Housekeeping debate

Dubai's housekeeping execs discuss issues concerning staff and supplier.

What is your biggest consumable product expense?
Jimmy Francis: That would be bathroom supplies, which represent around 35—40% of the housekeeping budget. As a brand we tend to always use Bvlgari at The Ritz-Carlton, which is inline with our corporate brand standards so we continue to spend our money with Bvlgari.

Ulricke Hocke: Each hotel brand has its own standard, but we will not use non-branded amenity products. It’s more expensive but we feel that guests prefer a branded product. They look for that.

Richard Corda: The cost of paper products and tissues also adds up.

Are the hotel’s desired products generally readily available?
UH: It’s very difficult to find the right products that you’re looking for. The first delivery will come out perfect and then you struggle.

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RC: Until suppliers get the contract from you they will come to the hotel 10 times, but once the business is in their hand you have to run to them.

JF: Most of the suppliers do not have the products here, they all get them from abroad, such as from Eastern Europe; it always takes time.

Asif Khatri: It’s very slow. They cannot meet the delivery deadline because they’re relying on everybody else. For Hilton, we never go for operating equipment, linen, towels or guest amenities from global suppliers.

We have local suppliers and we know the time from order to delivery will take six months, so we have to order six months beforehand.

Hla Tun: Goods are always produced abroad and come by shipping, unless you’re prepared to pay extra.

Suvarna Bahadarpurkar: For it to improve, companies should keep a certain quantity of goods in town. You just cannot change suppliers overnight so you are literally at the suppliers’ mercy.

Do you have difficulties forecasting the quantities so far in advance?
RC: Sometimes, but at least with hotel chains there might be supplies at one of the hotels.

So if we run short we can usually request help by taking items from another property. My stock is there and if we have sister hotels running out we share, but we only have to because of this system [of advance ordering]

JF: We’ve been fortunate at Ritz-Carlton that we’ve never run out.

UH: Now, because we didn’t think summer business would have gone as well as it has, our minimum stock is empty now, but we have been able to cope. I take supplies from Al Manzil Hotel [a sister property], which is okay, but not ideal because every brand has its name on the items. You just have to be creative.