Awards Countdown: Housekeeper of the Year
Ten top hotel housekeeping experts have been shortlisted for the title of Housekeeper of the Year at the Hotelier Middle East Awards 2009.
Sponsored by Frette / EF Gulf, the award recognises the achievements of housekeepers, acknowledging service delivery, staff development and cases where the nominees have excelled in the line of duty.
The Awards will be judged by an independent panel and the following round-up gives some insight into the nominations that will be under scrutiny. Who do you think is the most deserving winner?
The winner will be announced at the Hotelier Middle East Awards 2009 ceremony, the industry’s must-attend event being held at the Madinat Jumeirah on October 14.
Click through to page 2 to start viewing the long-list of housekeepers...
Suvarna Bahadarpurkar
Housekeeping manager
Renaissance Dubai Hotel
Dubai, UAE
Recently awarded Manager of the Quarter 2009 for her technical expertise and leadership skills, Suvarna Bahadarpurkar has been recognised for “achieving a consistent 90% guest satisfaction score, as well as maintaining a very high associate engagement score”.
Nominator Yasmine Hidalgo, PR & Marketing communication manager at Renaissance Dubai Hotel, explains: “Suvarna is cited for her outstanding achievement in P&L results through the implementation of a very effective contingency plan which was centered on reducing costs. She was able to lower flower costs by 50%, eliminated outsourcing labor, concentrated on a more efficient schedule of her regular associates and reduced the outsourced laundry cost”.
In addition, Bahadarpurkar is praised for her attention to detail and personal communication with long-staying guests to gauge their feedback and assist with special requirements.
“Suvarna is not one to stay in the confines of the office — she walks around the hotel not only to inspect the overall cleanliness and orderliness of the hotel but also to meet and greet the guests. You will find her in the lobby interacting with guests,” says Hidalgo.
“Through her keen observation and feedback from guests, she pioneered the use of torch lights to check very narrow spaces and the ‘Under the Bed Control Card’ as a security measure, whereby every associate who is cleaning the vacant room cleans and checks under the bed and than counter signs the card ,which is further checked by the supervisor who is inspecting the room. The card is kept permanently under the bed,” Hidalgo explains.
In addition, Bahadarpurkar assists other departments in the hotel, helping ensure the
“smooth check in of big group arrivals” and working with the P&R marketing department.
She also pioneered inter-departmental quizzes as a training exercise, runs role-plays with her team and manages the “Share your talent” programme, where the associates take turns in performing for each other.
“Suvarna sees to it that the housekeeping associates are given the opportunity to cross train and transfer based on performances and vacancies within the company to develop themselves and to progress in their career,” adds Hidalgo.
Kachane Bunnag
Executive housekeeper
Dusit Thani Dubai
Dubai, UAE
A member of the Dusit Thani Dubai pre-opening team, Kachane Bunnag is described as being “the type of executive housekeeper who will roll up his sleeves and get onto the floor to get things done the way they should be done”.
Nominator Nattira Anakasiri, PR & MarCom manager at Dusit Thani Dubai, says: “Kachane is not merely liked or respected by his team, but loved and revered. This is not only because he leads a fantastic housekeeping team but because he is also an involved member of the team. He shares in everything his team experiences. If the team is running behind schedule cleaning guestrooms, Kachane is up there on the floors cleaning alongside them until the job is done”.
Praised for his honest, straight-forward and trustworthy nature, Bunnag is hands-on and accessible to his team members, says Anaskari.
“Whenever assistance is needed, Kachane never refuses and is always available to lend a hand, whether it is within his own department or assisting another department. For example, on days when the hotel’s ballroom is the venue of a large function, Kachane will be at the hotel entrance not in the capacity of executive housekeeper, but as a valet parking attendant, and he will be giving his best efforts there just as much as when he is leading the housekeeping team,” says Anaskari.
He is very accessible for members of his housekeeping team to come to him with any problems or concerns they might have and he works hard to try to resolve it. An example of his simplicity and lack of pretense can be seen in the fact that despite owning a big car and having a big position, he chooses to ride his bicycle to work instead. The greatness of Kachane is that the higher up he is, the greater humility he possesses,” she concludes.
Kachane has also successfully developed leaders among his team and when sister properties open, his team members are often sought after to help with the opening or to transfer as permanent staff.
Ulriche Hoche
Complex executive manager
Al Manzil and Qamardeen Hotels
Dubai. UAE
Southern Sun Middle East hotels wouldn’t be the same without Ulricke Hocke’s “constant care” according to the group’s regional managing director Richard Weilers.
One of the first staff members onboard with the hotel group’s Middle East division, Al Manzil Hotel and Qamardeen Hotel complex executive manager Hocke was involved in the pre-opening of the two properties in 2006, overseeing recruitment training, budgets, inventory control and other operational duties.
“Ulricke is one of those people that both guests and staff members instantly warm to. We are constantly receiving positive feedback from our guests who are made to feel at home by her warmth and hospitality,” says Weilers.
Having worked in the Middle East for more than two decades, Hocke’s knowledge of the regional hotel sector, and an emphasis on training and teamwork has enabled her to maintain a staff turnover of just 16% at the Al Manzil and Qamardeen hotels.
