STANDARD

OPERATING
PROCEDURES

Housekeeping

More Reservations. Happier Guests.™

 CONTENTS

3 Introduction
4 How to use this Ebook
5 Cleaning Requirements and Standards
11 Housekeeping Management
19 Cleaning Guest Rooms
24 Cleaning Public Areas
26 Pest Activity Procedure
31 Lost & Found Items
35 Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing Items
39 Cloudbeds Useful Guides

Legal disclaimer
The SOP templates provided by Cloudbeds in this eBook is for general informational purposes only. Here we are
sharing our hospitality knowledge and experience but we make no representation or warranty of any kind
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regarding the accuracy and completeness of this information. Please kindly use it as general recommendations
and references. It is the responsibility of the property to adapt it to fit its business reality and needs.

2
 Introduction
Any successful hotel or vacation rental utilizes numerous processes in order to operate
effectively and efficiently. To ensure all processes are aligned and delivered consistently, all staff
members should be familiar with the property’s standard operating procedures. In the hospitality
industry, well-defined SOPs help deliver the best guest experience, ensure service and safety
standards, lower costs, reduce errors, and provide faster employee onboarding.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are written step-by-step guides on how to perform routine
or repetitive activities in the workplace.

Here, at Cloudbeds, we understand that independent properties may not have the time or
necessary sources to create their own SOPs. That’s why we have put together our hospitality
expertise to create this ebook. This tool is to help you document procedures for your hotel
processes related to housekeeping.
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Introduction 3
 How to use this eBook
This ebook is divided into several parts, with each section covering each of the housekeeping
processes.

● The “Purpose” section briefly describes the process and explains its importance.
● The “Procedure” section will outline the suggested procedures for each section. Please
review each of these sections individually and edit them to reflect your property’s
procedure.
● The last section entitled “Tips” contains additional recommendations or suggestions on
how to improve the process.

We are covering several housekeeping areas which will be a good starting point to document your
own SOPs. Still, we encourage you not to limit your documentation to the mentioned procedures
and to add all existing processes to these recommended SOPs. Cloudbeds will be sharing more
SOPs for Housekeeping and other departments soon, so stay tuned for more updates.

Video Tutorial

For a detailed description on how to use this eBook, watch this video.

TIP
Throughout the eBook, you will find links to the SOP
templates. To edit these templates, make a copy of it and Get the Checklists
then customize the process to fit your business needs.
While customizing, be sure to upload your logo to brand
your new SOPs.

FEEDBACK
If you have a few minutes, we would greatly appreciate
your feedback which will help us improve and expand
Share Your Feedback
our SOP library.
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Introduction 4
 01 Cleaning Requirements
and Standards

PURPOSE

The housekeeping team provides an important part of the guest experience. When guests leave a
review on their hotel stay, the cleanliness of the room and public areas of the hotel is mentioned
and highlighted as a major defining factor of their guest review score. Inevitably, cleanliness is a
key differentiator for travelers when choosing where to stay. The guests observe every area of the
hotel every day so it is one of the top priorities to ensure it is thoroughly cleaned at all times.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, guests are more attuned to cleanliness than ever before. So
enhancing the hotel cleaning standards and procedures to ensure your guest’s and staff’s safety
and health is crucial to staying current with industry standards. To ensure that you are meeting the
needs of the changing market, a specific plan and documented cleaning protocols are necessary.

As you create a housekeeping plan for your property, it is advisable to align not only with
recommendations from global organizations but also those in your local and regional areas.
Additionally, you must also consider the guidelines and adhere to any requirements of the
connected distribution channels. Complying with channel standards and recommended best
practices can preserve your presence on that channel while also assuring incoming guests that
you’re in compliance with each channel’s standards. Since this is a fluid situation that changes
often, hotel management is responsible for regularly researching the industry and channel
standards/regulations. On the Resources page, you will find additional resources in order to stay
up-to-date with the latest information.
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Cleaning Requirements and Standards 55

 Housekeeping Requirements and Standards

● Documenting cleaning policies and checklists. All housekeeping staff members

should be trained and strictly adhere to the defined responsibilities and cleaning
protocols. Every guest room type should have a separate cleaning checklist based on
it’s room status. See Cleaning Guest Rooms and Cleaning Public Areas SOPs for
additional information.

● Documenting special cleaning processes such as pest activity or removing

biohazards. To ensure the safety of the staff members, it is crucial to have a detailed
process on how potentially hazardous substances such blood, bodily fluids, vomit
and/or any other substance that contain hazardous pathogens should be handled. To
create a thorough process for handling biohazard, the first step is to check your local
government resources such as guidelines from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health
Administration) in the United States. Refer to Pest Activity Procedure for information on
pest control.

● Training the housekeeping staff on guest service. Housekeeping team members are
representatives of the hotel and should offer excellent service to all guests at every
encounter. Extra checklists on staff appearance and interactions with the guest should
be available to ensure the best guest experience.

● Wearing protective gear while cleaning. Personal protective items (e.g. disposable
gloves, aprons, gowns, masks) provide additional protection. It is important to avoid
touching your face or other personal items such as the phone or property walkie-talkie
at all times. Make sure to wash your hands after removing gloves. When in crowded
public areas when you can not maintain social distancing or when inside the hotel
interacting with guests, all employees should have a mask that covers both their mouth
and nose. Before COVID, shaking hands when greeting guests was customary but
should be avoided at all times moving forward.

