Glossary & Key Words
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Abbreviations
Departments & areas
Rooms
Guests & service
Cleaning
Linen
Desk & records
Abrasive
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Rough — can scratch surfaces.
Abrasive cleaners/pads scrub hard but can scratch glass or shiny surfaces. Use carefully.
Acidic cleaner
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A strong cleaner that can harm some surfaces.
Good for some descaling, but acid ruins marble and stone. Surface check zaroori.
All-purpose cleaner
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A neutral cleaner safe on most surfaces (R2).
The neutral, all-purpose hard-surface cleaner (R2) is gentle enough for general surfaces and even marble — it is not acidic.
Ambience
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The overall mood or feeling of a place.
Ambience is the 'vibe' — warm light, soft colours and a clean room create a calm ambience.
Amenity
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A nice extra provided for the guest.
Amenities are thoughtful extras — toiletries, slippers, fruit, flowers. VIPs get the best.
Audit
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A careful check of records or stock.
An audit counts and verifies — e.g., a linen audit checks the real stock against the register.
Back of House (BOH)
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Staff-only areas guests don't see.
BOH = kitchens, stores, offices, staff corridors. Hidden, but kept clean too.
Biohazard
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Body waste that can carry disease.
Blood, vomit and other body fluids can carry germs. Wear PPE, use the spill kit, and never touch them with bare hands.
Cabana
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A room by the pool or beach.
A cabana sits near the pool/beach, sometimes without a bed — for relaxing.
Chargeable
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The guest pays extra for it.
Mini-bar snacks and drinks are chargeable — they appear on the guest's bill.
Checklist
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A list that makes sure nothing is missed.
Room, public-area and inspection checklists catch every step — even on a busy day.
Chemical safety
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Handling cleaning chemicals without harm.
Read the label, use the right dose, never mix products, and store them locked away. Safety pehle.
Colour coding
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Different colour cloths for different areas.
A colour system (one colour for toilets, another for basins, and so on) stops germs travelling from a dirty area to a clean one.
Complimentary
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Free for the guest.
Complimentary items (soap, water, stationery) are free — included in the room price. Muft.
Concentrate
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A strong cleaner you dilute before use.
Most R-products are concentrates — strong liquid mixed with water to the label strength before cleaning. Never pour it neat unless the label says so.
Condemned linen
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Linen too worn or torn for guest use.
Badly worn linen is condemned — removed from guest use and often turned into cleaning cloths.
Connecting rooms
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Two rooms joined by an inside door.
Great for families — two rooms with a private door between them.
Consistency
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Getting the same result every time.
Consistency is why every room in a 5-star chain feels the same. SOPs make it happen.
Control desk
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The communication nerve-centre of housekeeping.
Every call, room status and message flows through the control desk. It never sleeps.
Coordination
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Different teams working together smoothly.
Housekeeping coordinates with Front Office, Engineering, F&B and Security so the guest never sees a gap.
Courtesy
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Being polite and warm to everyone.
A smile, a greeting, a thank-you — small courtesies make guests feel valued.
Cross-contamination
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Carrying germs from a dirty spot to a clean one.
Using the same cloth on a toilet and then a basin spreads germs. Colour coding and the clean-to-dirty order prevent it.
Crystallisation
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Hardening marble to a glass shine.
A specialist process: a crystalliser chemical worked into marble with steel wool under a weighted machine forms a hard, glossy layer. Periodic, not daily.
Daily cleaning
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Cleaning done every single day.
Routine daily work — make the bed, dust, refresh the bathroom and supplies.
Décor
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The look and feel of a space.
Décor = colours, lighting, flowers, art and cleanliness together. HK keeps it beautiful daily.
Deep cleaning
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An intense, complete clean.
Every corner, behind and under everything — done occasionally to reset a room fully.
Descaler
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An acid that dissolves hard-water scale.
A descaler (like R6 in the toilet bowl, R9 on fittings) is acidic — it dissolves limescale and rust. Never use it on marble, which it etches.
Dilution
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Mixing a chemical with the right amount of water.
Most cleaners must be diluted to the correct strength. Too strong wastes money and can harm surfaces or skin.
Discrepancy
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When two reports don't match.
If Front Office says 'occupied' but HK finds the room empty, that mismatch must be checked at once.
