HOUSEKEEPING PROFILE
THIS ISSUE WE INTERVIEW PAWEL KOLPAK, EXECUTIVE HOUSEKEEPER AT HOTEL GOTHAM IN MANCHESTER
Q1: GOTHAM HOTEL IS RATHER UNIQUE SO IT MUST BE FUN TO WORK THERE. WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR JOB DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST? H There are many, but the most important must be working as part of such a fantastic team. It is great to work with people who really care about our guests. And of course working in the iconic“ King of The King Street” building is a big plus.
I love the fact that I’ ve been involved with Hotel Gotham since the opening of this unique space in 2015. I have been given the chance to recruit my team, implement Standards of Operation, Procedures, and build the entire Department from scratch beginning. Which has resulted in a wonderful team and experience.
Q2: THERE ARE 60 ROOMS TO LOOK AFTER SO WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB EACH DAY? H The objective of the business is to consistently make the Gotham experience as comfortable and unique as possible. Within this, our job is to make sure we give every guest the highest standards of personal and memorable service. The guest’ s experience is the most important, but my responsibility is also to ensure my team feel happy and appreciated for the hard work they put in.
Q3: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FUNNIEST, STRANGEST ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN LEFT BY GUESTS IN THE ROOMS? H Oh there are many stories I could tell but ….. What goes on at Gotham stays at Gotham, right?
Q4: IS THE GUEST EXPERIENCE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN YOUR ROLE, AND DO YOU THINK GUESTS APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF THE HOUSEKEEPING TEAM? H Guest experience is our priority and of course our guests appreciate the housekeeping team and hard work we do every day. We get a lot of positive feedback and comments regarding cleanliness and the standard of service provided by the housekeeping team
Q5: WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER AS EXEC HOUSEKEEPER? H The relationship with suppliers can sometimes be challenging. If I have a delivery, it needs to be complete and be delivered at the scheduled time and that’ s not always the case. But you can’ t have everything, I suppose!
Q6: IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS PROVIDED FOR GUESTS IN THE GUEST BEDROOMS AND BATHROOMS? H Firstly, our beds are very comfortable, with good quality bedding and a high thread count for the linen. The touch and feel of our linen suggests unrivalled luxury. In fact, our mattresses are so great our guests often write requesting to purchase them!
Secondly, our bathrooms have powerful monsoon showers, high quality toiletries and fluffy towels.
Q7: DO YOU WORK AS A TEAM AND, IF SO, HOW DO YOU MANAGE EACH DAY? H Housekeeping, as with any successful department, relies heavily on teamwork in order to be successful. To manage such a team you need to have patience because you are dealing with so many different employees. You really need to understand them and remain calm while juggling multiple priorities and considerations. You need to listen to all your team members and ensure they understand each other.
The manager must also must make sure the team feels valued and appreciated. More often than not, a simple“ Thank you – Great Job” will suffice. But one shouldn’ t stop there. A birthday card, fun incentive, box of chocolates … all little touches like this can add to making a work place a great environment to be in.
Q8: TELL US ABOUT A TYPICAL DAY H I start early, at around 7am, when I allocate all jobs for Room Attendants, Public Areas and Linen Porters. I then inspect the public areas to make sure
26 Housekeeping management