We invite you to join the world of luxury hospitality at Fairmont Southampton as our new Executive Housekeeper. The Executive Housekeeper reports to the Executive Assistant Manager, Rooms & Recreation and is responsible for the strategic leadership and overall operation of the Housekeeping and Laundry Department鈥檚 at Fairmont Southampton. This role ensures the impeccable cleanliness, maintenance, and presentation of all guest rooms, suites, public spaces, corridors, and back-of-house areas. The Executive Housekeeper plays a vital role in delivering a consistently luxurious guest experience, leading a large team with a focus on service excellence, productivity, safety, and operational efficiency.
What you will be doing:
Housekeeping Operations & Service Excellence
- Oversee daily cleaning and maintenance of all guest rooms, public areas, corridors, offices, back-of-house spaces, and all laundry operations (in-house laundry facility and any contracted laundry services).
- Ensure all areas and laundry processes consistently meet or exceed Fairmont luxury brand standards.
- Implement and enforce cleaning and laundry procedures, hygiene protocols, and quality control measures.
- Conduct regular inspections of rooms, public areas, and laundry facilities to maintain standards of excellence.
Leadership, Team Management & Training
- Lead, mentor, train, and support the housekeeping team, including supervisors, room attendants, public area attendants, and laundry staff.
- Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, scheduling, onboarding, and performance management for laundry and housekeeping teams.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and professional work environment focused on teamwork and accountability across both housekeeping and laundry operations.
- Develop and deliver ongoing training initiatives to strengthen skills, service consistency, safety awareness, and proper handling of linens and laundry equipment.
Financial & Resource Management
- Manage the departmental budget, including labor planning, cost control, and purchasing of supplies for housekeeping and laundry operations.
- Maintain accurate inventory of linens, amenities, cleaning supplies, and laundry consumables; track linen lifecycle and replacement needs.
- Optimize operational efficiency of housekeeping and laundry processes while ensuring adherence to Accor quality standards.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings, sustainability improvements, and efficiencies in linen usage and laundry practices.
Guest Experience & Service Recovery
- Respond promptly and professionally to guest concerns, ensuring effective service recovery and long-term satisfaction.
- Ensure guest rooms, public spaces, and laundry-related guest requests (e.g., same-day pressing, specialty laundering) are fully prepared to support exceptional guest experiences.
- Collaborate closely with Front Office, Engineering, and Guest Services to support seamless operations and timely delivery of laundry services.
Standards Compliance, Safety & Sustainability
- Ensure compliance with all local health and safety regulations, Accor brand policies, and industry standards for laundry operations (chemical handling, machinery safety, and infection control).
- Champion environmental sustainability initiatives, including waste reduction, chemical management, water and energy efficiency in laundry processes.
- Maintain laundry equipment, tools, and systems to ensure proper functionality, safety, and preventative maintenance schedules.
Cross-Department Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
- Represent the housekeeping and laundry operations at operational meetings and contribute to strategic planning.
- Partner with department heads and the Rooms Division leadership team to enhance the guest journey, including optimizing turnaround times for linen and laundry services.
- Stay current with industry trends, luxury service innovations, and best practices in housekeeping and laundry operations.