Discretion
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Keeping guest matters private.
Never gossip about who is staying or what you see. Quiet professionalism builds trust.
Disinfect
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Kill most germs on a surface.
Disinfecting is stronger than sanitising — used on high-risk spots like toilets and handles.
Division
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A main part of the hotel with one job.
A hotel is split into divisions — Front Office, Housekeeping, F&B, Engineering and more.
DND
Do Not Disturb
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A sign meaning 'please don't enter'.
When a guest hangs a DND sign, you do not knock or enter. Unko privacy chahiye — respect it.
Double room
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One big bed, for two guests.
A double has one large (double) bed shared by two guests.
Electrical equipment
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Tools powered by electricity.
Vacuum cleaner, floor scrubber, polisher — fast, powerful, need care and charging.
Engineering
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The team that repairs and maintains everything.
AC, lights, taps, lifts — Engineering fixes them. HK reports faults; Engineering repairs them.
Etching
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Acid damage that dulls marble.
When acid touches marble it etches — the surface goes dull, rough and patchy, and cannot be repaired. This is why marble gets only neutral cleaners.
Evacuation
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Leaving the building safely in an emergency.
In a fire, raise the alarm, guide guests to the nearest exit by the stairs (never the lift), and gather at the assembly point.
Executive Housekeeper
EH
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The head of the housekeeping department.
The EH plans, budgets and leads the whole team. Mrs. Sharma in our story.
F&B
Food & Beverage
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Restaurants, bars and room service.
F&B feeds the guest. HK helps by clearing trays and cleaning dining areas.
Fire safety
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Knowing what to do if there is a fire.
Know your exits and alarm points. Raise the alarm first, keep calm, use the stairs not the lift, and never go back for belongings.
First impression
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The guest's first feeling about the hotel.
A clean, fresh room (and neat staff) make a strong first impression. Pehla impression last impression.
Florist
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Makes the flower arrangements.
The florist keeps fresh, beautiful arrangements in the lobby and rooms — part of décor.
Focal point
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The main thing your eye rests on.
A painting, a lamp or a view — one beautiful focal point gives a room balance.
Front of House
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Areas guests can see and use.
Front of house is everything on show to guests — lobby, rooms, restaurants.
Front Office
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The team that checks guests in and out.
Front Office (FO) is the face of the hotel — reception, the welcome, the goodbye. HK and FO must talk constantly.
GRA
Guest Room Attendant
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The person who cleans & prepares guest rooms.
The GRA (also 'room attendant') is the heart of housekeeping — they make each room guest-ready.
Grooming
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Neat, clean personal appearance.
Clean uniform, short nails, tidy hair, name badge, light scent. You ARE the first impression.
Guest
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The person staying at the hotel.
The guest is the reason for everything we do. Guest is king — always.
Guest supplies
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Items provided in the room for the guest.
Soap, towels, water, stationery — grouped as bathroom, bedroom, stationery and electrical supplies.
Handover
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Passing work or information to the next person.
At shift-end you hand over pending tasks and notes so nothing is dropped. Clear handover = no surprises.
Hospital corner
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A neat, tucked bedsheet fold.
A tight, angled fold that keeps the sheet crisp and flat — a mark of a well-made bed.
Hospitality
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Making guests feel welcome and cared for.
Hospitality is the warm feeling a guest gets — a smile, a clean room, quick help. Mehmaan-nawazi.
House-person
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Does heavy cleaning and moves furniture.
House-persons handle heavy work — shifting furniture, deep cleaning, public areas.
Housekeeping
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The team that keeps the hotel clean, comfy, safe & beautiful.
Housekeeping (HK) cares for rooms and all areas, 24×7. It's the hotel's heartbeat — har jagah, har waqt.
Hygiene
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Keeping things clean to stop germs.
Hygiene protects guests' health — no germs, fresh linen, safe surfaces.
Inspection
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A supervisor's quality check.
Before a room is sold, a supervisor inspects it. Only then is it 'inspected' and guest-ready.
Integrity
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Being honest, even when no one is watching.
Returning found valuables, reporting your own mistakes — integrity is the real uniform.
Inventory report
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Tracks supplies used and left.
Shows what stock was consumed and what remains — guides re-ordering to par.
