responsible for the housekeeping and front of house departments. She manages a staff of up to 60 people.
“I decided to go into housekeeping because I felt I could add value in employee relations and management in this department, respect and care improves productivity and results in staff who are more empowered.
“My management style is to allow people the space to be responsible for their own work, I give them the tools and leave them to it, but you need to own up to your mistakes thereafter," she said.
A typical day for Hugo starts at 7am.
“As an operations manager, I balance managing daily operations and behind the scenes administration and management. Guests are my focus as they need to come first, but you also need to balance this with management and administrative tasks to keep the hotel going.
“I understand our responsibility in keeping our guests and staff safe. Guests have been understanding in a post-Covid world, with the many changes for health and safety reasons," she said.
The pandemic brings with it many challenges.
Hugo said one cannot plan much as things in the hotel sector always changes.
"Our staff has had to learn to be flexible, and it is a balancing act between health and safety and luxury. We are hoping lots of eager international guests will come this summer season," she said.