Full house turn around

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Joey Camb

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
4,793
Reaction score
0
Some days like today we have a full house going out and a full house comming in so we do an all hands to the plough approach to getting the rooms ready (ie leave all the breakfast room etc for later) so any hints and tips for speeding along the process would be great. I already have 2 sets of glasses and mugs so switch them out for the chamber maid so they go in the dishwasher and the clean ones go out in the rooms its things like this that save 8 mins which when added up over 12 rooms a a good saving.
 
Full house turnaround goes like this...as soon as a guest vacates the room, I am stripping the room and putting the clean linen in the room for the housekeeper. I close the door so no one sees me! I leave the dirty linen on the floor in the room to be picked up later (after breakfast is done).
Once the housekeeper arrives, she starts on the rooms that have been 'prepped'. I continue to go thru 'prepping' all the rooms for her while Gomez handles the kitchen cleanup. Once the kitchen is done, Gomez and I start cleaning along with the housekeeper. We really have to do the kitchen first because it is wide open and no one wants to see dirty dishes all morning.
We find that the 'advance patrol' makes the cleaning part go so much faster. If I could remember to haul the glasses around, too, it would be even better.
 
Something that helps for an all house flip for us are just little things like, one person can bring the linens to each room and then put the pillowcases on every pillow and spare pillow cases and reload into armoires and closets. Not sure if this is the sort of thing you are after?
Obv TWO HANDS on a bed can make the bed in no time vs one person circling the bed round and round pulling and tugging on everything to make it tight and even. That cuts that time by 3/4 in my book, per bed.
Anything you can do in sequence...helps. ie in the end one person vacuums all the rooms and hallways. One person swiffers all the bathrooms and wood floors. Instead of one person doing one room to completion.
 
something that really helped me was to have a caddy with all the supplies in it that might need replenishing in a room ... soaps, shampoos, lotions, shower caps, makeup remover pads, bathroom tissue, facial tissues, plastic cups ... whatever amenities you ordinarily leave in the rooms ... bring all that with you into every room at once. saved me innumerable (not sure of spelling -- but countless) steps going back and forth to a room with facial tissues or cups because i'd notice they were out and not have some with me. i kept hoping to find a rolling cart like they have in hotels on craigslist to put all the stuff on.
i would strip the rooms first, pushing all the laundry into pillow cases first -- all sheets and bed linens in one, bathroom things in the other. and i'd drop the pillowcases into the tub ... or shower stall ... out of the way ... similar to morticia ... and then return to gather all the laundry.
i often had to work alone or with a chambermaid flipping eight rooms because we were a 'pit stop' for one overnight for lots of folks.
 
Wow some great suggestions here! I would like to add that if you can store supplies somewhere on each floor to reduce the running up and down, that will save you a lot of time. I am more of a sole proprietor than I would like to be. When the PTB are here, they don't do much but bark orders and criticize my methods (then shut it and pitch in already). If I had my druthers, I would hang a sign on the door that the Innkeeper will return for 3 oclock check in and let the phone to go VM.
Unfortunately, I don't really get to do those things since I am supposed to be everywhere at once.
I have a caddy of supplies and a vacuum on each floor and that helps tremendously. . . . now If I could just get a second dryer....
teeth_smile.gif

btw...I am all for cloning. I could use 2 or 3 of me.
 
I try when I know it is a full house in and then out to set up sheets and towels for each room in the laundry room as it has long work surfaces and they have a card with a number on on top ie room one is a twin so two duvet covers, 2 single sheets, 2 sets of towels, 4 pillow cases. So as soon as that room goes I can pick up the pile dash to the room put them in and strip off the old stuff and bring down. but it depends on how many I have for breakfast if I can be spared as today we did 20 breakfasts in 45 minutes. (woo hoo) We carry a houskeeping cady with all the tea, coffee, and another basket with the cleaning stuff in. I am trying to get two trays one for the clean mugs and one for clean glasses so I can switch them out and run the dirties through the dishwasher.
 
What Morticia calls "prepping" we call "stripping." Stripping the room includes pulling linens and towels (we throw them down the laundry chute), pulling trash and putting in a new liner, checking drawers, resetting the TV, pulling dirty dishes, etc.
When there is more than one of us working on the rooms (like if my sister comes over to help), we use a checklist which helps to avoid duplicating work. (It also helps my sister, since she doesn't flip rooms often, to know what to be doing and looking out for).
When I'm on my own I literally force myself to avoid the laundry at all costs... it will suck me in and set me back. For that matter, I have to avoid Facebook, too...
embaressed_smile.gif

I have cleaning supplies in or near every room, as well as spare TP, wastebasket liners, bedside candy, rubber duckies, glasses, sheets, and towels. I know some innkeepers prefer not to store anything in the rooms, but I find having the sheets and towels there is great when I'm in a hurry. Then, when I'm not in as big of a rush (and the laundry is done), I try to restock everything so it's ready to go next time. I have two vacuums... and maybe someday I'll buy a third so that I have one per floor.
=)
Kk.
 
