"It's a challenging job but I've got a terrific team of people and between us we make it happen."

Head House Keeper My name is Simon and I am a Head House Keeper in a four star hotel in Leeds. I thoroughly enjoy working in hotels and have been in the Hotel and Catering leisure industry for 16 years now. When I was at school I had part-time jobs in hotels, so it was natural that I would want to develop my career in that area. I enjoy being a key player in the Hotel Management team. I have an excellent team of motivated people and my job is to make sure that we keep the hotel in tip top shape 24 hours a day.

A Day in the Life

I always got up early and generally wake up at 5.30am . The first job is to feed the cats. I love them to pieces and in and working in a Hotel where your hours can vary, its always good to have a warm welcome home.

7.30 am - Arrive at the hotel. Even after working in the sector for a few years I still pinch myself that I've got such a great place to work. It always looks top class and has to 24 hrs a day.

Have a cup of tea, print the Job sheets, allocate the work. I have twenty staff that work in the department so I need to keep them all busy and motivated.

I have some staff that are already in who have already started in the public areas. I would visit these areas and check up to see that its all happening.

9.00 am - Once I've sorted the paperwork, I try to do a staff appraisal early. Its important the we develop strong teams so I place high importance on this area

9.30 am - The bedroom staff work generally from 9.00 to 3.00pm so I would make sure that everything is running smoothly.

10.00am - Head of Departments meeting. This a daily event and everyone attends. Its to update us on any special guests who are arriving and any particular requirements. Its important that everyone knows exactly what is happening throughout the hotel, this information then gets fed through to your teams so we are all kept informed.

10.30am - Do a building check. Oversee the linen delivery make sure that nothing has been missed.

11.30am - Take lunch. I generally take something in the Staff Canteen, the food is first class.

12.30pm - Check more rooms. A number of the House Keepers are able to check there own rooms but until they are experienced a double check is always carried out. Two pairs of eyes are better than one.

2.30pm - Attend a Function Sheets meeting. This generally last thirty minutes and covers the conferences for the coming week. This is important for me as I need to know what additional workload there is due, so I can allocate staff early to each task. Any overtime required can be arranged in advance.

3.00pm - Have a last minute check around the public areas before leaving for home at the end of another satisfying day!

Background and Training

Started work once I left school in a privately owned Hotel as an Assistant Manager. Unfortunately the training wasn't up to much so I moved to a Hotel Group as a Trainee Manager.

Left the Blackpool area so moved to Yorkshire, fancied a change so went to work at Morrisons in the Customer Restaurant. Ended up as Department Manager.

After two years there moved to Betty's in Harrogate to take up a Facilities Manager's role. I was responsible for all aspects of the site, Cleaning, Laundry, Staff Catering and the General upkeep of the building. After 8 happy years at Betty's wanted a move back to Leeds so applied for Senior Housekeeping Role at my current hotel.

It's a great job, it keeps me busy, active and I enjoy working as a key player in the hotel team.

Career Progression

They are currently looking at converting the Head of Housekeeping Role into a broader Facilities Managers post.

This means that in addition to being responsible for the day to day upkeep, I also am involved in the renovation programme and preventative maintenance.

As the hotel in only two years old at the moment, there hasn't been a post necessary up until now, but we need to work hard to maintain standards.

Qualifications Needed

That varies according to the hotel. I have a HND in Hotel Management but that's not essential. In saying that the qualification does give you a much better understanding of other departments and how they operate.

Qualities Needed

Calm and unflappable. A good team worker, this isn't a job where you stand at a distance. There are many times when its all hands to the pumps and that includes getting other staff from other departments to pitch in too.

A good eye for detail, if you are the last person to check a room for a guest, its got to be top notch.

Strong legs and arms, I reckon I walk 9 miles a day and I am often carrying something!