International Housekeeping Week, which takes place from Sept. 9 to 13 this year, gives hotel owners and managers the perfect opportunity to honor their housekeeping staff. With employee turnover and burnout remaining high across the hotel industry, showing staff you’re appreciative for their hard work is one of the best ways to increase job satisfaction.
This year, Canary launched Housekeeping Heroes – an initiative to recognize hard working housekeepers. Hoteliers from all over the world shared heartfelt and inspiring stories of more than 130 housekeepers. Each of the nominations we received told of dedicated housekeepers going above and beyond.
From the group of amazing nominations, we’ve selected five winners — read their stories below to get inspired!
Kathy Sanders is the Housekeeping Manager at the Courtyard Atlanta Decatur. Her General Manager, Bryan Shepherd, says, "She is absolutely an amazing housekeeping leader and no doubt my Housekeeping Hero!”
When Kathy started at this hotel, she inherited cleanliness scores in the 60s — she has since consistently raised scores to high 70s, well above brand average. “She arrives to work in the middle of the night, walks the entire property cleaning as she goes, then breaks out the housekeeping boards, assists in stripping rooms, and making beds for the housekeepers to ensure they stay on track,” shared Bryan when asked about how Kathy goes above and beyond. “Anything I say about Kathy doesn't do justice to what she means to our property and her team.”
Yuliia is a housekeeper at InnVest Hotels' Comfort Inn location in Corner Brook, NL, Canada. “Yuliia moved here from Ukraine to find a more peaceful life for herself, her husband, and their daughter,” said her General Manager, Cox Carling. “We only had part-time work available for her at the time, which was hard for her in trying to make a new life in Canada.”
During her first year, Yuliia worked tirelessly to pick up extra shifts when she was able. Cox told us, “When a full-time position opened up with us, we saw no other choice but to offer it to her. She is hard working, enjoyable to be around, detail oriented, and nobody deserves it more than she does. We've since hired three more Ukranians at our hotel with similar backgrounds, and Yuliia takes the time to train them, helps us with language barriers, and gives them a positive, comfortable place to work. Yuliia is simply the best!”
Kritesh was nominated by Varuna Ramlagun, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Sunlife Hotel Management. Varuna told us, “Kritesh consistently demonstrates a high level of integrity and strong moral values. His attention to detail ensures that our guests always receive clean and comfortable rooms. His guest-centric approach and dedication to guest satisfaction are truly commendable.”
In addition to holding himself to a high standard, Kritesh is a true team player. “Kritesh is always willing to go the extra mile. He has been a great asset in urgent situations. He has been a great asset in urgent situations, such as collecting amenities when needed and assisting in the laundry department during staff shortages,” shared Varuna “His willingness to cover multiple rooms and maintain a positive attitude is highly valued.” It’s clear that Kritesh is the full package – a hard worker, a true team player, and a delightful individual.
“I am thrilled to nominate Araceli, our dedicated Housekeeping Supervisor,” said Tolosa Otavio, the General Manager at The Fives Hotels in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. “Araceli has been an integral part of our housekeeping team for six years, and her commitment to excellence and leadership skills have been invaluable to our department. Araceli’s work ethic is exceptional. She is always among the first to arrive and the last to leave, ensuring that all housekeeping operations are executed flawlessly. Her dedication to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and service is truly inspiring.”
Araceli is a true team leader. Tolosa commented that, “Araceli is a cornerstone of support for her team. She is always ready to mentor new staff members and ensure everyone is up to date with the latest cleaning techniques to cultivate a collaborative and supportive work environment.”
When asked about how Araceli’s work has benefitted the department, Tolosa said, “She has implemented a new scheduling system that optimizes staff deployment, resulting in quicker room turnovers without compromising quality. During a recent high occupancy period, Araceli managed to coordinate her team effectively, ensuring that all rooms were prepared on time and to the highest standards, receiving numerous guest compliments for the department’s exceptional service.” Araceli shines so brightly as a leader, guests can’t help but notice!
Eva was nominated by Laura Kressman, her supervisor at the Holiday Inn & Suites Beaumont Plaza. Laura said, “This hotel previously hadn't passed a quality inspection in years, and we have now exceeded necessary standards.”
“She is always positive and upbeat with a can-do attitude,” said Laura, when asked about how Eva’s work makes a difference. “She will always go the extra mile for a guest. [Lauren] was given an additional hotel to manage back in November of 2023 and asked for [Eva’s] assistance to train and build a new team. [Eva] took on this task as a true hero with definite success and always with a smile.” Eva seems unstoppable – she steps up to take on new challenges with a great attitude!
Thank you to Kathy, Yuliia, Kritesh, Araceli, and Eva for your hard work and dedication. You are a true hero to your team and your stories inspire all of us at Canary.
Each of the housekeepers mentioned above won a $200 Amazon gift card and a feature on our LinkedIn page this week — we’re so glad to be a part of honoring these team members!
Additionally, in honor of Housekeeping Week, we’re providing a special promotion on Canary’s Digital Tipping service. Now through Sept. 13, hoteliers who enroll in Digital Tipping are eligible for a $200 gift card to put towards a Digital Tipping launch party. Book a demo TODAY to learn more!
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