I try when I know it is a full house in and then out to set up sheets and towels for each room in the laundry room as it has long work surfaces and they have a card with a number on on top ie room one is a twin so two duvet covers, 2 single sheets, 2 sets of towels, 4 pillow cases. So as soon as that room goes I can pick up the pile dash to the room put them in and strip off the old stuff and bring down. but it depends on how many I have for breakfast if I can be spared as today we did 20 breakfasts in 45 minutes. (woo hoo) We carry a houskeeping cady with all the tea, coffee, and another basket with the cleaning stuff in. I am trying to get two trays one for the clean mugs and one for clean glasses so I can switch them out and run the dirties through the dishwasher..
camberleyhotelharrogate said:
today we did 20 breakfasts in 45 minutes. (woo hoo)
WOW!!
cheers.gif

=)
Kk.
 
We have three floors, first is stripping all the linen-maybe starting a load of sheets.
First I get everything ready for each room, towels, sheets etc in a basket with cleaning supplies in a pail. We start at the top 3rd floor-usually 2 rooms I take the third my husband takes the second (4 rooms) and we go from there, its a stratagy-I don't leave one room to do another I do one room at a time and if you fluff the rooms daily its easier to do since you've already wiped both camode and sink and emptied trash so its not so bad. Hubbie on the other hand has ADD sometimes going from one room to the next...but its just automatic-laudry first-empty trash-spray bathroom-make bed-dust if necessary-clean bath-vacume.
Thats how I do it every time and it gets pretty automatic after a while
 
most challenging to me i think was that, in addition to the guest rooms and the kitchen and the breakfast room, so many other areas need attention. it's endless!
the common areas where guests can sit have to be emptied of trash, dusted, vacumed, freshened ... spilled coffee and sugar and coffee rings etc on counter tops and tables, random objects in hallways, smudges on mirrors, windows and doors ... the entrance needing to be swept clean... front porch, decks ... plus checking guests out and in throughout ... just the sheer volume of places and things needing attention can be overwhelming. all aspirings need to know just how hard this can be and how valuable some help is!
it's like getting the whole house ready for special company to come visit who notice everything but never help.
i would sometimes go out the front door and come in as though i were checking in ... then i'd notice things.
one time i spent from dawn to dusk cooking, serving, cleaning, flipping, doing guest reception, i was taking a break ... i was standing looking out at the harbor with a cup of coffee in my hand and two people were walking by. i heard someone say 'that looks awful'. what could look awful? there was a paper cup with trash inside it shoved into one of my window boxes!!
 
most challenging to me i think was that, in addition to the guest rooms and the kitchen and the breakfast room, so many other areas need attention. it's endless!
the common areas where guests can sit have to be emptied of trash, dusted, vacumed, freshened ... spilled coffee and sugar and coffee rings etc on counter tops and tables, random objects in hallways, smudges on mirrors, windows and doors ... the entrance needing to be swept clean... front porch, decks ... plus checking guests out and in throughout ... just the sheer volume of places and things needing attention can be overwhelming. all aspirings need to know just how hard this can be and how valuable some help is!
it's like getting the whole house ready for special company to come visit who notice everything but never help.
i would sometimes go out the front door and come in as though i were checking in ... then i'd notice things.
one time i spent from dawn to dusk cooking, serving, cleaning, flipping, doing guest reception, i was taking a break ... i was standing looking out at the harbor with a cup of coffee in my hand and two people were walking by. i heard someone say 'that looks awful'. what could look awful? there was a paper cup with trash inside it shoved into one of my window boxes!!.
Absolutely! You can't miss the details...espcecially since most B&B guests are looking for something better and more special than the chains.
Don't forget to check under the beds, around the bed frames, in the corners, behind night stands and such where people will plug in their electronic devices. And please be sure to atdust any blinds, shades, and windowsills. Just stayed at a BEAUTIFUL place for a few days. When I plugged my cell phone charger in the wall there were lots of cobwebs around the bedframe and box spring. Also, noticed lots of cobwebs behind the wood blinds when we shut them a night. We all get busy, but.....
 