● Sanitizing. Cleaning (removing dirt and germs from surfaces) and sanitizing (using
chemicals to reduce the number of germs and bacteria) are two separate steps. It is
important to sanitize all surfaces each time after cleaning. Additionally, be sure to
sanitize high-touch surfaces throughout the day in the public areas. It is recommended
to use disinfectant and sanitizer solutions that are registered with your local
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government’s chemical regulators.

Cleaning Requirements and Standards 6

 ● Reinforcing laundry procedures. Bed linen and towels should be washed at high
temperature with a disinfecting laundry detergent. It is recommended to increase the
frequency of cleaning of other textiles that are usually not washed daily or after every
guest. Those include bedspreads, decorative pillows, soft furniture coverings.

● Documenting procedures on how to manage suspect COVID-19 cases. Hotel

Management should create a clear procedure regarding how to handle situations in
which a guest or an employee is suspected to have COVID-19. These procedures may
include notifying management, notifying public health officials if required by local law,
arranging quarantine areas, and allowing the room to sit empty for 48 hours after guest
departure and before being cleaned. Additionally, special cleaning procedures should
be implemented and followed for such cases.

● Restocking and managing housekeeping inventory. All housekeeping operations run

smoothly when they have all the necessary supplies. It is important to list all
housekeeping equipment, protective gear, products, linen and textile supplies, guest
supplies, and arrange for an effective restocking plan. Additionally, the housekeeping
storage and back of house areas should be clean, well organized, and structured.

● Reviewing safety guidelines for the cleaning chemicals. In most countries, it is legally
required to fully disclose to employees any hazardous substances they come into
contact with at work. Even if this is not required by your country/municipality it is highly
recommended that each property does so to ensure that all employees are familiar with
potential hazardous materials to ensure the safety of guests and employees.

○ List all hazardous substances and ensure you have a Material Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) for each of them. These sheets are provided by the manufacturer of the
chemicals. For more on how to read the labels on the products and their Material
Safety Data Sheets, reach out to your local authority. For example, in the USA,
refer to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and in the EU
refer to the European Chemicals Agency.
○ Label all hazardous substance containers.
○ Train all staff members on the proper use of all hazardous substances before
they start working with them.
○ Ensure the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are easily accessible to all
employees working with these substances. The location of the documents
should be close to their immediate work area. Explain how to read and interpret
the information there.
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○ If there are cleaning agents that should not be mixed, ensure every member of
your staff knows which agents can not be mixed. Mixing some chemical cleaning
products can produce deadly off-gassing.

Cleaning Requirements and Standards 7

 Best Practices for Staff and Guest Health
During Pandemic
● Personal protective gear for all employees
● Complimentary masks and hand sanitizer for guests, ideally at check-in or located at the
door entry
● Touch-free hand sanitizer stations around the property: at the front desk, at all exits, and
inside bathrooms
● Front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house signage to promote health and hygiene,
including inside bathrooms
● Temperature checks of staff before shifts
● Enhanced cleaning procedures in all guestrooms, public, and high-touch areas - such as
cleaning door handles hourly
● Touchless technology wherever possible at the front desk, onsite restaurant/cafe/gift
shop, spas, and other retail areas. When that’s not possible, staff should sanitize
between uses (such as hands, surfaces, and the pen used for signatures during
check-in).
● The physical distancing of guests and employees with methods such as reducing
restaurant occupancy, spacing out staff at the front desk, concierge, valet and
elsewhere, and encouraging distance between guests in line by adding floor stickers.
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8
 ● Showcasing your enhanced cleaning standards and procedures for guests is a great
TIPS
marketing strategy. Create a blog post on your website to share your best cleaning
practices and the measures you have taken during the pandemic period. Add this
information to the description of your property on the distribution channels and in
the terms and conditions or within the description on your booking engine.

○ In Cloudbeds, it is possible to customize your booking engine mybookings

and add a notification banner or a pop-up window with additional information.

● Informing your guests about new rules and recommendations in advance and during
check-in will help ensure their health and safety during the pandemic. You can add
this information to your confirmation or pre-check-in email.

○ In Cloudbeds, it is possible to edit the confirmation email and to create new

email templates that can be scheduled so they can be sent automatically.

● Placing catchy visuals on the walls in the restrooms, rooms and public areas is a
great way to remind your guests and staff members about social distancing, wearing
a mask, using sanitizers, and washing hands.
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Cleaning Requirements and Standards 9

 Useful COVID-19 sources
RESOURCES

● COVID-19 Resource: Global brands & Associations introducing Cleaning Standards

● The World Health Organization (WHO) has created guidelines to ensure that the
accommodation sector can protect its staff and clients. It is recommended to adapt
the measures to your local context after reviewing the WHO’s operational
considerations for COVID-19 management in the accommodation sector.

● The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has strengthened its collaboration with
the WHO, compiling all of the organization’s recommendations into an official
website: COVID-19: Putting People First.

● Cloudbeds’ COVID-19 Response Page

● COVID-19 Country-specific Government Information and Resources

● Updated Channel's Policies due to COVID-19

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Cleaning Requirements and Standards 10

 02 Housekeeping Management

PURPOSE

Effectively designing and tracking housekeeping processes is important to ensure the best guest
experience and to keep the operating costs down. Large hotels typically hire a Housekeeping
Manager to help design and manage housekeeping processes. In smaller hotels, a General
Manager or the Front Desk team can take managerial responsibility and work directly with
Housekeepers.

