Executive Housekeeper
(21433)
At One&Only, we exist to create joy for our guests through anticipation, creativity, precision, empathy and warmth. We tailor every aspect of our guests’ stay to bring their dreams and desires to life. With an atmosphere that’s chic but wonderfully unstuffy™, and a team who are meticulous but warm, we seek to exceed our guests’ expectations at every possible turn.
Set in the vibrant heart of Cape Town’s waterfront, surrounded by restaurants, shopping, art and entertainment; on the doorstep of Table Mountain; and within easy reach of spectacular beaches, national parks, and winelands; One&Only Cape Town is the ultimate curator of discovery, from active adventures, to mindful moments and exclusive, tailored experiences. The warm South African charm is one of our most unique and valued assets. With abundant knowledge and generosity, we anticipate our guest’s every need and surpass expectations. Whether we are designing the perfect family day out or arranging a romantic private dinner, we approach everything with imagination to spark a sense of playfulness, discovery and adventure. This is not simply our job, it’s our passion
Job Summary
The Executive Housekeeper is responsible for the overall management, coordination, and supervision of the Housekeeping Department at One&Only Cape Town, under the direction of the Director of Rooms and Resort Manager. The role oversees all aspects of housekeeping operations, including guest rooms, public areas, laundry services, linen management, floral arrangements, guest amenities, and contracted cleaning services. The primary objective is to ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness, presentation, efficiency, and service excellence are consistently maintained in accordance with One&Only brand standards and five-star luxury hospitality expectations. The Executive Housekeeper is accountable for maintaining ReviewPro scores above 95%, ensuring operational excellence, and continuously improving the quality of the guest experience.
The position is responsible for conducting regular inspections of guest rooms and public areas to ensure that all furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and facilities are maintained in excellent condition. It involves monitoring daily room-cleaning operations, ensuring arrival rooms are serviced before 14:00, occupied rooms are cleaned before 14:30, and turndown services are completed before 21:00. The Executive Housekeeper ensures that all rooms are inspected by supervisors, with particular attention given to Very Important Guests (VIGs), special requests, long-stay guests, and families requiring personalized service. The role also includes coordinating special cleaning schedules, monitoring maintenance requirements, ensuring prompt reporting of damages and losses, and maintaining effective communication with the Maintenance Department and other relevant hotel departments.
A key responsibility is the effective leadership, development, and management of housekeeping personnel. This includes overseeing staff rosters, leave schedules, and workforce allocation in line with hotel occupancy and operational demands. The Executive Housekeeper establishes performance standards, identifies training needs, coordinates ongoing training and development, and ensures that all training activities are properly documented. The role requires maintaining high standards of professional conduct, personal appearance, uniform presentation, and service delivery among all housekeeping employees. In collaboration with Human Resources and the contracted cleaning company, the Executive Housekeeper participates in the recruitment and selection of senior housekeeping personnel and ensures that disciplinary, misconduct, and incapacity matters are addressed fairly and timeously. The position also promotes teamwork, accountability, effective communication, and a positive working environment while encouraging continuous improvement and employee development.
The Executive Housekeeper is responsible for the department's financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and cost control. This includes preparing and managing departmental budgets, monitoring labour costs and operating expenses, reviewing financial performance, and ensuring expenditure remains within approved budgetary guidelines. The role requires the preparation and submission of accurate operational and financial reports to the Resort Manager, Director of Rooms, Finance, and Human Resources. Any variances against budget or forecast must be investigated, explained, and communicated to the relevant management team. In addition, the Executive Housekeeper oversees monthly stocktakes and inventory management for linen, operating supplies, equipment, guest amenities, and other housekeeping resources. Working closely with the Purchasing Department and contracted cleaning company, the role ensures that appropriate par stock levels are maintained, stock discrepancies are investigated, and resources are used efficiently to support uninterrupted operations and cost-effective service delivery.
Guest satisfaction is central to the role, requiring the Executive Housekeeper to anticipate guest needs, respond promptly to requests, and provide personalized housekeeping services that reflect the standards of a luxury resort. The position involves engaging directly with VIPs, long-stay guests, families, and guests requiring special attention to ensure their expectations are met. The Executive Housekeeper investigates guest complaints and negative feedback, implements corrective measures, and identifies opportunities to improve service quality. The role also ensures that all employees are familiar with and consistently adhere to established standards relating to guest room conditions, amenities, welcome gifts, turndown services, laundry and valet services, and housekeeping and maintenance requests. Close collaboration with other Heads of Departments is essential to resolve concerns effectively and ensure a seamless guest experience.
The role further requires effective coordination and management of the contracted cleaning company to ensure that all contractual obligations and service-level expectations are fulfilled. The Executive Housekeeper must maintain strict control over housekeeping procedures relating to lost and found, key control, security, hygiene, health and safety, emergency procedures, and the protection of hotel property. All maintenance concerns, damaged furniture, equipment losses, and significant guest complaints must be reported promptly to the appropriate management personnel. The position also requires participation in duty management shifts when necessary and the flexibility to work varying shifts according to operational requirements.
In addition to operational responsibilities, the Executive Housekeeper is expected to maintain strong interpersonal relationships with employees, colleagues, and management, addressing disagreements professionally and confidentially while fostering mutual respect and cooperation. The role requires clear communication, sound decision-making, and the ability to implement management instructions and operational changes effectively. The Executive Housekeeper must also ensure that all departmental employees comply with hotel policies, the employee handbook, fire and emergency procedures, hygiene regulations, and occupational health and safety requirements. Through effective leadership, financial discipline, operational control, and a commitment to continuous improvement, the Executive Housekeeper plays a vital role in maintaining the reputation of One&Only Cape Town as a leading luxury hospitality destination and consistently delivering an exceptional five-star guest experience.
Our brand is expanding faster than ever before. We are investing in the growth of our company, and that means we are committed to investing in you. Join a team that is open-hearted, intuitive, generous, and spontaneous in spirit. We believe in making our guests happy beyond anything they have ever imagined. We wow them at every turn and create memories that will last a lifetime. You will be at the heart of this vision, to constantly innovate to deliver Amazing Experiences and Everlasting Memories.