“The relationship between staff is crucial and it’s imperative they get along and work together to promote self-worth, satisfaction and, of course, the guests’ comfort, Hocke says.
“I believe that I am one of them. I stay very close to my staff, protect them fiercely, treat them as equals and make sure we all have a good laugh on a daily basis,” she adds.
Hocke also recently rallied hotel staff to collect money to fund chemotherapy for a team member who was diagnosed with cancer, collecting AED 25,000 in just a week.
According to John Aritho, General Manager, Qamardeen Hotel, Hocke’s contribution did not end there. Until the very last day, she sent gifts and encouragement to the gentleman.
Hocke has also been involved in community-awareness initiatives that encourage members of the city’s autistic community to work in the laundry areas of the hotels.
Mountaha Trad
Housekeeping technician
InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut
Beirut, Lebanon
Housekeeping technician Mountaha Trad has been nominated for the award of Houekeeper of the Year by InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut executive housekeeper Ghada Totayo.
Promoted from her role as rooms attendant to housekeeping technician in 2007, Trad has demonstrated “firm and positive leadership”, technical knowledge and has “succeeded in raising the standards of service delivered”.
Totayo says: “Mountaha has introduced changes to working practices and procedures to ensure that her team members of room attendants are delivering what is required of them, by holding daily meetings and weekly cleaning projects. She continually monitors the achievement of targets and objectives.
“In addition, Montaha is doing a good job co-ordinating with the engineering department to maintain the rooms in good condition and protect the hotel property,” says Totayo.
Trad is praised for her people management skills and leading by example, continues Totayo.
“In her role as team trainer, she keeps trying to establish a professional team that shares her commitment and enthusiasm for their work. She encourages them to develop their skills and she fosters a sense of professionalism that stems from her own excellent example,” says Totayo.
“Being modest and a team player, Mountaha shows readiness to offer assistance for her team in order to help them to achieve the preset goals. Her firm but fair management style ensures that her colleagues and subordinates have a clear understanding of the hotel product knowledge, most recent training and other hotel information. Her conscientious approach helps bring out the best in her team.
“Mountaha’s focus never strays from the job in hand and her commitment and dedication are exemplary,” concludes Trad.
Helma Eppstein
Director of Housekeeping
Al Bustan Palace InterContinental
Muscat, Oman
A housekeeping professional with 25 years’ experience, Helma Eppstein has been nominated by Al Bustan Palace InterContinental area director of human resources Simon Manohar for “her outstanding contribution in running and managing an efficient housekeeping department of a hotel that is spread over 200 acres”.
Managing a team comprised of 70% Omani nationals, Eppstein is focused on team motivation, development and engagement and housekeeping is one of the top two ranked departments in the hotel’s employee engagement survey
“Helma through her leadership has built a great team comprising a large number of local talent. She keeps her team well motivated by having constant discussion and follow up with team members, ensuring their development both in terms of skills, knowledge and nurture future development,” says Manohar.
Eppstein’s service initiatives have included: introducing contemporary flower arrangements, eliminating the use of trolleys, and recruiting, training and developing a team of 20 butlers as part of a new guest service
“She also ensured that this new team integrated well with other members and also the culture of the hotel. She arranged an ‘In the Know’ trip to all the museums in the city so that the team has first hand information in order to be able to guide and advise guests,” says Manohar.
Michele Clarke
Executive housekeeper
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Dubai, UAE
Executive Housekeeper Michele Clarke joined the team at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates just over 12 months ago, following previous roles with Hilton, Hyatt and Le Meridien since entering the sector in 1971.
“Along the way she has left her mark of excellence, with programmes designed to improve standards of housekeeping across the board in properties in the UK, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE,” says Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates assistant marketing manager Sanaz Ghahremani.
“Her exceptional abilities in customer care have been drawn from experience in working with demanding clients. Clarke’s impressive list of clientele extends from singers such as Janet Jackson, Cher and Tina Turner, to top VIP royalty like Princess Ann. She has also had the fortune to serve Heads of State at high profile events, like the G8 Summit in Birmingham in 1998. This has undeniably set her in good stead to take on the responsibility of providing service of the highest quality to Royal and Embassy delegations that regularly stay at Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates,” says Ghahremani.
At Kempinski, Clarke has been credited with redesigning all staff uniforms, introducing a departmental trainer for housekeeping and laundry and identifying and nurturing “upcoming stars” within her team
“Promotion within the company is a huge morale booster,” says Clarke. “I am only as good as my staff — you need to inspire your team each morning.”
A former lecturer in Hotel and Catering at The North East Worcestershire College, Clarke heads a team of 130 people and manages 393 deluxe rooms and suites, including 15 Ski Chalets. She also oversees all guest allocation, VIP arrivals, task allocation, ordering equipment and supplies on a daily basis, as well as deciding daily staffing requirements, dealing with customer demands and holding business briefings.