In general, managing housekeeping can be split into three big tasks: cleaning schedule and
assignment, housekeeping quality assurance, and housekeeping reports. Manual pen and paper
management is time-consuming and prone to errors. It is possible to make a mistake in the room
status or to miss an entire room number which would result in an unhappy guest whose room was
not cleaned. To ensure accuracy, it is recommended to automate this process fully or partially
through a PMS system with an integrated housekeeping feature or housekeeping app.
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Housekeeping Management 11
 Cleaning Schedule and Assignment

● Every public area, back office area, and room type based on room status should have
its own cleaning checklist and scheduled cleaning time.

● Assigning rooms and public areas for cleaning is done daily based on the cleaning
duration, the number of housekeepers available at work, the guest room status, and the
guest room/public area location. If a public area needs to be cleaned several times a
day, it should be assigned as a (daily) task several times throughout the day/night.

● Along with the daily cleaning routine, all recurring tasks such as changing curtains,
flipping mattresses, and shampooing carpets are assigned on a weekly or monthly
basis.

● Cleaning Assignments Sheets should be prepared each day and distributed among the
Housekeepers at the beginning of the shift. If using a Housekeeping app, each
Housekeeping staff should be assigned their tasks for the day.

● No guest information should be shown on the printout. If using a Housekeeping

integration, employees should not leave devices unattended and/or unlocked as these
devices could provide sensitive guest/employee data and access codes.

● All of the Housekeepers should have a clipboard and a pen so it is easy for them to
update their sheets and keep the papers organized if not using an app integration. If
using an app integration, ensure that all employees have their assigned device and are
logged in. If using pen and paper management method, please note these sheets are
saved (and can be scanned to a Housekeeping drive) and may be referred to in the
future so it is important that they are not crumpled or stained. The boards should look
neat and professional (no doodles, etc).

● Housekeepers should mark the starting and ending time of the cleaning of each
room/public area or by logging into/out of the PMS/Housekeeping system.

● All rooms with “Do No Disturb” signs or “No Services Requested” should be marked on
the sheet or entered in the PMS/Housekeeping system. All maintenance issues and
found items should be noted on the sheet or entered in the PMS/Housekeeping system.
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Please note that all items should be immediately reported.

● All Cleaning Assignment Sheets should be archived by date and kept for 1 month in the
back office area. They can be used as a reference point in the case of guest complaints
or room number issues.
Housekeeping Management 12
 In Cloudbeds, the Housekeeping Module allows users to easily check the room status
(vacant/occupied), front desk status (check-in/check-out/stayover/turnover/not reserved), room
condition (clean/dirty), assign a housekeeper, and generate a list of all the rooms and their
statuses. This list can then be printed and handed to the Housekeepers to start making their
rounds. The rooms marked as Out of Service or Blocked are highlighted on the list. Also, there
is a place to mark the room as DND and to add comments. It is possible to see if a room is
clean or dirty in the Calendar.

Cloudbeds integrates with a number of Housekeeping apps that offer a lot of task
management features and are helpful in managing not only guest rooms but also public areas.
This is a great way to make housekeeping paperless and more efficient. The integration with
Flexkeeping, RoomChecking, and VRScheduler works together with Cloudbeds Housekeeping
Module and updates the room condition in Cloudbeds when the tasks are complete. The
integration with Breezeway pulls the rooms and reservations only and doesn't require
Cloudbeds Housekeeping Module.
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Housekeeping Management 13
 For example, in Flexkeeping, it is possible to auto-assign the rooms and public areas, to create
additional tasks, and to assign them to a responsible staff member.

Every team member can have its own user account

and install the app on their smartphones.
Housekeepers can easily:

● Check and manage their assigned tasks

● Report damages so that the maintenance

department will get notified

● Report all lost and found items

● Record the minibar consumption and post

transaction in Cloudbeds

● Report the laundry consumption

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● Check Cleaning checklists and procedures that

can be uploaded by the management

Housekeeping Management 14
 Housekeeping Quality Assurance

● To monitor the quality of the housekeeping services the Housekeeping Management

should utilize their daily checklists or Housekeeping integration to perform a quality
assurance check on random rooms and public areas that were cleaned by various
members of the Housekeeping staff. Big hotels have designated Room Inspectors who
check all rooms after every cleaning.

● Along with the cleaning checklists, every area and every room should have an
inspection checklist.

● Housekeeping Supervisors should use a special form to evaluate the Housekeepers’

work according to the checklist and leave comments. The inspection date, room
number/area name, the inspector name, and the housekeeper name should be noted
there too. Inspection Forms should be archived by date and kept for 1 month in the back
office area. They can be used for reporting and training purposes.

● Room/public area inspections are done right after the cleaning to allow enough time to
fix cleaning mistakes if any.

● After the inspection is done, Housekeepers are sent back to rooms where cleaning was
not done correctly. Oftentimes, Housekeeping Supervisors accompany Housekeepers
to show them where the mistake is and explain how to fix the issue. Otherwise, discuss
frequent mistakes reported in Inspection Sheets and how they can be corrected during
brief morning meetings.

● Once the rooms are inspected, they should be marked as clean in the PMS system. This
is important for the Front Desk team so they can check-in the guests without making
them wait.
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Housekeeping Management 15
 In Cloudbeds, some hoteliers create separate user accounts with limited permissions for their
housekeepers so they can log in into the system, print out their own lists and then mark the
rooms as ‘clean’ after the cleaning. Otherwise, this step is done by Room Inspectors or
Housekeeping Management.

