Over the last 20 years, hotels have seen tremendous technological improvements
Advances in building design, operational equipment, and even room furnishings have transformed the industry. However, guest expectations have risen just as quickly. Today’s traveler has little patience for wasting time on booking, check-in, payment, or other processes that bring no direct benefit. Once checked in, tolerance is even lower when service or accommodations fail to meet expectations.
The hotel industry must aim to make the guest experience—from booking to checkout—as seamless as buying music on iTunes. In fact, it may be time to step out of the box, because “thinking outside the box” is no longer enough.
Despite heavy investment in new systems, Hotel Management as a discipline has not evolved significantly in two decades. One key reason is a lack of understanding of the interaction between people and technology. Next-generation hoteliers must not only adopt new tools but also integrate technology into core management practices. By doing so, technology regains its original meaning: “methods to extend human capabilities.”
It is not enough to simply know how systems work; we must also understand the underlying drivers. With that understanding comes the ability to innovate. In other words, we must rethink Hotel Management through both empirical and scientific approaches.
Hotel Management is broad and complex. In this article, I focus on productivity and quality management in housekeeping—specifically, how hotels can improve room-cleaning processes to achieve consistent quality and lasting productivity.
Guest’s Minimum Requirement
A clean room is the guest’s baseline expectation. The core product a hotel sells is a functional, spotless room. Anything less is effectively a “production error,” which entitles guests to refunds or compensation. Such mistakes are costly—not only in lost revenue but also in reputation. Guests may choose a competitor next time or leave negative reviews. Worst of all, errors frustrate both staff and management.
Many hotels try to fix these issues with more inspections. General Managers and supervisors may increase spot checks. This may help briefly, but it harms productivity and motivation. Moreover, it sends a message of distrust to employees. The approach treats symptoms rather than addressing root causes. Consider Toyota: would they rely on random spot checks? No, they would analyze the process itself. Responsibility for fixing the workflow lies with senior management, not with reprimanding staff.
To illustrate, imagine hair is found on the bathroom floor in Room 501. The note to Housekeeping is: “Deviation RH-14, Room 501, timestamp.” The Head Housekeeper reviews the issue directly with the room attendant who cleaned it that day. If several attendants fail at the same task, the problem likely lies in the workflow design or a change in infrastructure. This approach creates sustainable improvements and helps staff learn rather than feel blamed.
This is what I call DoT-QAP: Delivery on Time and Quality as Promised. It ensures tasks are performed consistently, based on defined standards. The result is predictable quality and stable productivity, regardless of room type, location, or occupancy. Cleaning times may vary slightly, but not as much as if each attendant followed their own method. The workflow is structured like an assembly line: each task must be completed in sequence before the next begins. This minimizes supervision and secures both efficiency and quality.
18 Tasks
Based on the DoT-QAP work process, the daily routine of a maid includes 18 tasks. Each task contains several sub-tasks, and the chart defines exactly how and in what order they should be performed. The sequence is crucial because it directly impacts worker safety, ergonomics, efficiency, and—most importantly—quality control as part of the process.
Stay-over rooms are cleaned differently from departure rooms in most hotels. With DoT-QAP, management can clearly define which sub-tasks to exclude and which ones to perform differently, ensuring both consistency and flexibility.
Consequences of Environmental Certification
Many hotels now hold environmental certifications. This often requires the use of low-impact and weaker cleaning chemicals. However, how many hotels have actually adapted their cleaning methods or upgraded equipment to maintain the same standards? If weaker chemicals are used without process adjustments, the result can be less sanitary sinks, bathrooms, tile walls, and toilets.
Moreover, productivity suffers if attendants must wait longer for chemicals to take effect. The physical strain also increases, as staff are forced to scrub harder in ergonomically challenging positions. These examples show how a single change can ripple across the entire cleaning process. Managing this impact should never be left to individual employees. Instead, top management must actively examine, adjust, and implement new methods. Often, deviations stem not from employee negligence but from the absence of a comprehensive management system—or simply put, a lack of structured process technology.
About the Author: Young N. Nguyen – CEO and Founder
Young N. Nguyen will contribute regularly to HRR. He is the CEO, Founder, and co-owner of d2o, a company that develops innovative management software for cruise lines, hotels, and catering companies. Today, d2o serves more than 400 customers in 15 countries and collaborates closely with leading hospitality management schools worldwide.
For over 12 years, Young has worked to turn complexity into simplicity for technology users. Drawing on his operational background in F&B and hotel management at Europe’s top hotels, he has created game-changing solutions for hotel operators. Recognized as a thought leader, Young has received multiple awards for innovation and performance. He is also a frequent industry speaker and guest lecturer.
- Article in Norwegian: HRR – Hotel Restaurant & Reiseliv
- Original article published in HRR: HRR Web
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