most challenging to me i think was that, in addition to the guest rooms and the kitchen and the breakfast room, so many other areas need attention. it's endless!
the common areas where guests can sit have to be emptied of trash, dusted, vacumed, freshened ... spilled coffee and sugar and coffee rings etc on counter tops and tables, random objects in hallways, smudges on mirrors, windows and doors ... the entrance needing to be swept clean... front porch, decks ... plus checking guests out and in throughout ... just the sheer volume of places and things needing attention can be overwhelming. all aspirings need to know just how hard this can be and how valuable some help is!
it's like getting the whole house ready for special company to come visit who notice everything but never help.
i would sometimes go out the front door and come in as though i were checking in ... then i'd notice things.
one time i spent from dawn to dusk cooking, serving, cleaning, flipping, doing guest reception, i was taking a break ... i was standing looking out at the harbor with a cup of coffee in my hand and two people were walking by. i heard someone say 'that looks awful'. what could look awful? there was a paper cup with trash inside it shoved into one of my window boxes!!.
Absolutely! You can't miss the details...espcecially since most B&B guests are looking for something better and more special than the chains.
Don't forget to check under the beds, around the bed frames, in the corners, behind night stands and such where people will plug in their electronic devices. And please be sure to atdust any blinds, shades, and windowsills. Just stayed at a BEAUTIFUL place for a few days. When I plugged my cell phone charger in the wall there were lots of cobwebs around the bedframe and box spring. Also, noticed lots of cobwebs behind the wood blinds when we shut them a night. We all get busy, but.....
.
Remember the place I stayed last fall? Dead bugs on the windowsills with old webs covering them! The 'divan' pillows hadn't been moved in a dog's age and they were covered with the same bugs & webs. Yes, it's good to keep after that stuff.
 
most challenging to me i think was that, in addition to the guest rooms and the kitchen and the breakfast room, so many other areas need attention. it's endless!
the common areas where guests can sit have to be emptied of trash, dusted, vacumed, freshened ... spilled coffee and sugar and coffee rings etc on counter tops and tables, random objects in hallways, smudges on mirrors, windows and doors ... the entrance needing to be swept clean... front porch, decks ... plus checking guests out and in throughout ... just the sheer volume of places and things needing attention can be overwhelming. all aspirings need to know just how hard this can be and how valuable some help is!
it's like getting the whole house ready for special company to come visit who notice everything but never help.
i would sometimes go out the front door and come in as though i were checking in ... then i'd notice things.
one time i spent from dawn to dusk cooking, serving, cleaning, flipping, doing guest reception, i was taking a break ... i was standing looking out at the harbor with a cup of coffee in my hand and two people were walking by. i heard someone say 'that looks awful'. what could look awful? there was a paper cup with trash inside it shoved into one of my window boxes!!.
Absolutely! You can't miss the details...espcecially since most B&B guests are looking for something better and more special than the chains.
Don't forget to check under the beds, around the bed frames, in the corners, behind night stands and such where people will plug in their electronic devices. And please be sure to atdust any blinds, shades, and windowsills. Just stayed at a BEAUTIFUL place for a few days. When I plugged my cell phone charger in the wall there were lots of cobwebs around the bedframe and box spring. Also, noticed lots of cobwebs behind the wood blinds when we shut them a night. We all get busy, but.....
.
Remember the place I stayed last fall? Dead bugs on the windowsills with old webs covering them! The 'divan' pillows hadn't been moved in a dog's age and they were covered with the same bugs & webs. Yes, it's good to keep after that stuff.
.
This place was very clean except for those details. Also, beautifully decorated, wonderful amenities, awesome breakfasts, and a super innkeeper! It's easy to miss stuff like the cobwebs in places that you might not check every time you flip a room when you are doing it all on your own (which is the case with this innkeeper that we just stayed with). Sometimes we innkeepers forget that guests are often down on the floor plugging in cell phones, lap tops, and iPods, etc.
whattha.gif

I would absolutely recommend where we just stayed to anyone. It was a great place!
Just thought I'd put out a reminder to double check for those things that it's easy for an overworked, overstressed, and tired innkeeper to miss. Been there, done that.....
 
I have two different caddies. One for cleaning supplies and one for amenities. DW and I hit each room together. She strips the bed while I gather towels, half-used shampoo bottles, bars of soap and what's left of the Toilet Tissue. Laundry goes into plastic baskets.
While I do a blitzkrieg cleaning of the bathroom, DW puts the new sheets on the bed and spot irons where needed. I stop to help her do the tucking and folding of the bed covers then I vacuum and clean the mini-fridge and wipe down all the base boards, ceiling fans, window sills etc. DW, in the meantime has a load of laundry going and I move on to the next room.
I'm glad we only have two rooms.
 
Back
Top