Using a housekeeping app is a great way to

make this process paperless. For example, in
Flexkeeping, Housekeeping Supervisors can
report Cleaning Flaws which would generate
automatic tasks assigned to the responsible
housekeeper and to use Audit Checklists which
will go into reports and can be used for staff
evaluation and team training.
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Housekeeping Management 16
 Housekeeping Analytics

Hotel housekeeping provides and reports on a lot of the necessary information. This data can
help to optimize the processes in all departments, lower costs, make staff training more
efficient, and improve guest satisfaction. Using Cleaning Assignment Sheets, Cleaning
Inspection Sheets, Lost & Found Logbook, Guest Room Damage Logbook, etc. is a good way to
keep things organized, but, unfortunately, it will be hard and time-consuming to transform it into
comprehensive analytics. Using housekeeping software gives access to a clear overview of all
hotel operations and how to optimize them. Here are examples of stats that can be analyzed:

● The number and type of cleaning mistakes. It will help to improve staff training and give
more attention to problematic areas.

● The actual time spent on cleaning vs rooms. Every room either public or back-office
area, should have a specified cleaning time standard. All team members should stick to
that standard. Still, it is necessary to take additional factors into consideration such as
extra tasks (e.g. a baby cot had to be placed in that room) or guest demographics (e.g. it
takes longer to clean the room after a family with two young kids).

● The number and type of maintenance issues reported by Housekeeping and other
team members. It will help to focus on items/areas/service which needs to be renovated,
repaired or replaced (e.g. frequent reports on an A/C not working in a particular room
would mean it should be replaced).

● Hotel amenities and inventory usage. Guest linen and cosmetics can be a big financial
drain in a hotel. So keeping track of its usage is a great way to redesign the process and
lower the costs.
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For example, this is how user-friendly and simple housekeeping analytics looks like in
Flexkeeping. It is possible to generate data for any period of time and get more insights and
details by clicking on different parts.

Housekeeping Management 17
 ● As hotel housekeeping is one of the most fundamental and interconnected
TIPS
departments, it is important to utilize different management strategies to
demonstrate how valuable and important their work is. A few strategies may
include:
○ Using analytics, show the correlation between housekeeping quality and
guest complaints.
○ Recognize housekeepers who have been consistently delivering excellent
performance as identified by analytics. Reward them with salary bonuses or
special prizes. At the same time, do not penalize or blame housekeepers for
occasional cleaning mistakes or taking more time to perform the duties.

● It is important that Housekeeping updates the Front Desk team on the room
statuses at least once to twice a day. The Front Desk team must ensure that the
Housekeeping & Front Desk statuses are aligned in the PMS.

Example: A situation that may occur is Housekeeping marks the room as

occupied but the PMS has an incorrect status of vacant for the room. These
types of situations highlight how important it is for the Housekeeping team
to ensure that their room statuses are reported to the Front Desk. In a
situation where an occupied room is not updated in the PMS, there is a high
probability of a double occupied room situation where one room is rented
out to two guests.

Example: A situation that may occur is that Housekeeping marks a room as

vacant (all guest belongings have been removed) however in the PMS the
room is occupied. In this situation, the guest may have departed early
without advising the Front Desk and it is up to the Front Desk
management’s discretion on how to proceed with the reservation.

● Hotel Management/Housekeeping management should work closely to identify

any room status discrepancies and ensure that they are updated accordingly to
prevent any guest inconveniences/loss of revenue from occurring.
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Housekeeping Management 18
 03 Cleaning Guest Rooms

PURPOSE

The Housekeeping department is a crucial part of the hotel operations in ensuring that each guest
room is cleaned and refreshed in a timely manner dependent on the status of the room: check-in,
check-out, stayover, turnover and not reserved. To ensure the quality of cleaning services, an SOP
based on the cleaning standards for each type of room status is important.

Hotel rooms come in different sizes, types and shapes. Also, they may have extra areas, features,
furniture and devices that require a special cleaning procedure. In general, any hotel room can be
separated in two parts, a bathroom and a bedroom. If your hotel has different accommodation
types, consider documenting a separate cleaning checklist for each of them.

Cleaning Guest Room Checklists Available

Download, customize and print your own checklists Get the Checklists
to fit your property.
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Cleaning Guest Rooms 19

 Front Desk & Housekeeping Room Statuses

Housekeeping/Hotel Management should create a guideline based on the cleaning practices for
each type of room status.

Please see below for the Front Desk room status descriptions:

● Check-In: The room is not currently occupied but is reserved for a check-in on the current
day.
● Check-Out: The guest is due to check out of the room today. Currently there isn’t another
guest pre-assigned to check into this room.
● Stayover: The guest is in-house and staying over for the night and not checking out today.
● Turnover: The current guest occupying the room is checking out today and another guest
checking in is currently pre-assigned to the room.
● Not Reserved: The room is currently not reserved for any reservations on the current day.
This means that although the room has not been pre-assigned to an incoming check-in, it
may still be utilized and assigned to an incoming check-in manually.

In Cloudbeds, the Housekeeping Module makes it easy to check the room status, room condition,
front desk status, assign a housekeeper, generate a list of all the rooms and their statuses. This list
can then be printed and handed to the Housekeepers to start making their rounds. Cloudbeds
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can also be integrated with a number of Housekeeping apps.