Key discipline
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Strict, careful control of room keys.
Keys never leave you, never get shared, and are logged. A lost key is a serious safety risk.
Lacquer
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A clear protective coat on metal.
Many brass fittings have a clear lacquer coat. Lacquered brass is only dusted or damp-wiped — a polish like Brasso would strip the coat. Bare brass may be polished.
Linen attendant
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Looks after and counts the linen.
Issues, receives and counts linen, keeping par stock correct.
Linen cycle
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The journey of linen: bed → wash → store → reuse.
Linen moves in a loop: on the bed, stripped (soiled), washed, stored clean, then re-issued.
Linen exchange
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Swapping soiled linen for clean, counted 1-for-1.
To control stock, soiled pieces are exchanged for the same number of clean ones.
Linen room
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Where clean sheets and towels are stored.
The linen room stores and issues clean linen, kept apart from soiled linen for hygiene.
Log book
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Handover notes between shifts.
Each shift writes what happened so the next shift knows. Continuity is everything.
Lost & Found
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Where guests' left-behind items are kept safe.
Every found item is logged with room and date, and stored safely to return to the guest. Honesty first.
Make-up room (MUR)
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A room that needs to be cleaned and set.
'Make up the room' means clean and prepare it for the guest. A common control-desk instruction.
Manual equipment
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Tools powered by hand.
Broom, mop, duster, cloth, brush — no electricity, just your effort.
Mechanical equipment
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Simple machines without electricity.
A trolley or carpet sweeper — moving parts but no power cord.
Neutral cleaner
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A gentle, all-round safe cleaner.
Neutral (pH-balanced) cleaners are safe on delicate surfaces like marble and wood.
Never mix chemicals
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Two cleaners together can make poison gas.
Bleach + acid (or toilet cleaner) makes a toxic gas that can seriously harm you. One product at a time. Kabhi mat milao.
Occupancy
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How full the hotel is.
Occupancy is the share of rooms filled by guests. High occupancy = a busy hotel.
Occupancy report
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Shows how many rooms are filled.
A daily report of how full the hotel is — vital for Front Office and management.
OOO
Out Of Order
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A room that cannot be sold.
An OOO room has a real problem (big repair, deep cleaning) and is taken off the sale list until fixed.
OOS
Out Of Service
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A room blocked for a small, short reason.
OOS is a minor, temporary block — like a light bulb change. Chhoti problem, jaldi theek.
PAR
Par stock level
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The fixed amount to always keep in stock.
Par is the standard quantity kept ready. Linen often uses '3 par': one on the bed, one in wash, one on the shelf.
Par level
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The fixed amount of supplies to keep ready.
Par level is the standard stock you always keep in each room or store. Below par? Replenish.
Periodic cleaning
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Deeper cleaning done now and then.
Weekly or monthly tasks — polishing, behind furniture — not needed every day.
Polish
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To rub a surface until it shines.
Polishing protects and shines wood, metal and glass. The right polish suits the surface.
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment
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Gloves, masks and aprons that protect you.
PPE — gloves, mask, apron, sometimes goggles — protects your skin, eyes and lungs while cleaning. Wear it.
Privacy
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A guest's right to be left alone.
Never enter against a DND, never touch guest belongings, never share guest details. Respect karo.
Product label
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The maker's safety and dose instructions.
Every chemical has a label telling you the dose, the dangers, and what to do if it touches skin or eyes. Always read it.
Public area
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Shared spaces like the lobby and corridors.
Public areas are guest-shared spaces — lobby, restaurants, corridors, washrooms. Always on show.
Punctuality
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Always being on time.
Rooms must be ready on schedule. Being late delays guests and the whole team.
Quality control
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Making sure work meets the standard.
Checking work against the SOP and checklist so every guest gets the same high quality.
Quality standard
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The agreed level of 'good enough'.
The fixed level every room must reach before a guest sees it.
R-System
Room Care R1–R9
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The numbered range of hotel cleaners (R1–R9).
Most five-star hotels use one matched range of cleaners, numbered R1 to R9 — 'R' means Room Care. Each number is a different cleaner for a different job. Always follow your own hotel's chart.
Register
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A book or sheet that records events.
Registers (lost & found, keys, linen) keep a written record — proof, memory and tracking.
