How to become a Room Attendant

Duties & Tasks of a Room Attendant

Room attendants:

• Check that rooms have been vacated before cleaning
• Make beds daily and change bed linen
• Vacuum carpets, floors and upholstery
• Clean bathrooms and supply with fresh towels and toiletries
• Check and restock tea, coffee, sugar, milk and mini bar supplies
• Make sure that televisions, radios, lights and air conditioning equipment are working
• Report to a supervisor if articles are left behind by guests, if there is damage to rooms or if any items appear to have been stolen
• Take laundry and dry cleaning orders from guests.

Tasks

• Sweeping, mopping and polishing floors, vacuuming and shampooing carpets, and cleaning curtains and upholstered furniture
• Taking care of household pets and plants, receiving visitors, answering telephones, delivering messages, and shopping for groceries
• Restocking minibars and replenishing items such as drinking glasses, writing equipment, linen and groceries
• Stripping and making beds, and changing bed linen
• Picking up rubbish, emptying garbage containers, and taking contents to waste areas for removal
• Picking up, sorting, washing, drying, ironing and mending linen and clothes
• Cleaning the interior of buildings and the immediate outside areas
• Dusting and polishing furniture, fixtures and fittings
• Preparing and cooking meals, setting and clearing tables, and serving food and beverages
• Maintaining kitchens, washing dishes and cooking utensils, and cleaning appliances, cupboards, counters, pantries and floors

Working conditions for a Room Attendant

Working conditions and hours vary greatly, depending on where room attendants work. The work is not usually physically demanding, but lifting, carrying and bending are involved.

Employment Opportunities for a Room Attendant

Room attendants are employed by individual hotels, motels or guest houses, or by companies that operate a chain of establishments. Most room attendants work in capital cities and surrounding suburbs or in country centres where there are tourist resorts. Demand for room attendants depends on growth in the tourism and travel industries. As turnover is relatively high, there is generally a constant demand to replace those leaving the job. With experience, and sometimes further training, it is possible to progress to supervisory levels and to the position of executive housekeeper.

Specializations

Room Attendant

Room attendants clean and maintain rooms in hotels, motels and other places of accommodation.

• 

  Average age

  41

• 

  Future Growth

  N/A

• 

  Gender Share

  84% female

• 

  Average full-time

  44 hours

• 

  Weekly Pay

  N/A

• 

  Skill level rating

  Entry level

• 

  Unemployment

  Lower unemployment

• 

  Full-Time Share

  20%

• 

  Employment Size

  24,900

• 

  Employment by state

  ACT: 1.8%
  NSW: 28.8%
  NT: 2.2%
  QLD: 24.9%
  SA: 7.5%
  TAS: 3.2%
  VIC: 21.1%
  WA: 10.4%
  
• 

  Age brackets

  15-19: 2.3%
  20-24: 10.6%
  25-34: 25.3%
  35-44: 19.4%
  45-54: 22.9%
  55-59: 10.1%
  60-64: 6.5%
  65 and Over: 2.9%
  
• 

  Education level

  Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 8%
  Bachelor degree: 14%
  Below Year 10: 9.5%
  Certificate III/IV: 12.8%
  Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 3.9%
  Year 10 and below: 29%
  Year 11: 7%
  Year 12: 25.4%
  Years 11 & 10: 31.8%