Cleaning Guest Rooms 20

 Please see below for additional room statuses that are important for the Housekeeping team to
check prior to assigning rooms to be cleaned for each shift:

● Late Check-Out: The guest has an approved late-check out. Typically the late check-out
time should be notated in the PMS as well.
● Do Not Disturb (DND): The guest has requested to not be disturbed during their stay.
Oftentimes this is marked by a light on the hotel door, a tag, or a specific request marked in
the PMS reservation. It is very important that the Housekeeping team notates these rooms
before assigning the list of rooms to be cleaned by the Housekeeping team daily.
● Out-of-Order & Out-of-Service: Rooms that are marked as out-of-service are typically
rooms that need minor/short-term repairs such as a clogged toilet. Out-of-order rooms are
typically rooms that require major repairs, remodeling etc. and are expected to remain out
of the room inventory for an extended period of time.
● Lock-Out: The room has been locked out by Hotel/Front Desk Management. Typically
these rooms are not touched and/or cleaned until further notice by management. When a
room is locked-out, the guest needs to contact the Front Desk Management and/or
Security team to be advised of further details.

Please see below for the Housekeeping room status descriptions:

● Occupied: An occupied room is a room that is currently being utilized by a guest.

● Vacant: A vacant room is one that is not being utilized by a guest. Vacant rooms are either
marked as vacant/clean or vacant/dirty. Vacant/clean rooms have already been cleaned
and the next guest has not been checked in. If left vacant for a longer period (more than a
few days), these rooms will also have to be refreshed by the Housekeeping team to ensure
cleanliness.
● Clean: The room has already been serviced.
● Dirty: The room has not been serviced yet.

Typically when Housekeeping updates the status of each room, they mark the room by whether
they are vacant/occupied and clean/dirty. Example: Room is vacant/clean, vacant/dirty,
occupied/clean, occupied/dirty.

These room statuses are used when creating a housekeeping schedule and assigning the rooms
to the Housekeepers. Each Housekeeper should receive a list of rooms with statuses and notes to
be cleaned throughout the day. Then they would report the updated room statuses back to the
front office or hotel management. Refer to Housekeeping Management for more information.
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Cleaning Guest Rooms 21

 Cleaning Guest Room Checklists

Each type of room status should have a specific checklist to ensure that all of the quality
standards are met during the cleaning process. It is recommended to have a separate checklists
for each room type with separate cleaning protocols for all parts of the room (bedroom, bathroom,
kitchen, terrace, etc) and special furniture/devices if applicable. Every checklist should have
standard cleaning duration mentioned. It will help to manage cleaning scheduling and run
housekeeping analytics.

● Check-In (Vacant/Clean). Check-in rooms are not currently occupied but are reserved for a
check-in on the current day. Typically Check-In rooms were cleaned after the last guest
checked out but it is important to check on these rooms if they have been sitting vacant for
a day or more to ensure that it is up to standards prior to check-in.

● Check-Out & Turnover (Vacant/Dirty). It is important to ensure that rooms with the status
of Check-Out are cleaned to standards to prepare for the incoming reservation. Check-Out
rooms means the guest is due to check out of the room today and currently there isn’t
another guest pre-assigned to check into this room. The same procedures apply for
Turnover rooms which are rooms that have a guest checking out today and another
checking in on the same day.

● Stayover (Occupied/Dirty). The room status Stayover means that the guest is in-house and
staying over for the night and not checking out today. The goal of cleaning a stayover room
is to ensure that the guest has a welcoming & refreshed room to return to and is enjoying a
comfortable stay.

Cleaning Guest Room Checklists Available

Download, customize and print your own checklists Get the Checklists
to fit your property.
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Cleaning Guest Rooms 22

 ● It is important that Housekeeping updates the Front Desk team on the room
TIPS
statuses at least once to twice a day. The Front Desk team must ensure that the
Housekeeping & Front Desk statuses are aligned in the PMS. Refer to
Housekeeping Management for more information.

● If the room is in check-out status but still has luggage and the guest is not present
after check-out time, the Housekeeping staff usually reports this as a potential late
check-out to the Front Desk Management team. Typically rooms are not cleaned in
check-out status until after the guest’s luggage has been removed as they might
decide to either opt for a late check-out or extend their stay.

● Some guests may refuse service during their stay and not require housekeeping
service. It is important to note these rooms to prevent any guest inconveniences.

● Personalized touches can be added to the room to welcome them back from their
day out, including a personalized card asking how the guests’ stay is going or
additional touches such as making the bed in a “stayover” manner with nicely
folded towel designs on the made-up bed.

● To conserve water usage, preserve the lifespan of the towels and reduce staffing
hours due to laundry. Some hotels have verbiage in the guest bathroom stating
that if the towel is hung up, it will be reused & if it is on the floor, it will be replaced.

● If the Housekeeping team notices that the guest may require additional toiletries &
towels, it is always a nice touch to anticipate the guest needs and provide the
extra amenities while servicing the Stayover room.
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Cleaning Guest Rooms 23

 04 Cleaning Public Areas

PURPOSE

The housekeeping department is responsible for maintaining all areas of the hotel clean all of the
time. In addition to the guest rooms, there are other public areas used by guests and staff
members (e.g. lobby, front office, breakfast room, bar, cafe, restaurant, conference room, gym,
swimming pool, guest laundry room, public restrooms, corridors, elevators, etc). All of these areas
need to be cleaned and sanitized every day as with the guest rooms. The public areas are a part
of the guest experience and make one of the first and last impressions of the hotel. Each of these
areas needs to have a separate cleaning checklist.

