VIET NAM GENERAL CONFEDERATION OF LABORTON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION INTERNSHIP REPORT HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT PRACTICE IN OAKWOOD RESIDENCE SAIGON... VIET
INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT PROFILE
AFFILIATION OF THE COMPANY TO THE GROUP & LOCATION
With expanding developments in key areas and new markets, Oakwood is a diverse hospitality firm with an award-winning portfolio of more than 80 properties throughout the world Oakwood's suite of lodging alternatives is available in 13 countries.
Being a well-known global leader in the creation and administration of hospitality assets, Oakwood aims to accompany every journey as a partner and open doors to new possibilities Oakwood's bespoke portfolio of products, which ranges from elegantly- furnished serviced residences to sophisticated design-led properties and is designed to meet the needs of the globally mobile across various stages of their lives, is a reflection of its commitment to continuous innovation and deep understanding of travelers. Discover what Oakwood has to offer and reach out to their dedicated development teams with expertise in the regions of the Americas, Asia Pacific as well as Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood
Located: 1056A Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, 700000,Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Email: mailto:general.residence-saigon@oakwood.com
Website: https://www.oakwood.com/vietnam/hochiminhcity/residence-saigon
Oakwood Residence Saigon is a serviced apartment tower located in the upscale District
7 of Ho Chi Minh City The building is the serviced apartment component within Saigon South Place, a planned 4.4-ha mixed-use development which also comprises the upmarket retail destination SC VivoCity, Grade A office tower Mapletree Business Centre, and high-end residential apartments RichLane Residences.
Oakwood Residence Saigon comprises 237 serviced apartment units from studio to three- bedrooms Apartment available for both short and long-stay Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, children’s playground, fitness centre, barbercue pavilion, residennts’ lounge, an on- site restaurant, versatile multi- function meeting rooms.
Situated in Ho Chi Minh City’s fast growing new urban center of Phu My Hung in District 7, District 7 is a brand-new neighborhood that was created for high-income families and is incredibly well-liked by wealthy Vietnamese and expats Numerous international schools, sizable villas with gardens and pools, Western supermarkets, and a plethora of hip eateries are all present Although District 7 doesn't have much of a nightlife, its beauty comes from the fact that it is more peaceful than the rest of the city District 7 is a popular residence for immigrants due to these amenities Therefore, Oakwood Residence Saigon is an ideal place for those seeking a safe and green environment with full services.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Oakwood traces its origins to 1960, when founding partners Howard Ruby and Bob Franks began their career in real estate, managing small apartment buildings in California By 1965, Ruby and Franks were joined by financier Ed Broida and, operating as R&B Enterprises, soon became one of the leading developers of apartments in the United States.
In 1969, Howard Ruby created the Oakwood Apartments brand, featuring furnished apartment complexes that catered to a broader audience The concept of "corporate housing" was born and—for the first time—extended-stay business travelers had a spacious alternative to a typical hotel room, complete with full-sized kitchens, quality furnishings, home services and housewares, on-site amenities including swimming pools, fitness centers, concierge service, and more.
During the 1990s, Oakwood expanded throughout the United States, serving nearly every city nationwide, realizing Howard Ruby's vision of a single point of contact that could serve corporate-relocation needs virtually anywhere Oakwood's client base grew to include more than 85 percent of the Fortune Global 500, as well as others needing extended stay housing, including government and military, professional sports, and leisure travelers.
By the year 2001, Oakwood had expanded globally, with locations in Canada, Thailand, China, Korea, Philippines, Japan and the United Kingdom, and regional international offices in EMEA and APAC locations In 2022, Oakwood brands is available at 13 countries
As the pioneer of serviced apartments with over 50 years of hospitality expertise, Oakwood dedicates itself to continuous innovation and evolution with a guest-first approach With an award-winning portfolio of properties across the globe, Oakwood caters to business and leisure travelers alike with short to long stay requirements.
Accommodation 1 Journey defined by innovation of Oakwood
Oakwood Coporate Housing brand created
Mapletree accquired Oakwood in Oakwood celebrated 20 years
Select from Oakwood portfolio of products, each designed to provide a distinct level of service and quality that caters to different lifestyles.
