Have you had any unusual experiences when cleaning rooms, or do you have any horror stories about particularly messy guests?

Clift: We've had guests that cook in their rooms and some that bring pets into the hotel.

Toprak: There are many stories related to guests and staff. We once had a new staff member who was working in the room service department that took off his shoes outside the guest room door before taking an order in to the room. It was tradition in his country, and a sign of respect. The guest smiled and told us about it later.

KP Chandran: In the world of housekeeping, I don't think anything can be classed as "unusual" any more! We have had the normal items go missing from rooms - everything from folders and anti-theft hangers to wall-mounted hairdryers and duvets. And we've had guests who are a little "worse for wear" wandering around corridors in various states of attire. Several very difficult situations have arisen in my 25 years at this hotel, however, when, tragically, a guest has passed away while staying with us or - even more distressing - in a couple of instances a guest has taken their own life. This affects the whole team emotionally but we still need to move on and keep working as usual.

 

"The heavy-duty deep cleaning of our public areas and restaurants takes place in the wee small hours of the night, when all our customers are sound asleep."
 

Henderson: We have not had any horror stories or anything unusual, honestly! If a guest requests something, we make sure the guest gets it, no matter how big or small that request may be. The first time, the request may seem unusual, but afterwards, it becomes normal for us.

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Chandran: Not with Radisson, but while I was working at the One & Only Royal Mirage, and at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, I did hear - although I did not experience for myself - stories of ghost sightings in the corridors at night. Some of the team members were hesitant to work in certain areas alone at night because of these horror stories.

Ibtihaj: You would be surprised at the number of times rooms are booked and paid for but are never used, so a housekeeper enters to clean a room and it is in pristine condition, even though a guest has checked-in. Then of course, there is the opposite, when a guest checks out and the room looks like it has been turned upside down and inside out. That can take hours to clean.

What do you think could be improved in your department to help things run more smoothly?

Clift: Specialised, trained contractors would make our job easier, as would having more qualified cleaning consultants.

Toprak: Fixed check-in and check-out times for all guests would make our work easier.

KP Chandran: With such a busy and complex operation as ours, communication with front desk is the key. Better updating of the system of departure and arrival times would definitely help us with organising and scheduling the team.

Henderson: On the whole, we have a very successful operation. Our staff work with passion and dedication, but we consistently seek ways to improve ourselves and our operation.

Ibtihaj: The right training is vital to ensure that all housekeeping employees can perform to the very best of their ability. It is also important to have the right leaders in place to motivate and reward the staff to encourage dedication and loyalty.