HOUSEKEEPING EXPERT SESSIONTOPIC: GUEST PERSONALIZATION & HOUSEKEEPING – CREATING MEMORABLE STAYS

DATE: 30 JULY 2025

As part of its Industry Connect initiative, the BGS Institute of Hotel Management organized an expert session on the topic “Guest Personalization & Housekeeping – Creating Memorable Stays.” The session was conducted by Ms. Babita Butola, Executive Housekeeper of Grand Mercure Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall, one of Accor Group’s premium brands. The session aimed to provide students with a clear understanding of how the housekeeping department plays a crucial role in enhancing guest satisfaction and loyalty through personalization, attention to detail, and innovation.

Objectives of the Session:

• To highlight the strategic role of housekeeping in crafting exceptional guest experiences.
• To explain how personalization in guest rooms and services can drive customer loyalty.
• To expose students to industry-standard practices and technological tools used for guest profiling and preference mapping.
• To understand the interplay between guest psychology and service aesthetics, including sensory elements like aroma, colour schemes, and lighting.
• To encourage students to develop a service mindset, focusing on empathy, proactivity, and guest anticipation.

Overview of the Session:

Ms. Babita began the session with a warm introduction and a brief insight into the operational scope of the Grand Mercure brand and its hospitality services. The speaker then dove into a highly interactive and visually supported presentation covering the following areas:

a. Guest Personalization in Modern Hospitality:

• Understanding the emotional quotient of service—going beyond needs to understand guest preferences and moods.
• Techniques to capture, store, and use guest data ethically to personalize room settings, amenities, wake-up calls, turndown services, and greetings.
• Examples of customization: birthday room setups, anniversary surprises, personalized welcome notes, specific aroma preferences, pillow menus, and bath choices.

b. Role of Housekeeping in Guest Delight:

• Transitioning from “housekeeping” to “experience keeping.”
• Case examples from Grand Mercure where small, thoughtful gestures by the housekeeping team resulted in positive guest reviews and social media shoutouts.
• Designing room aesthetics that align with guest personas—business travelers, families, solo tourists, and long-stay guests.

c. Use of Technology for Personalization:

• Integration of PMS (Property Management Systems) and CRM platforms in tracking repeat guest preferences.
• Role of IoT and AI in smart room settings—temperature, lighting, and entertainment synced to guest profiles.
• In-room voice assistants and mobile app requests.

d. Sustainable Housekeeping with a Personal Touch:

• The shift towards eco-conscious service delivery—linen reuse programs, chemical-free cleaning agents, and biodegradable toiletries.
• How to communicate sustainability efforts to guests without compromising comfort or luxury.
• Introducing green turndown services with herbal teas, recyclable bedtime notes, and natural fragrance diffusers.

e. Team Training and Motivation:

• The critical need for training housekeeping staff in soft skills, cultural sensitivity, grooming, and guest empathy.
• Role of supervisory staff in conducting briefing rituals, feedback sessions, and reward-based motivation models.
• Encouraging innovation and ownership among housekeeping teams to exceed guest expectations.

Learning Outcomes:

Post-session, students were able to:

• Clearly define the concept of guest personalization in hospitality and explain its impact on guest satisfaction and brand loyalty.
• Identify key elements of guestroom personalization that go beyond cleanliness—such as sensory experience, customized amenities, and emotional connection.
• Understand the role of technology in aiding housekeeping to achieve service excellence and efficiency.
• Gain exposure to sustainable practices within the housekeeping domain and how they align with global trends in eco-tourism and green hospitality.
• Appreciate the importance of teamwork, attention to detail, and empathy in crafting memorable stays.
• Apply concepts of guest behaviour analysis and service customization in project work, internships, and future placements.

Conclusion:

The expert session fostered a deep respect and enthusiasm for the housekeeping profession among hospitality students. The speaker’s clarity, warmth, and real-world insights provided a solid foundation for students to envision the transformational power of service in shaping guest experiences.

The event reinforced that personalization is not a luxury—it is the new standard in hospitality, and housekeeping plays a central role in delivering that promise.

BGSIHM expresses sincere gratitude to the speaker for their valuable time and contributions. The session will be followed by a reflective assignment for students to design a personalized housekeeping plan for different guest personas as part of their continuous learning.