The recognition Oakwood and their properties around the globe has been honored with is testament to their commitment to deliver uncompromising quality, be the first choice Whether customer are looking for an accommodation for an upcoming trip, or a residence to settle into. some awards that Oakwood has achieved:
International Property Awards 2021: Best Hotel Interior (Asia Pacific) – Oakwood Residence Hanoi
World Luxury Hotel Awards 2019: Continent Winner (Asia) in Luxury Serviced Apartment – Oakwood Residence Saigon
Destin Asian’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2019: Top 5 Serviced Residence Brands
HOTEL AND OUTLETS DESCRIPTION
A wonderful retreat for business and pleasure travelers alike, Oakwood's stylishly furnished studio apartments are flooded with natural light and offer an open floor design that seamlessly combines the different living, dining, and sleeping areas against a bustling city vista Comprehensively furnished, Studio Deluxe units are thoughtfully designed with a fully-equipped kitchen which includes amenities such as the washer and dryer, alongside modern-day amenities such as a flat-screen TV and high-speed Internet connectivity to ensure you remain connected
Oakwood's contemporary, tastefully furnished one-bedroom apartments give the seclusion of a separate living area, strategically built to deliver utmost comfort and maximize living space They were created with corporate executives or couples who value utility and modernism in mind.
The one-bedroom apartment features a private bedroom, a large living room, and a dining area, all of which are intended to inspire feelings of home, security, and protection.
Each apartment has high-speed internet access, a flat-screen TV with several channels and a home theater system, a Western-style kitchen with an induction hob and oven, and individual washer and dryer machines It is ideal for couples or business professionals who value functionality and modernity.
The Oakwood two-bedroom apartments are the ideal haven for small families They are surrounded by stunning city views and feature a wide living room, a bright dining space, and a fully furnished western kitchen.
Undoubtedly, this is a place where comfort meets convenience Each apartment is equipped with high-speed internet connectivity, flat screen TV with multiple channels and home theatre system, a kitchen with induction hob and oven, individual washer and dryer machines.
Larger families looking for a luxurious, opulently proportioned home for cozy, extended stays will love Oakwood's expansive three-bedroom apartments, which offer opulent living in an urban paradise Enjoy the bright, spacious, and elegantly furnished living area, which is framed by dynamic city views, or host private dinner parties in the separate dining area, which is located next to a fully furnished western- style kitchen In the master, second, and third bedrooms, you can select a bedding arrangement of two king beds and one single bed or two king beds and one twin bed. Each apartment is equipped with high-speed internet connectivity, flat screen TV with cable channels and home theatre system, fully equipped western-style kitchen, a washer and dryer as well as an electric safe.
Laundry and Dry Cleaning ServicesRoom Amenities:
Fully-equipped Western-style kitchen with induction hob, hood, oven and microwave
Coffee maker, toaster, electric cooker, cooking and dining utensils
Separate washing machine and dryer, refrigerator
Flat screen TV, multi-channel cable and home theater system
Telephone with IDD and voicemail functions
Bathroom with hairdryer, towels and toiletries multi-split-air-conditioning
Steam-iron and ironing board
From private board meetings to large-scale conferences, Oakwood Residence Saigon’s distinctive and versatile function rooms are fully-equipped with state-of-the-art audio- visual equipment and supported by a team of professional, skilled events coordinator and on-site sound engineer Catering can also be separately arranged to cater to each event's unique requirements.
Bamboo & Lotus Room (Opens into a larger function space)
HOTEL STRUCTURE: ORGANIZATION CHART AND EXPLANATION
Figure 2: Organizational structure and departments at Oakwood Residence Saigon
Executive management: General Manager, Administrative Assistant
Manage and operate the hotel, perform a number of other tasks such as potential customer relations, relations with local authorities Responsible for the success or failure of the hotel business Each department's head is accountable for the performance of that division's services, assigns work to subordinate staff, hires and trains new hires, establishes workplace rules and regulations, signs off on the employee compensation plan, and evaluates employees to determine whether to reward or discipline them.
- Housekeeping Department: Each department's head is accountable for the performance of that division's services, assigns work to subordinate staff, hires and trains new hires, establishes workplace rules and regulations, signs off on the employee compensation plan, and evaluates employees to determine whether to reward or discipline them closely and consistently coordinate with the front desk department in selling and providing room service The room department can be divided into small parts with its own functions, which are responsible for preparing the room, ensuring the clean room, always in the mode of being ready to receive guests - daily cleaning of the room, the reception areas lobby and public areas - check the condition of the room, other equipment, items, and products in the room during cleaning - receive and deliver guest services, notify the front desk
Assistant staff of related issues - Understand the situation of guests renting rooms - coordinate with other departments to serve guests.