Cleaning Public Areas Checklists Available

Download, customize and print your own checklists Get the Checklists
to fit your property.
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Cleaning Public Areas 24

 Cleaning Public Areas Checklists

It is recommended to have a separate checklist for each public area with separate cleaning
protocols for special furniture/devices if applicable. Some areas need to be cleaned multiple times
per day. Every checklist should have standard cleaning duration mentioned. It will help to manage
cleaning scheduling and run housekeeping analytics. It is important to coordinate the cleaning
schedule during off-peak hours to prevent guest inconveniences.

It is recommended to have additional spot-inspections throughout the day to disinfect the

frequently-touched areas and to refill amenities and supplies. In addition to the daily cleaning
checklist, there could be a list of extra tasks performed weekly or monthly (e.g. changing and
washing sofa pillow covers and curtains, shampooing carpets, cleaning walls and ceiling fans).

Public areas may include but are not limited to:

● Lobby / Vestibule
● Conference Rooms
● Public Restrooms
● Elevator
● Hallways & Staircases
● Outdoor Areas

TIP
It is important to ensure that all public areas smell fresh and pleasant. It is recommended to
use special scented sticks, aroma candles, diffusers, or placing aromatics in the air
conditioning or ventilation system. Hotels are extra mindful when choosing the right scents
as it is a part of the guest experience. It should match the hotel location, design,
atmosphere, and the purpose of the public area.

Cleaning Public Areas Checklists Available

Download, customize and print your own checklists Get the Checklists
to fit your property.
| SOP

Cleaning Guest Rooms 25

 05 Pest Activity Procedure

PURPOSE

To ensure a clean and enjoyable stay for the guest, a thorough pest activity procedure should be
developed for the Housekeeping team to identify, report & resolve any issues with bugs and
other pests in guest rooms or public areas. Pests and bugs can include but are not limited to,
spiders, cockroaches, bedbugs, ants, and rodents. Please note the recommended procedures
are to be considered when outlining a detailed SOP and shall not be limited to what is included
in this document.

Pest Activity Procedure Checklists Available

Download, customize and print your own checklists Get the Checklists
to fit your property.
| SOP

Pest Activity Procedure 26

 Procedure

Staff training
The Housekeeping team should be trained on methods to detect pest activity and signs of pest
infestation.

The following areas of the room can be inspected on regular basis to check for signs of pest
activity:

● Beds including underneath the bed and surrounding the bed.

● Mattresses
● Linens
● Cracks/crevices in the room
● Dark areas such as under the bathroom sink, closets, behind the nightstands & dressers
● In furniture drawers and cabinets
● Within floor and air vents

The following public back office areas should be inspected:

● Garbage and disposal area

● Garbage bins
● Mechanical equipment/water heaters/HVAC
● Restaurant/cafe buffet
● Kitchens
● Furniture storage roo
● Cracks/crevices in the public areas
● Dark areas in the public restrooms
● Storage closets (linens and luggage)
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Pest Activity Procedure 27

 The following may be signs of pest infestation:

● Pest droppings
● Damages to fabrics which may include holes and stains on the bedding, linens and/or
mattress
● A build-up of dirt or grime which occurs when rodent’s bodies rub up against walls or
furniture.
● Strange odors that can result from rotting/stale food or pest droppings/urine
● Scratches on furniture or reported scratching sounds coming from walls
● Damaged items from larger rodents
● Damages plants or brown patches of grass
● Smears, footprints from larger rodents
● Shed skin from pests and body parts such as wings or limbs in window sills or in other parts
of the property
● Eggs/larva
● Signs of nesting including shredded paper, scraps of fabric, leaves, or grass clippings
● Items out of place can be caused by rodents utilizing objects for nesting purposes

Reporting pest activity

If a member of the Housekeeping team or any member of the hotel operations staff notices
possible pest activity in a guest room or public area, it should be reported to the hotel management
team immediately.

The next steps may include:

● Immediately placing the room out of service or temporarily closing off public areas if
possible.
● Contacting the hotel’s pest control company (external or internal) to inspect and potentially
service the room/area.
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Pest Activity Procedure 28

 Handling guests’ complaints
If a guest reports possible pest activity in the room, the Housekeeping and/or hotel management
team should inspect the room and determine the appropriate next steps to prevent further guest
inconvenience.

The next steps may include:

● Moving the guest to a new room. Refer to Handling Room Moves for more information.
● If pest activity is confirmed, placing the room ‘out of service’ for the pest control company to
service the room and working with the pest control company to identify when the room will
be safe to sell again.
● If pest activity such as bed bugs is identified, a more thorough procedure such as inspecting
surrounding rooms (to the left, right, above and below) for pest activity is recommended to
ensure that the infestation is not affecting surrounding areas/rooms. Additionally, the guest
that was originally occupying the room may have also brought the pests into their new room
and the positive pest activity procedure should outline how to handle such scenarios.

