Sandals South Coast celebrates housekeepers

THE HALLMARK of any great resort is most definitely clean, comfortable and exquisitely appointed accommodations. After all, this is where guests spend most of their personal time, therefore, the attention to detail is particularly paramount.

This is not achieved by chance; it takes a team with years of experience, the highest level of training, a passion for perfection and an unwavering standard of excellence, committed to highest level of cleanliness and safety. Thankfully, at Sandals and Beaches resorts there is such a team, and as the world celebrated International Housekeepers Week recently, the luxury-included resort group was sure to join in on celebrating the front runners of the company’s Platinum Protocol of Cleanliness.

While throughout all Sandals and Beaches resorts there were numerous celebratory activities, at Sandals South Coast, the team added its own flair to this very important week in hospitality. After all, housekeepers form part of the lifeblood of this giant of a company. Sandals South Coast’s executive housekeeper, Ausanah Rowe, led the resort’s week-long celebrations which saw the industrious team members showing up to various locations at the resort to participate in a myriad of activities, ranging from competitions and rap sessions to karaoke and team socials. The events culminated last Friday with an awards gala with housekeeping team members turning out in anticipation of who would walk away with the top awards for the year.

“Recognising the housekeeping team for their stellar performance, especially with the advent of the novel coronavirus, goes a long way towards boosting staff morale. It certainly helps to keep them motivated and feel appreciated. I am happy to be part of something so pivotal and so necessary because in the world of hospitality, housekeepers are essential workers.”

According to General Manager Adrian Whitehead, in the wake of COVID-19 and the company’s Platinum Protocol of Cleanliness, housekeepers have become even more critical to a resort’s operations, but there are other things as well. “Since reopening this resort in October 2020, we have hired over 200 new staff members, a number of whom are in our Housekeeping Department. It’s been a pleasure watching them grow, they have brought a high level of energy and enthusiasm to the team and they have been very eager to learn and immerse themselves in this new hospitality environment.

‘We’ve also increased and significantly enhanced our room portfolio on this resort, and we’re impressed with how well our more seasoned staff members have adapted to the cleaning protocols and new SOPs, as well as committed themselves to training and guiding the new hires,” said Whitehead. “Overall for the past several months, as our resort has enjoyed increased occupancies as travel returns, the demands on our housekeeping team have been exponential and at every step of the way they’ve pulled together as a team and stepped up to the plate.”

Though the week sought to recognise and honour all housekeepers, from room attendants to housemen, there were specific members of the team that were lauded for their unyielding dedication and outstanding contribution to the cleanliness of the resort and the maintenance of the company’s standards. Chief among them were Abby-Gayle Desouza, housekeeping supervisor; Claudian Fletcher, who is an overwater villa room attendant; and Clevoy Burnett, an overwater villa houseman. While Fletcher and Burnett copped the coveted awards for most outstanding overwater room attendant and houseman, respectively, Desouza walked away with the mover and shaker award.

Fletcher was elated about her award. She shared that her work ethic is second to none.

“Me? I’m exclusive!” she exclaimed after being asked what makes her outstanding. She continued, “I’m one of a kind. I go all out. I have a positive attitude, I am helpful and I take pride in what I do.”

The conscientious room attendant was among the first batch of housekeepers to work in the overwater villas. She was employed in 2017 fresh out of the Culloden Vocational Training Centre.