- Front Office Department: The reception department, also known as the front desk, is considered as the "nervous center" of the hotel, all departmental, customer and service activities interact and connect with the reception The front desk department plays the role of hotel representative to communicate, provide information to customers, receive and resolve guest complaints This division serves as a link between the hotel's many departments and its guests Additionally, this serves as a useful tool for the management to interact with and provide recommendations to the board of directors regarding the state of the hotel, market demands, client preferences, and emerging trends Staying guests, details on the makeup of guests, the source of guests from which to make adjustments, and strategies to increase the hotel's commercial efficiency.
- The role of the hotel maintenance technical department is to ensure that the electrical system, water system, equipment and machinery such as sound, light, etc work well, without problems or malfunctions during operation.
- responsible for the overall security of the hotel building, its guests, visitors, day- to-day users and employees of the hotel and their belongings This is an important and indispensable part of the hotel's personnel organization chart The duty of this department is to protect the property of the hotel and its guests In addition, the security department is also responsible for guarding and patrolling to detect and quickly fix problems
- helps the board of directors establish business goals, optimize costs, and manage risks while playing a part in limiting hotel financial volatility controlling fluctuations in the hotel's finances and assisting management in cost optimization Specific duties include billing clients, monitoring and collecting receivables, account reconciliation, processing accounts payable, consolidating jointly owned units, budgeting, producing periodic financial statements, and performing financial analysis The finance and accounting department also aids in locating funding sources, managing the hotel's earnings and expenses, and carrying out state-related tasks assisting hotel managers comprehend company operations and make necessary improvements.
- In charge of recruiting, hiring, developing, and maintaining the hotel's human resources The development of an internal structure that encourages objectivity and transparency in organizational communication is another responsibility of the human resources division Additionally, the HR division serves as a progressive voice in the system as a whole and works to maintain competition both inside the division and between divisions.
- responsible for bringing the hotel's amenities and activities to the public To draw guests to the hotel, use sales and business methods As a result, the marketing division will approach potential customers, turn them into devoted clients, and then look after and profit from them over time Additionally, the sales division is in charge of counseling and counselling the board of directors in order to encourage business associations and debt collection In a nutshell, the sales and marketing division's primary responsibility is to generate income for the hotel's goods and services.
INTERNSHIP PROCEDURE
SCHEDULE & DUTIES
There are 2 shifts at the housekeeping department including:
- Morning shift: 8:00 am – 16:00 pm: main job of this shift is to clean assigned rooms
- Afternoon shift: 14:00 pm – 22:00 pm: main job of this shift is to clean the rooms that have not been cleaned in the morning shift, in addition to fulfill the refill requests of guests, refill towels for the swimming pool and gym area wash uniforms of all staff in the hotel
Organize activities of housekeeping department
Figure 4: Organize activities of housekeeping department
Working process of Housekeeping Attendant at Room
Figure 5: Working process of Housekeeping Attendant at Room
- Get the worksheet of room, have a meeting with supervisor to get complete information about the rooms to do during the day.
- Sign to receive the floor key
Receive worksheets Prepare supplies Clean up check and record to workshet Finish
Press the bell and enter the room Clear trash
Checking Write information on the worksheet Finish
- Prepare a car to make room (with full sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, reservation items such as: bath oil, shampoo, soap, brush, comb, cotton swab, shower cap, razor, nail files)
- Push the car to make room towards the room to prepare.
Press the bell and enter the room
- Check that guests have a "Do Not Disturb" (DND) sign If there is a DND sign, write it in the report and move to another room If there is no DND sign, then proceed to the next steps.
- Press the bell and say: “Housekeeping” Listen and wait for about 10 seconds, repeat 3 times: o If the guest opens the door, greet and ask: “Good morning / Good afternoon, Sir / Madam, May I clean your room now? o If the guest agrees, the room starts. o If the customer hesitates, you can ask: “Do you prefer that I come back later? and follow the customer's request. o If there is no answer, gently insert the key and open the door to the room
- Block the door and keep the door open throughout the room.
- Turn on all lights and check Turn off the lights if not needed.
- For checkout rooms, check to see if the guest has left anything out If yes, notify supervisor or bring it to lost and found
- If the guest room has anything special (guests leave money & jewelry outside or the safe is open), notify the supervisor.
- Check the garbage and empty the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
- Remove dirty sheets and duvet covers carefully to avoid mixing bedding and guest belongings on the bed Sort dirt, keep pillowcases separate and roll them up neatly
- Pull the bed gently Check the bed and bedding carefully, adjust the mattress, feather mattress and bed liners neatly, evenly inflated, smooth the bed liners
- Spread and fold the headboard
- Put the remaining 2 corners of the blanket into the last 2 corners of the duvet cover Gently insert the duvet into the cover and pull the edge of the duvet close to the edge of the duvet cover.