Handling infected guests

Bed bugs bite in a line formation that usually consists of three or four bite marks that resemble
mosquito bites. If you notice fresh bite marks on a guest checking into a shared room or dormitory,
ask from which hotel they have just arrived. If you can determine that the guest may be carrying
bed bugs there are a few options but it is recommended to cancel the reservation and issue the
guest a full refund. Bed bugs can cause the property to close portions of the property or the entire
property, depending on the severity of the infestation. This can result in unimaginable costs and
bed bug infestation prevention is crucial for any property to avoid substantial revenue loss and
maintain a positive business reputation. If you decide to permit the guest to stay at the property:

● Offer to wash all clothing free of charge and store luggage, or anything that can not be
machine washed, in a black trash bag in the sun for at least 72 hours
● Offer to place the guest in a private room free of additional charge for the duration of their
stay if they had originally booked a shared room
● Once the guest checks-out, mark the room as ‘out of service’ for at least 72 hours
● Clean the room immediately by:
○ Take all linens directly to be washed. Wash in hot water and dry on high heat for at
least 45 minutes
○ Remove pillows and place in high heat in dryer for a minimum of 60 minutes
○ The mattress can contain bugs invisible to the naked eye or larvae. It is
recommended to throw the mattress and box spring away. If this is not possible,
| SOP

develop a strategy to clean mattresses and box springs in the case of a bed bug
infestation.

Pest Activity Procedure 29

 ● Make research and find suitable reliable pest control companies that work with
TIPS
hotels or other businesses. Reach out to them to get to know which kind of
services they provide and how much it would cost. Some companies offer
preventative pest control solutions (e.g. doing professional check-ups, filling in
holes, removing certain items, spraying chemicals). Doing preventative pest
control yearly or several times a year is a great strategy for any hotel.

● A guest recovery procedure for handling inconvenienced guests due to pest

activity in their guestroom including providing compensation or a room upgrade
for damaged and/or infested belongings, bug bites, etc. should be created. As
pest activity is related to the safety & welfare of the guest, it is recommended
that the hotel legal team assists in the creation of this policy. Example: How to
handle a guest with bed bug bites and infested luggage.

● A thorough procedure to handle guest luggage that has been infested or

damaged by pest activity should be created.

● Some property types and locations may be more prone to bed bugs than others.
Hostels, because of dormitories and other shared living environments, have a
higher risk of contracting bed bugs.

● Listen to guests, especially backpackers, that travel from shared living

accommodations throughout the country. Guests may be able to provide you
with information regarding nearby hostels/properties that have had bed-bug
infestations. Ask guests where they are coming from upon arrival to ensure that
they haven't arrived from a property that is known to have bed bugs.

● Join Facebook groups with other property owners so you can communicate as a
community to identify bed bug “hotspots” in the local industry. This is a common
practice for smaller industries and regions in Latin America and other parts of
the world.
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Pest Activity Procedure 30

 06 Lost & Found Items

PURPOSE

The lost & found procedure is often disregarded as a part of customer service that can influence
guest loyalty. The way you treat the guest and resolve the issue when they reach out reporting a
lost item during their stay or after checking out will certainly leave a lasting impression. As guests
often leave personal items behind in the guest room or other public hotel areas, a well
documented lost & found procedure should be as important, efficient, and guest-oriented as any
other hotel operations process

The lost & found procedure should be centralized with one staff member or department
responsible for it. It can be the Bell Desk or Security in larger hotels, while small and medium
properties can assign this task to the Front Desk or the General Manager.

Lost & Found Items SOP

Download, customize and print your own standard Get the template
operating procedure to fit your property.
| SOP

Lost & Found Items 31

 Reporting Lost Items Procedure

● If you find a lost item in the guest room or any other hotel areas, report it and take it to
the Front Desk or another staff member responsible for it immediately.

● If a guest or a visitor finds an item, it is important to note where and when the item was
found. This information should be reported to the department in charge of Lost & Found
so the owner can verify that information.

● Do not report food items left behind in the guest room or elsewhere. They should be
thrown in the trash.

● Dispose of beer, wine, and other alcohol by pouring the remaining contents down the
drain. Unopened bottles should be brought to the department in charge of Lost &
Found. High-value bottles of unopened alcohol may be logged and kept in the storage
in case the guest returns to claim it.

● If the item looks suspicious, such as a package sitting in the lobby, report it to the
security team and management.

● All located items of value should be logged and given to the department in charge of
Lost & Found. A hotel policy should be created on the disciplinary actions for staff
members who do not follow these procedures.

● A valuable item can be returned back to the guest while a perishable or invaluable item
can be contaminated. Staff members are not allowed to accept gifts from the guests
other than normal cash tips.
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Lost & Found Items 32

 Managing Lost & Found Items Procedure

● Register the item in the Lost & Found logbook. Record the date and time the item was
found, the person who reported it, and the place where it was found. Describe the item.
If the item is an unlocked bag, suitcase, or a pocketbook, examine the content and
make a record of it. You may be able to find personal items that can tell you the owner
of the located item such as business cards or an ID.

● Place the item into a plastic bag if necessary and tag it.

● All items should be stored in a dedicated cool & dry at the back office. They should be
grouped, categorized, and placed with the label being visible so they can be easily
retrieved.

● Valuable items, such as laptops, smartphones, cameras, credit cards, wallets, or jewelry
should be stored in the locked in the safe or cabinet to which the general manager or
the property owner should have access.

● If the item was found in the guest room after the check-out or the identity of the guest
can be somehow established, add a note of it to the reservation in your PMS. Contact
the guest through phone or email to inform them of the located item. Provide
instructions on how to claim the item with the appropriate department and provide the
shipping address (and payment method if applicable) so you can mail it. If the guest
requests the item to be mailed, you should log the address and send the item by post.

○ In Cloudbeds, you can easily locate a reservation in a calendar or by searching by

the guest name and add and manage reservations notes. It is also possible to
send an email directly from the reservation.

● When a guest inquires about a lost item by calling or approaching the front desk, the
staff member should ask for a specific description of the item, or for an ID if applicable.
Log description and details should never be shared with the guest.