Ruhul Amin
Cluster executive housekeeper
Jeddah Hilton & Qasr Al Sharq
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Steady career progression has seen Ruhul Amin promoted from the role of assistant housekeeping manager at Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria Qasr Al Sharq Palace five years ago through to housekeeping manager and then his current cluster position.
Nominated by the properties’ director of operations Alexander Musch, Amin is described as a strong people manager”, adding a “a personal touch to create high team member satisfaction.
“He has created a positive and healthy work environment where his team members are respected and recognised for their work and results throughout the year,” says Musch.
“Ruhul takes his staff with him on inspections to let them see exactly what he sees when checking a room. Once staff see the rooms from a guest’s perspective, they start to understand the finer details of guests’ needs,” says Musch.
“Sharing of skills and knowledge is important for Ruhul and he takes his role as trainer and mentor seriously. While encouraging all team members, he keeps an eye out for staff who show they are keen to develop their careers and gives them the opportunity to grow within their own hotel and take up new positions and promotions,” he adds.
Achievements in 2009 include: the internal promotion of eight housekeeping team members; company quality assurance improvement of 20% in year-to-date 2009 versus 2008 year-to-date; 8% saving on guest supplies; and conducting 70 hours of training.
He has also established an innovative housekeeping incentive, whereby team members receive recognition financially and performance-wise based on quality targets, and has the ability to “tackle 101 small things and still keep an eye on the big picture operations of two properties”.
“Ruhul has an high attention for detail and ensures that the rooms in both properties are always ready for arrival and maintained to the high standards customers expect in the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia,” adds Musch.
Mercedita Fernancez
Director of Housekeeping
The Nile Hotel Cairo Egypt
Cairo, Egypt
The Nile Hotel Cairo director of housekeeping Mercedita Fernancez, known to friends as ‘Mercy’, oversaw the extensive renovation and re-branding of the Nile Hilton when management was overtaken by The Ritz-Carlton at the beginning of the year.
Her reputation and professionalism within The Ritz-Carlton company was the reason the corporate office appointed Fernancez in a key role, according to nominator The Ritz-Carlton public relations co-coordinator Christine Nassif.
“Mercy faced a lot of challenges during the takeover period. Our housekeeping department comprises staff who have served the hotel since 1959 and so were used to one way only of doing things. Change is hard; it needs a lot of efforts and time,” says Nassif.
“In our situation, time was very little. Mercy had to lead more than 170 housekeepers and change everything in the hotel, but she succeeded to incorporate herself within the housekeeping department very quickly due to her warm personality,” adds Nassif.
Among other duties, Fernancez established a daily cleaning schedule for room attendants, focusing on areas such as shower heads and curtains. She changed the flower and plant arrangements in the rooms and the public areas, and coordinated ground cleanliness with contractors, in-house personnel and gardeners.
With a long CV of employment, Fernancez brought 31 years’ experience to the role, having previously worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa and across five-star hotels in China and Vietnam.
“Mercy is a woman of many skills; problem solving, attention to detail, creativity, style and endless enthusiasm are her key strengths.We are happy and proud to have such a great director of housekeeping,” says Nassif.
Sini Daniel
Assistant manager — housekeeping
Park Hyatt Dubai
Dubai, UAE
Park Hyatt Dubai assistant manager — housekeeping Sini Daniel has been nominated for her “dedication”, “passion” and “pride” in the job.
Daniel’s responsibilities include the operation, finance, administration and marketing of the hotel’s housekeeping department, as well as ensuring good employee relations and overseeing the cleanliness of 225 guestrooms plus public areas.
“Sini has 137 employees under her guidance and her employee satisfaction rating is always high on our employee engagement and opinion surveys,” says Park Hyatt Dubai marketing communications manager Maria Basziszta, who nominated Daniel.
“Turnover in this department is among the lowest in the hotel. Sini’s standards are high and this carries through to her employees; resulting in very positive comments from our guests and auditors, who all note the level of comfort and cleanliness within our rooms.
“Sini is constantly training her team, with service standards always being assessed. Each member of her team knows what is required of them and constantly gives consistently good-quality service,” adds Basziszta.
Daniel is also environmentally conscious and an active member of Hyatt’s environmental programme, Hyatt Earth. According to Basziszta she played a major role in implementing standards such as waste separation and helping the hotel achieve its environmental standards certificate.
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Ivor Seneviratne
Acting executive housekeeper
Mina Seyahi Complex
Dubai, UAE
A 10-year career at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi has seen Ivor Seneviratne promoted several times, most recently to acting executive housekeeping across Le Meridien and The Westin — the Mina Seyahi complex.
“He was an integral part of the opening team of The Westin and always went out of his way to ensure that The Westin had his and his teams full support over opening,” says nominator Mina Seyahi Complex director of market communications Derryn French
A favourite with his colleagues, Seneviratne achieved 100% on his “Starvoice” score as voted by staff, making him the first manager to achieve this in the hotel’s decades of operations.
“He is well respected amongst his staff and he goes about his duty with enthusiasm and always has a smile on his face,” adds French.
Hotel manager Shaun Parsons concludes: “Ivor is the sort of guy who rarely needs any direction or supervision. You just know it will happen with him in charge”.