Director of Housekeeping

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Director of Housekeeping leads all housekeeping and laundry operations across the hotel, including guest rooms, suites, public areas, back-of-house spaces, and hotel facilities. The role is responsible for cleanliness, presentation, sanitation, brand standards, guest satisfaction, operational excellence, and team performance. The director partners with Front Office, Engineering, Operations, and hotel leadership to support smooth operations and ensure guest readiness. The role oversees team recruitment, training, coaching, scheduling, and development; room inspection programs; productivity and labor management; inventory and linen management; departmental budgets; supplies and equipment; vendor relationships; and operational expenses. The director monitors guest feedback and operating metrics, ensures compliance with procedures and safety requirements, and supports VIP arrivals, group business, deep cleaning, special projects, and renovation or transition activities. Flexible availability, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call support, is required as needed.

Requirements

Five or more years of progressive housekeeping, hotel operations, or hospitality leadership experience is preferred.
Strong knowledge of housekeeping and laundry operations, room inspection standards, inventory management, labor management, and hospitality service standards.
Experience managing housekeeping budgets, operational forecasting, staffing plans, productivity metrics, and vendor relationships.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
Flexible availability, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call support as needed.
Passion for hospitality, leadership, teamwork, operational excellence, and creating exceptional guest experiences.

Nice To Haves

Previous Housekeeping Director, Executive Housekeeper, Rooms Division, or hotel operations leadership experience.
Knowledge of sanitation standards, OSHA regulations, chemical handling procedures, and hotel safety requirements.
Experience using hotel operational systems, housekeeping management systems, and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

Lead all housekeeping and laundry operations across guest rooms, suites, public areas, back-of-house spaces, and hotel facilities.
Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop housekeeping and laundry teams.
Maintain cleanliness, presentation, sanitation, and brand standards throughout the property.
Monitor guest satisfaction, cleanliness scores, online reviews, room inspections, and service recovery opportunities to drive improvement.
Partner with Front Office, Engineering, Operations, and hotel leadership to support hotel operations and guest readiness.
Oversee room inspection programs, housekeeping productivity, labor management, inventory control, linen management, and departmental budgets.
Manage housekeeping supplies, equipment, vendor relationships, purchasing, and operational expenses.
Ensure compliance with hotel procedures, sanitation standards, OSHA regulations, chemical handling guidelines, and safety policies.
Support VIP arrivals, group business, special projects, deep cleaning initiatives, and renovation or transition activities as needed.
Maintain cleanliness and operational readiness in housekeeping closets, laundry areas, storage spaces, and employee work areas.
Analyze operational KPIs, productivity reports, labor metrics, and housekeeping performance data to identify improvement opportunities.
Foster a collaborative, energetic, and guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy.
Perform other duties as assigned.