Recent interview with Tatjana Ahmed, Director of Housekeeping, Hyatt Hotels, Dubai UAE

By way of introduction, what has been your career path to date?

I started my career in 1983 with an apprenticeship in hotel management. I figured out quite quickly that housekeeping is an area in which I feel comfortable and could build a career. I moved from Germany to UAE in 1989, working for Inter-Continental hotels at that time. As UAE started to grow its hotel portfolio, it was quite easy to move around to different properties and gain experiences. In 2001 I joined the Hyatt Family and have ever since been with them. Since I had become so passionate about housekeeping, I was then asked to travel to different destinations to assist in the opening of hotels, or to carry out management operations reviews in Rooms Division to assist in improving operational aspects of the department.

What does your daily routine look like?

I start with the morning briefings, there are three of them every day. First the briefing with the room attendants, followed by the briefing with the team leaders and assistant managers. Then we have a rooms division briefing with our DOR. Since we have a lot of conferences and exhibitions, I then take my rounds trough the convention centre, also catching up with the public area team, before meeting up with my florist to discuss the VIP arrivals and arrangements. Going through emails before checking VIP arrivals. Afternoons are usually some paperwork, meeting suppliers, internal meetings, follow ups with purchasing and engineering and working on special projects. Another walk though convention and the floors before doing the last follow ups with my team leaders and assistant manager. Quickly going through the plan for tomorrow usually wraps up the day.

What would you say are your top 3 challenges today?

1 Guest satisfaction will always be a challenge as all guests are different and have different needs and wants. We keep a detailed guest profile in order not to miss anything out. A positive guest experience creates loyalty and repeat customers; that’s key to the hotel’s success.

2 Health and Safety has always played a big role in the housekeeping operation. But today it is a different ball game all together as it is on the forefront of everything we do. We can’t miss out on any cleaning aspect or even on documenting what we do on a daily basis to give proof of proper sanitation. 

3 Environmental sustainability is something we all want to advocate. But it is quite challenging to implement at times and becomes a lengthy process.

Can you talk about some housekeeping innovations you have introduced or seen lately?

Robots

Definitely coming up for larger areas to clean. The Intellibot promotes hands free cleaning, doubling up efficiency. 

IT Housekeeping programme

More and more programs are coming to the market, really smart ones which ease the operation in many aspects

Eco friendly products

Diamond pads, it’s a must have in any housekeeping operation 

Large bathroom supplies

Yes! But the refill system must make sense.

Removal of plastics

This should be every one’s priority. Look for alternative packing and wrapping.

Guest room door open or closed?

We work in teams of two, so yes, door is closed.

Steam? Ozone? Alkalised water

Steam is definitely the go-to environmentally friendly product to remove stubborn dirt and grime. Steam cleaning machines might be costly, but worth every penny.

What were the effects on COVID to the operation?
How are you managing to adjust and have there been any permanent changes to your daily operations?

As many other hotels around the globe, we also shut down our operation with the exception of the back-of-house and of course our residences. We rotated staff to come to the hotel and to maintain all areas as much as needed in order to keep them in good condition, ie opening water taps, checking that there are no leaks in public areas or rooms, etc. We had regular meetings, partly though ZOOM or TEAMS to be updated on all aspects of local and regional protocols. We then re-opened in July and business came back gradually, first local business but then soon international travellers would come back.  We build up our team as needed and are back to full strength since quite some time. Permanent changes in the operation are only a few. We focus more on health and safety and keep sanitizing our touchpoints throughout the hotel.

Where do you see the future of Housekeeping operations and how to attract the next generation of housekeeping managers?

Over the years, housekeeping has evolved into a department which is using more and more technology. Gone are the days when you swing a mop and push around a mop bucket. Cleaning equipment must be either electric or battery operated in order to be more efficient and health-friendly. AI will be the next generation of cleaning equipment and we all should be ready to embrace it. If the new trend is to adapt more modern technology to keep the property in good condition, more younger people will be wiling to join into our industry. Not only because it is people related but also fun to work with all the new gadgets which are now available for the cleaning industry.

What are the key requirements that make an exceptional housekeeping manager?

Endurance, creativity, organizational skills, detail-oriented and passion. Arm yourself with knowledge, go and visit trade exhibitions to see and learn what is out there to help you find solutions for your daily challenges.

Any words of wisdom for upcoming housekeepers?

Forever learning, forever achieving!