There is no other department that has more guest contact than housekeeping. And while they may not meet the guests personally, they learn a lot about the guest’s preferences and needs while in the rooms. To learn more about this process, I spoke with Breidenbacher Hof’s Housekeeping Supervisor Sarah, who shared a very touching story.
As every day, Sarah supported the chambermaids by cleaning and checking the guest rooms. Typically this process yields the expected dirty towels and other general housekeeping needs. However, during a recent guest room cleaning, Sarah found several unusual elements. Using some deductive reasoning, it became apparent that the guest, an elderly Russian woman, had a physical handicap that she had attempted to adjust the space for.
Sarah recognized the need for a non-traditional guest room setup and with the support of her team, went about rearranging furniture and other elements for the guest. Additionally, our Russian-speaking chambermaid composed a letter in which she introduced herself as the new contact person and explained what the team had done in the room.
The next day, Sarah and our Russian chambermaid met a completely overwhelmed and thankful guest. With tears in her eyes, she explained her handicap. The reason for her visit in Dusseldorf was a medical therapy because of hip- and knee issues. She was not able to move freely and had pain while sleeping. Because of the barrier of language she had not raised her needs to the hotel. She was very touched that Sarah and her team nevertheless recognized her predicament and that they did everything to make her stay as comfortable as possible.
For the Housekeeping team this experience once again showed how important it is to walk attentively through the guest rooms. Anyone can pick up towels, but it takes a special person to recognize the greater needs. It is this character trait of genuine caring that can be found among all Capella Hotels and Resorts staff—not the least of which, our fantastic housekeeping team.