- Adjust the cover of the duvet cover, glue or tie it carefully.
- Check pillowcases for the right type and size for each room type Place pillowcases and arrange them neatly on top of the bed Make sure the pillow is evenly inflated and place the covered end toward the center of the bed.
- Water splash W.C (if necessary), put cleaning chemicals in W.C to soak Use concentrated bleach if necessary Be careful not to drop chemicals on the floor.
- Use the sponge and chemical to brush the tub in the order from the hand basin, bathroom glass, bathtub Use a brush around the base of the faucet, around metal legs, and between walls if needed.
- Use broom and sponge to hit W.C.
- Drain water in sequence from hand wash basin, shower stall, bathtub.
- Wipe the mirror, stone table (put all utensils aside, wipe the table with a damp sponge or wet cloth, then wipe with a dry cloth and wipe the other side).
- Dry in sequence from sink, shower stall, bathtub, W.C.
- Wipe the bathroom door, table frame with a damp sponge and wipe with a dry cloth.
- Wipe the water pipe under the sink.
- Bring clean towels and amenities Put towels and amenities neatly in the right order
- Starting from a corner of the room door, sequentially wipe everything from top to bottom with a dedicated towel Wipe and check the bedside lamp, dressing table, TV stand, desk, dining table, cleaning kitchen sink and Replenish reservation items.
- After dusting is complete, Start vacuuming from the farthest corner, in order from the inside to the outside Vacuum under the bed, under the table, and the corners of the room carefully After that, cleaning the floor.
- Check if the room is really clean and tidy Look at the curtains, paintings and beds, tables and chairs, then close the room door.
Write information on the worksheet
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
- Staff work fast, efficient, serious working attitude
- All employees adhere to the working time, try to complete the work even if they have to work overtime
- The coordination between employees is conducted closely, individuals are always responsible and always ready to support each other to complete the work.
- Oakwood is always interested in improving the professional skills of employees, so a lot of training and introduction sessions are held not only for new employees but also to improve the skills of longtime employees.
- Oakwood always creates conditions for new employees to learn and gain more experience from longtime employees to grasp the things to keep in mind when working.
- After many years of operation, the facilities at Oakwood need to be upgraded, especially towels and bed sheets, duvet covers In addition, there is a lack of amenities and working tools such as specialized cleaning cloths
- The staff's English communication skills are still limited, so when the customer has a request, the staff takes a lot of time to understand, sometimes misinterpreting causes unnecessary confusion This causes a lack of professionalism, affecting the professional image of the hotel
- Due to the current shortage of human resources, the work pressure is increasing, even sometimes overloaded Because it is a hotel apartment, the cleaning intensity in each room at Oakwood is much larger than other hotels (the largest room has an area of more than 120 square meters) Therefore, the division of overloaded work always occurs, which significantly affects the quality of service cleanup processes have been shortened with more steps due to the fact that they have to ensure that all work targets are met
- In addition to the effective employees, there are still some employees who have not kept up with the work schedule or worked poorly and unprofessionally, affecting the reputation of not only the Housekeeping department but also the hotel
- Management and inspection processes are still loose and not thorough The reason is partly due to a lack of human resources leading to the omission of some inspection steps But most of the reason also comes from employees as well as supervisors when checking sketchy, irresponsibly, causing many unnecessary errors.
- Health is not so good
- Gain experience in the Housekeeping Department
- Competitive rate of employment is low
- It takes a long time to get a promotion or can't work
- Handle situations that arise in in the process of making room
- ability to adapt in different situations not smooth - There are not too many opportunities for advancement to management positions
- A lot of work, easy to get frustrated and give up
- Many unexpected situations, if not handled well, will cause discomfort to guests
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After 3 months of internship at Oakwood Residence Saigon, this is really a great experience for me after 2 years of studying and researching in the field of hotel and restaurant management I have experienced and learned a lot of practical experience and skills while working here This report records my actual experience, although my ability is not too proficient, nor have I ever worked in the Housekeeping department, all I have is theoretical knowledge theory that I learned at university, so during my 3 months of internship, I encountered many difficulties and challenges Before starting my internship,
I set out for myself the goal of learning and mastering the working process at the Housekeeping department at Oakwood Residence Saigon After 3 months, this goal has basically achieved the goal that I set out for myself However, when exposed to the real environment, there are many unexpected situations that arise, making me quite surprised, but thanks to those situations, I have gained more experience not only in terms of expertise but also in working attitude.