● When the owner picks up the item, they should sign the logbook to acknowledge that
the item has been received. For security purposes, hide the rest of the records with a
piece of paper to prevent the owner from seeing other records.
| SOP

● The Lost & Found Policy should include information on how long the item will be kept
before disposal.

Lost & Found Items 33

 Lost & Found Logbook Template

The lost & found logbook should be stored at the front desk. The guest will be reaching out to
the front desk to report the missing item so it is a good strategy to have it available there to be
able to check if the item was found based on the description and other details.

# Date & Place Found by Item Description Collected by Date & Address Signature
Time Time

TIP

Instead of logging all lost and found items manually, consider getting an app to record,
track, locate, and manage everything lost and found on your property. For example,
Cloudbeds integrates with Flexkeeping which apart from the housekeeping feature has
got more solutions including tracking lost & found items.
| SOP

Lost & Found Items 34

 07 Handling Guest Room
Damage & Missing Items

PURPOSE

It is important to identify any guest room damage or missing guest room property/items to reduce
the revenue loss on repairing or replacing these items without a thorough process which is
enabled by a consistent log. Inspecting & keeping track of the damage and/or stolen items during
Housekeeping service will ensure that the hotel management team is aware of when the damage
happened, what the damage entails, the cost to repair the damage or the cost to replace the
stolen item. This procedure is also used to track which guest was occupying the room when this
incident occurred so the appropriate charges can be made if deemed necessary.

Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing

Items SOP Get the template
Download, customize and print your own standard
operating procedure to fit your property.
| SOP

Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing Items 35

 Reporting Guest Room Damages Procedure

● While the guest rooms are serviced either during or after the guest’s stay, the
Housekeeping staff should take note of any damage that they notice while cleaning or
refreshing the room.

● Major damage, including shattered glass, broken doors, damaged furniture or electrical
appliances such as the television, lamps, etc., should be reported to management
immediately.

● Management should determine whether to ask the current guest about the room
damage and/or potentially charge them for the repair. If the damage is significant, the
guest may be held liable and evicted from the property based on management
discretion.

● A logbook of guest room damage will allow for the management team to identify if the
damage was caused by the current guest and to decide on the appropriate next steps.
This log should be updated on a consistent basis and include every incident of room
damage.

Guest Room Damage Logbook Template

Room # Date & Time Room Type Inspected by Current Guest Description of Estimated Cost Action per
Name & Damage of Repair Management
Reservation
Number
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Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing Items 36

 Reporting Missing Guest Room Items
Procedure
● The Housekeeping cleaning procedure should also include an inspection checklist to
ensure that all guest room items remain in the room after the guest checks out. These
items may include but are not limited to:

○ Television
○ Television remote
○ Mini-bar refrigerators
○ Mini refrigerators
○ Microwaves
○ Glassware
○ Coffee machines
○ Lamps
○ Clocks
○ Telephone
○ Tablets
○ Smart devices to control the room amenities such as blinds may include a remote
○ Linens
○ Room decor

● If any of these items are missing or damaged and has not been reported by the previous
or current guests, the staff member should advise management and log the missing item.

● It is per the management’s discretion to research and decide whether to charge the
previous or current guest for the missing item. This may include checking video
surveillance recordings and/or asking the guests about the item.

Missing Guest Room Items Logbook Template

Room # Date & Time Room Type Inspected by Current Guest Description of Estimated Cost Action per
Name & Missing Item of Replacement Management
Reservation
Number
| SOP

Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing Items 37

 ● Many properties have a policy of authorizing the guests for incidental charges on
TIPS
their credit or debit card for a specific amount per day or per stay. If the guest pays
with cash, oftentimes cash is collected as a deposit and refunded to the guest if
incidentals are not used at the time of check-out.

● Incidental authorizations are collected not only to allow for the customers to
charge back to their rooms for miscellaneous items, restaurant bills and/or services
such as a massage at the spa but also to have the ability to charge the guest in
situations of damage to the guestroom or missing items from the room.

○ In Cloudbeds, you can easily authorize a credit card through a connected

payment gateway. The specified amount will be held during the
authorization period and can be captured fully or partially.

● Instead of logging all maintenance requests manually in the designated logbooks,

consider getting an app or a software to report, track, fix, and analyze all damages
and repairs in your hotel.

○ For example, Cloudbeds integrates with Flexkeeping which apart from the
housekeeping feature has additional solutions including managing
maintenance tasks. Housekeeping team members would be able to
| SOP

describe the damage, take a picture of it and make a request inside the app
while performing their duties. The staff member responsible for
maintenance will get immediately notified.

Handling Guest Room Damage & Missing Items 38

 RESOURCES
Cloudbeds Useful Guides:
● Housekeeping Module Overview
● Housekeeping Inspection Filters
● How do I know if a room is clean or dirty when assigning a room?
● How to add a notification/banner to your booking engine about
COVID-19
● Email Templates
● Scheduling Emails
● Sending Email From Reservation
● How to Adjust Charge / Add Adjustment to a Reservation
● How to Authorize a Card with the Payment Gateway Feature
● Adding, viewing and archiving Reservation Notes
● Users and Roles
● Apps integrated with Cloudbeds

Checklists Available
Download, customize and print your own Get the Checklists
checklists to fit your property.
| SOP

Cloudbeds Useful Guides 39

Cheers to more reservations
and happier guests.

www.cloudbeds.com
© Cloudbeds 2020. All Rights Reserved.