Repeat business
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Guests who come back again.
Happy guests return and recommend the hotel — repeat business is pure profit.
Replenish
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To refill up to the standard amount.
When supplies run low, you replenish them back to par level. Dobara bhar do.
Reputation
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The hotel's good name.
Reputation is built on clean rooms and great reviews — and easily lost by one dirty room.
Revenue centre
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A part that directly earns money.
Rooms and restaurants are revenue centres — they sell to guests.
Room status
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The current state of a room.
Occupied, Vacant, Clean, Dirty, Inspected, OOO, DND — the control desk tracks them all.
Room status report
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Lists each room's status.
Shows which rooms are clean, dirty, inspected or OOO — used by the desk and Front Office.
Sanitise
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Reduce germs to a safe level.
Sanitising lowers germs on a surface — common for general cleaning.
Security
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The team that keeps people and property safe.
Security handles safety, keys and serious lost-and-found matters together with housekeeping.
Sign-off
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Approving that a task is done right.
A supervisor 'signs off' a room as ready — taking responsibility for the quality.
Single room
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One single bed, for one guest.
The simplest room — one single bed, one guest.
Soft furnishing
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Cloth items like curtains and cushions.
Curtains, cushions, bed runners — soft furnishings add comfort, colour and warmth.
Soiled linen
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Used, dirty linen ready for washing.
Once stripped off a bed, linen is 'soiled' and kept apart from clean linen for hygiene.
SOP
Standard Operating Procedure
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A fixed step-by-step way to do a task.
An SOP means everyone does a job the same way, so quality is always the same. No shortcuts.
Span of control
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How many staff one supervisor handles.
A small span = closer attention. It decides how many supervisors a hotel needs.
Spill kit
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A ready box to clean a biohazard spill safely.
A spill kit has gloves, a mask, absorbent powder, disinfectant and a sealable bag — everything to clean a fluid spill safely.
Spring cleaning
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A thorough top-to-bottom clean.
A deep clean done a few times a year (any season) when the room is empty. Not just in spring!
Squeegee
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A rubber blade that wipes water off glass.
A squeegee leaves glass and mirrors streak-free — better than a cloth on big windows.
Store room
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Where cleaning supplies and amenities are kept.
Stores hold chemicals, tools and guest amenities, issued to par level.
Studio room
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A room with a sofa that becomes a bed.
A studio mixes living and sleeping space, often with a convertible sofa-bed.
Suite
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A bedroom PLUS a separate living room.
The luxury option — extra space, extra amenities, the highest price. VIPs love it.
Supervisor
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Checks that staff work meets the standard.
Floor and public-area supervisors inspect rooms and areas, and sign off quality.
Support centre
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A part that helps others earn money.
Housekeeping is a support centre — it doesn't sell directly, but nothing sells without it.
Tarnish
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The dull layer on old metal.
Brass and silver tarnish (go dull) over time — gentle polishing brings back the shine.
Taski / Diversey
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The best-known maker of the R1–R9 cleaners.
Taski is the housekeeping chemical range made by Diversey, used across Indian five-star hotels. The R1–R9 codes come from this range.
Top-to-bottom principle
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Clean high places before low ones.
Dust falls down, so clean high first and floors last. Warna do baar kaam.
Turndown service
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Evening prep of the bed for sleep.
In the evening: lower the lights, fold back the sheet, leave a chocolate. Sone ke liye taiyaar.
Twin room
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Two separate single beds.
A twin has two single beds — good for friends or colleagues. Note: different from a double.
Uniform room
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Where staff uniforms are issued.
Staff swap soiled uniforms for fresh, pressed ones here.
VIP
Very Important Person
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A guest who gets extra-special care.
VIPs (stars, leaders, big clients) get the best amenities and extra attention. Special taiyaari.
Welcome amenity
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A gift waiting in the room on arrival.
Fruit, flowers, chocolates or a card placed before the guest arrives — a warm hello.
Wet-floor sign
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A caution board warning of a slippery floor.
Place a wet-floor sign before mopping so guests and staff don't slip. Remove it only when the floor is fully dry.
Work order
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A request sent to Engineering to fix something.
When HK finds a fault, it raises a work order so Engineering can repair it and track it.