Housekeeping Manager

The Newbury Boston•Boston, MA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company, widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. It is a dominant player in U.S. gateway markets such as New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco, and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate's global property portfolio has an aggregate asset value exceeding $20 billion and generates over $5 billion in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate also possesses the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools to identify and predict evolving market dynamics, driving performance and maximizing asset value. With an executive team comprising some of the industry's most experienced hotel management leaders, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. The company maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle. The Newbury Boston, located at One Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay, is an iconic property that originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and was most recently the Taj Boston. The building has been recently transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel featuring 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences, and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street. The Housekeeping Manager is responsible for ensuring the operation of the Housekeeping Department in an attentive, friendly, efficient, and courteous manner, providing all guests with quality service and a clean and safe environment throughout their stay, while efficiently managing expenses and maximizing service levels.

Requirements

At least 5 years of progressive experience in a hotel or a related field; or a 4-year college degree and 3 or more years of related experience.
Must be proficient in Windows, Company approved spreadsheets and word processing.
Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner.
Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
Attend all hotel required meetings and trainings.
Support Highgate core values: passion, innovation, integrity, ownership and community.
Facilitate, prepare and attend weekly WIG meetings and track results.
Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
Perform other duties as requested by management.
Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.

Nice To Haves

One year of Housekeeping Management experience in a luxury setting preferred.

Responsibilities

Employees must, at all times, be attentive, friendly, helpful, and courteous to all guests, managers, and fellow employees.
Respond to all guest requests, problems, complaints and/or accidents presented through reservations, comment cards, letters and/or phone calls, in an attentive, courteous and efficient manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.
Motivate, coach, counsel and discipline all Housekeeping personnel according to Highgate Hotel SOP's.
Ensure compliance to Standard of the Week training, using the steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards.
Maintain a regularly scheduled cleaning program (i.e. floor care, hard cleaning, mattress flipping, etc.) and maintain a detailed checklist for each position.
Assist in maintaining and controlling all housekeeping equipment.
Assist in ensuring compliance with all corporate Risk Management standards (MSDS, HazComm, etc.).
Ensure that large guestroom turns are managed efficiently.
Ensure consistency with departmental opening and closing procedures.
Carry a pager at all times.
Prepare and conduct Housekeeping interviews as required and follow hiring procedures according to Highgate Hotel SOP's.
Develop employee morale and ensure training of Housekeeping personnel.
Inspect rooms daily, and ensure that some rooms are inspected with supervisors on a daily basis.
Assist the Director of Housekeeping in inspecting all VIP rooms prior to arrival.
Ensure that public areas, guest rooms and back-of-house areas are cleaned to Highgate Hotel standards.
Assist in maintaining required pars of all Housekeeping and Laundry supplies by ordering all needed supplies and amenities on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Assist in conducting monthly and quarterly Housekeeping inventories on a timely basis.
Ensure guest privacy and security through correctly following Highgate Hotel procedures.
Monitor work orders and submit to Engineering according to hotel procedures. Follow up on work orders to ensure completion.
Conduct pre-shift meetings for room attendants and housemen.
Respond to emergency situations using information contained in MSD sheets. Keep MSD sheets current and easily available.
Balance and clear room status nightly; compare the p.m. housekeeping report with the PMS room status report and resolve any discrepancies.
Assist in reviewing Housekeeping staff's worked hours for payroll compilation and submit to Accounting on a timely basis.
Assist in preparing employee Schedule according to business forecast, payroll budget guidelines and productivity requirements.
Maintain Highgate Hotel SOP's regarding Purchase Orders, vouchering of invoices and checkbook accounting.
Maintain a professional working relationship and promote open lines of communication with managers, employees and other departments.
Ensure implementation of all Highgate Hotel policies and house rules. Understand hospitality terms.
Ensure sign off of all Service Standards by Position competencies for Housekeeping staff.
Operate pagers and radios efficiently and professionally in communicating with hotel staff. Ensure the proper use of radio etiquette within the department.
Manage and organize large turn days (including group check-ins or check-outs).
Monitor out-of-order, out-of-service, discrepant and show rooms.
Must maintain constant communication with Guest Services.
Monitor and act on special requests as needed; VIPs, special needs rooms, connecting, etc.
Attend weekly staff meeting and provide training on a rotational basis using steps to effective training according to Highgate Hotel standards.
Maintain and monitor "Lost and Found" procedures and policies according to Highgate Hotel standards.
Maintain key control system for house keys.
Ensure participation within department for monthly Highgate Hotel team meeting.
Focus the Housekeeping Department on their role in contributing to the Guest Service and audit Scores.
Monitor all V.I.P.'s, special guests and requests.
Review Housekeeping log book and Guest Request log on a daily basis.
Assist in maintaining an organized and comprehensive filing system with documentation of purchases, vouchering, schedules, forecasts, reports and tracking logs.
Use the telephone and computer system for reporting and verifying room status.
Record all valet laundry for valet cleaners. Check and review incoming laundry at end of day to ensure all items have been returned.
Properly store, secure and issue supplies as needed to meet business demands.
Ensure completion of regular maintenance and cleaning projects on a biannual basis.
Ensure overall guest satisfaction.