High School

Business, general science, computer science, and mathematics classes will give you a solid educational foundation for working in this field. Speech and English courses will boost your communication skills.

Postsecondary Training

Though hotels recognize the importance of experience, with todays competitive market, it is increasingly important to have further education. A bachelors degree in hotel management is your best bet, but associates degrees are valued as well. Emphasize course work in business administration, accounting, budgeting, and economics. Classes in communication, sociology, and psychology will prove helpful in dealing with a large, diverse staff. Other useful classes are interior design and purchasing.

Certification

Many colleges and universities offer certificate programs in hospitality and related fields, and some even offer executive housekeeping programs. For example, the University of Houston, offers an online executive housekeeping certificate program. To earn the certificate, students receive training in the following areas: housekeeping maintenance, laundry, cleaning products and tools, organization, schedules, entertaining (i.e., tableware, table setting and service, event planning), and staff management. Certificate programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

Other Education or Training

The IEHA offers professional education credentialing programs that cover topics such as technical, administrative, and management skills. Contact the association for more information.

Certification or Licensing

Certification or registration is not required of executive housekeepers, though it is something many seek. It is often considered a measure of professional success. IEHA offers several certification credentials to cleaning workers and managers who meet educational and training requirements and pass an examination. Visit https://www.ieha.org/continuing-education.php for more information. The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEA) provides the certified hospitality housekeeping executive credential to those who pass an exam that evaluates their knowledge in the following competency areas: housekeeping operations, financial management, leadership, and human resources management. Visit https://ahlei.servsafebrands.com for more information.

High school juniors and seniors who are interested in working in the hospitality industry can take advantage of the AHLEAs Hospitality and Tourism Management Program. The two-year program combines classroom and online learning with work experience in the hospitality industry. Graduating seniors who pass examinations; accrue 100 hours of paid or unpaid work experience at hotels, restaurants, or other tourism industry employers; and complete 360 hours of classroom learning receive the certified hospitality and tourism management professional designation. For more information, visit https://ahlei.servsafebrands.com/academic-overview/high-school-overview/hospitality-and-tourism-management.

Hotel executive housekeepers should have several years of experience handling the cleaning and maintenance responsibilities in hotel facilities. They need to be very detail oriented to maintain high standards of cleanliness. Housekeepers should know how to communicate effectively with their staffs, write reports, perform employee evaluations, order supplies, and handle complaints from hotel guests smoothly and efficiently. As with most service-oriented jobs, customers complaints are inevitable. It is the managers job to assess the situation and resolve the problem.