- Oakwood's main customers are Japan and Korea Although these are not countries that communicate in English, they still need to have a sufficient English background to communicate with customers Also, if you know more Korean or Japanese, even better
- In order to improve the professional level of employees, it is necessary to regularly organize regular training courses, which can be organized according to the model of gaming or teambuilding to create more excitement for employees In addition, it can also be assigned to good and experienced employees to guide and train new employees and inexperienced employees by arranging for good employees to work together with new employees, so that it is easy to convey experience as well as practical experience.
- The arrangement and organization of labor still have unreasonable problems, which directly affect the quality of room service Due to the current shortage of staff in the Housekeeping department, it is very difficult to arrange work because it has to ensure both service quality and labor quality The executive supervisor needs to arrange labor in the most effective way, in addition, it is also necessary to quickly recruit personnel and train so that overload does not occur.
- There should be activities to promote employee engagement as well as reward policies for excellent individuals at work These things also contribute to improving and motivating employees to try and be more dedicated at work.
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE HOTEL
- Because there is no F&B service, in Oakwood, there is only a canteen for employees to rest and serve food This causes some inconvenience for those who do not have time to bring food from home but have to go out to buy and spend a lot of time Therefore, the company should have plans to overcome this inconvenience.
- Oakwood should focus on promoting marketing to increase brand awareness
- There should be a practical reward policy for individuals who have contributed and completed excellently
- It is necessary to have exchanges for employees to share difficulties and suggestions, thereby creating cohesion and solidarity among all department employees.
- have policies to retain employees to stay with the hotel, along with recruiting personnel who need more expertise to reduce work overload and put pressure on employees
- To complete the facilities, it is necessary to constantly upgrade the equipment to meet the increasing demands of customers In addition to upgrading, maintenance is also very necessary, it is necessary to regularly check and maintain facilities, making it easier for room staff to serve the requirements of customers.
- Need to divide the workload more reasonably for employees, with the number of 18-22 rooms divided by 2 people, it is too much compared to other hotels, especially when the workload is more Even on days when there are too many rooms, interns or inexperienced new employees still have to make their own rooms without the guidance of the main staff, leading to many mistakes This makes the quality of service not guaranteed
RECOMMENDATIONS TO UNIVERSITY
- Specialized university and faculties need to have a department in charge of organizing internship programs Although there is only one internship per year, planning, contacting agencies and businesses, organizing referral programs, etc should be maintained regularly so that students can have a guaranteed internship place quality
- The university needs to have detailed instructions for students before entering the internship process at the hotel
- It is necessary to organize more field trips to businesses, especially hotels, during their studies so that students can understand and review the knowledge they have learned in university.
- During the internship at the internship place, the school still does not have a method to care about the students in the process of contacting, the internship process has problems, but many times students have to solve it themselves with the business The school or instructors need to monitor and update the student's internship situation at the hotel to promptly solve problems that arise.
- It is necessary to agree and draw up a specific information plan about the internship phase practice so that students can understand, grasp and be more active in the process of contacting internship preparation.
- The school needs to have regular and unexpected contact with the agency where the students intern so that they can capture the information of the student's internship process with close monitoring and timely help when needed.
- Reduce theory lessons by practical lessons, in later subjects applied in practice, it is recommended to increase practical examples so that students can absorb problems at work.
- To know the limitations of the training program, the university should organize feedback from agencies and businesses These ideas are often very practical, helping the school understand the needs of the labor market to equip students with knowledge Feedback can be obtained in many ways such as organizing seminars, by questionnaires, by asking face-to-face
I had the opportunity to learn from my predecessors' knowledge and experience in the Housekeeping Department while studying at Ton Duc Thang University and doing a 3- month internship at Oakwood Residence Saigon, under the dedicated and enthusiastic guidance of Instructor Nguyen Quoc Loc and Tran Minh Duong, the dedicated guidance of the Manager at Oakwood Residence Saigon, and through the transmission of experience from my predecessors Due to limited time and professional knowledge, the report inevitably contains shortcomings, I look forward to receiving your comments and suggestions to make the report better Despite the fact that I am not particularly large, I believe it will be a required piece of equipment for future work.
Once again, I would like to thank Mr Nguyen Quoc Loc for your guidance and Oakwood Residence Saigon as well as all of staff for supporting and creating favorable condition for me to complete my internship process
At last, I wish all of you a good health and success.
Some illustrations on how to set-up the bedroom, kitchen toilet and living room:
Accommodation 2 living room and kitchen
some pictures of kitchen set-up