Executive Housekeeper Maureen Jolowicz: Leadership and passion are keys to success

Radisson Blu Hotel Plaza Sydney standard interconnecting guest room

Leadership and passion are keys to success

By Grantlee Kieza, Industry Reporter

Maureen Jolowicz, Executive Housekeeper at the Radisson Blu Hotel Plaza in Sydney, has travelled the world in a bid to ensure guests have a relaxing stay.

Accom News reporter, Grantlee Kieza, caught up with Maureen this month.

Q: How long have you been at the Radisson Blu?

A: I opened the hotel in July 2000, so 20 years. We are very proud of the hotel. It is a beautiful building and although it has 365 rooms, it has more of a boutique hotel feel and a very nice atmosphere.

Since I have been here from day one, I have selected every single member in our housekeeping team and have been able to build a strong culture over that time. If people cannot relate to that culture of excellence, then they leave.

The people who stay are likeminded and we have become like a family working together. My number two had been with me 19 years and all my supervisors at least 10 years.

Maureen Jolowicz Q: How did you start in the hotel industry?

A: I was born in the UK at Redditch, which is just south of Birmingham, near Stratford-upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born. My aunt had a small, probably 20-bedroom, hotel and I was fascinated by that. During school holidays, I used to go and help there. When I left school, I went to catering college in Birmingham. I did three years full-time, the equivalent of a degree course today, and I joined Holiday Inn as a management trainee at Bristol. Housekeeping was my least favourite subject at college but the fi rst department they let me in as a trainee manager was housekeeping.

Q: How did you feel about that?

A: I quickly grew to love it because I realised the job is more about people than anything else. It is about teamwork, camaraderie, it’s looking aft er people.

Housekeeping is really all about motivating people to do the job well.