A room attendant, also called a hotel housekeeper or chambermaid, cleans and prepares guest rooms to the hotel’s standard. The main room attendant duties are stripping and making beds, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming and dusting, replenishing towels and amenities, reporting maintenance faults and lost property, and updating room status so reception knows which rooms are ready. Most room attendants are given a set number of rooms per shift, so speed and consistency matter as much as attention to detail.
This guide explains the full room attendant job description, a room cleaning checklist, the skills hotels look for, UK pay and a template you can use.
What does a room attendant do?
Room attendants work in hotels, serviced apartments, student accommodation and some hospitals and care settings. They work under a housekeeping supervisor, who inspects rooms and allocates work. Our guide to the housekeeping supervisor role explains how the team is organised.
Rooms are usually split into two types:
- Departure (check-out) rooms: a full clean and reset for a new guest, including a full linen change.
- Stayover rooms: a lighter service for guests who are staying on, such as making the bed, tidying, replacing used towels and topping up amenities.
Room attendant duties and responsibilities
- Stripping and making beds to the hotel standard.
- Cleaning and sanitising bathrooms: toilet, shower, bath, sink, mirrors, tiles and floor.
- Dusting and polishing furniture, lamps, skirting and surfaces.
- Vacuuming carpets and mopping hard floors.
- Emptying bins and removing used items.
- Replacing towels, toiletries, tea and coffee supplies and stationery.
- Checking minibar and in-room items where required.
- Reporting maintenance issues such as broken lights, leaks or damaged furniture.
- Handing in lost property and recording it correctly.
- Keeping the trolley clean, stocked and tidy and corridors clear.
- Updating room status on the housekeeping app or sheet.
- Respecting guest privacy and Do Not Disturb signs.
Room cleaning checklist (departure room)
- Knock, announce and enter. Open curtains and windows if possible.
- Remove rubbish, used linen and towels.
- Clean the bathroom using the correct colour-coded cloths (red for toilets, never used elsewhere).
- Make the bed with fresh linen.
- Dust from high to low, then clean glass and mirrors.
- Restock amenities, towels and hospitality tray.
- Vacuum, working from the far corner back to the door.
- Final check: lights, TV, remote, temperature, smell and presentation.
- Update the room status and report any faults.
For more on why separate cloths matter, see our cleaning colour codes guide.
Skills and qualities
- Attention to detail: guests notice a single hair or a smear on a mirror.
- Time management: completing an allocation of rooms within the shift.
- Physical stamina: bending, lifting mattresses and pushing trolleys.
- Honesty and discretion: working in guests’ private spaces.
- Teamwork and communication with supervisors, maintenance and reception.
- Safe use of cleaning chemicals and equipment.
Training and qualifications
No formal qualifications are needed and training is usually provided. Hotels may offer the Level 2 Hospitality Team Member apprenticeship, and COSHH and manual handling training are standard. Cleaners moving into hotels often find the transition quick; our cleaner job description explains the overlap.
Room attendant pay in the UK
Room attendants are usually paid by the hour. From April 2026 the minimum is £12.71 an hour for workers aged 21 and over, £10.85 for 18 to 20 year olds and £8.00 for under-18s and apprentices. The adult rate rises to £13.21 from April 2027. Some hotels pay a per-room bonus or above-minimum rates for weekends. Employers must pay at least the minimum wage for all hours worked, even where room quotas are used, and must pass on tips fairly.
Room attendant job description template
Job title: Room Attendant
Reports to: Housekeeping Supervisor
Location: [Hotel]
Hours: [e.g. 8am to 2pm, including weekends]
Pay: £[rate] per hour
Purpose: To clean and prepare guest rooms and public areas to the hotel’s standards so every guest arrives to a spotless room.
Responsibilities:
- Clean and service allocated departure and stayover rooms.
- Make beds, clean bathrooms and restock amenities.
- Report maintenance faults and lost property.
- Follow COSHH, colour coding and health and safety procedures.
- Keep trolleys and linen stores tidy.
About you: Reliable, thorough and able to work at a steady pace. Experience helps but full training is provided.
Need extra housekeeping cover?We supply trained room attendants and housekeeping teams for hotels and serviced accommodation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a room attendant do?
Cleans and prepares hotel guest rooms: making beds, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, restocking amenities and reporting faults.
How many rooms does a room attendant clean per shift?
It varies by hotel and room type. Many hotels allocate between 12 and 16 rooms per shift, with fewer for larger suites or departure-heavy days.
Is a room attendant the same as a housekeeper?
Yes. Room attendant, hotel housekeeper and chambermaid describe the same role.
Do room attendants need experience?
No. Hotels train new starters, although cleaning experience helps.
Housekeeping support from WWSG
WWSG provides room attendants, housekeeping supervisors and public area cleaners. Learn more about our housekeeping services or contact us.