Keep on top of your hotel maintenance checklist

While issues can and will happen, keeping on top of general maintenance tasks will ensure your hotel is running safely and efficiently and prevent smaller issues from turning into major problems further down the line. Here at Access Hospitality, we’ve helped hundreds of hotels to manage their maintenance needs with software solutions specifically targeted to ensure checks happen and potential issues are identified and addressed quickly.  

In this article, we’re going to look at the tasks you should prioritise, whether they should be on your daily, weekly or seasonal checklists, and why investing in proactive and preventative measures could safeguard your hotel business against unplanned costs, ultimately keeping your staff and guests safe.

Being preemptive and proactive about the scheduling of maintenance tasks doesn’t only extend the lifespan of assets, it saves money on repairs, too as you don’t face additional charges incurred by same-day delivery, for example.

Using software like Access Maintain allows you to automate the maintenance of equipment and buildings on one easy-to-use platform. Dividing these checks up into daily, weekly, and seasonal maintenance checks will make caring for your hotel more efficient, less costly, and more manageable.

Checks of the following should be completed to identify issues and minimise disruption:

• Toilets - check handles aren’t loose and working properly.
• Check shower areas for caulking repairs and drainage issues.
• Look over furniture to check for damage which may cause injury or impact on the overall quality of a guest’s stay.
• Check HVAC is clean and functioning properly - as well as for comfort, this is important for the health of guests during their stay.
• Check pool chlorine and PH levels. 
• Check hot water temperature.
• Ensure all areas are free of waste. 
• In kitchens, check fridge and freezer temperatures.

These checks, although not done daily, perhaps require more in-depth inspections and form another key part of your hotel’s maintenance checklist:

• Check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Check furniture and equipment in shared guest areas.
• Assess floors and stairways for damage.
• Check water quality and bacteria levels in cooling systems.
• Ensure lights are working properly and replace as necessary.
• Maintain garden and patio areas.

These seasonal and annual checks are the final step in ensuring your hotel’s equipment, facilities and structures are in good working order.

• Check the hinges and self-closing devices on fire doors.
• Conduct electrical checks on all guest room kettles, TVs, hairdryers, lights and sockets.
• Check plumbing throughout the hotel.
• Deep clean rooms.
• Check for signs of pest infestation and treat accordingly.
• Assess the building’s structure - roof , windows, floor and walls for damage.
• Book annual service checks to ensure continuous service, extend equipment performance life and keep warranties and insurances valid.

Nobody goes to work, or books a stay in a hotel, expecting an emergency situation to happen. Hotel emergencies are, thankfully, quite rare but being prepared for situations such as fires, floods and natural disasters keeps people - your guests, staff, and emergency responders - safe.

Anyone who has stayed or worked in a hotel will be familiar with evacuation procedures and assembly points. But, how do guests move safely from their rooms, down unfamiliar corridors and out to safety? Naturally, hotels must have evacuation procedures in place but what else should hotel maintenance checks include to ensure emergency situations are managed quickly, safely and effectively?

• Assess potential risks and how they need to be managed. If your hotel is close to a river or seafront, check flood protection measures are available and functioning properly.
• Be prepared - Evacuation plans must take into account features of your hotel such as below ground level areas and stairs. Check evacuation chairs are in good order and PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) are included in emergency training and staff know how to assist guests with mobility issues.
• Check evacuation instructions are up-to-date and clearly visible on the back of room doors.
• Conduct fire extinguisher checks.
• Make sure batteries in two-way radios are working and staff are trained how to use them.

Throughout this article, we have highlighted the importance of preventative maintenance and why formulating a schedule of daily, weekly and seasonal tasks for your hotel management checklist can not only prolong the life of your assets, but lower incidences of unplanned costs for major repairs.

Technology is an everyday feature of modern life and takes some of the heavy lifting out of tasks, leaving hotel managers with more time to focus on giving guests the best, and most comfortable experience. Cloud-based systems such as Access Maintain merge tasks and checks together and enable you to book, track, and invoice jobs through one easy-to-use system. Having a hotel maintenance checklist where information is held in one place and accessible for users will enable site teams to identify areas of high cost or repeated maintenance, enabling you to plan long-term repairs at a potentially lower cost.

Did you know that our facilities management software can help you: 

• Schedule and automate reminders for routine inspections and service checks, ensuring no maintenance tasks are missed.
• Track maintenance history through the software for all equipment, allowing easy access to past service records and better decision-making regarding repairs or replacements.
• Manage work orders digitally to ensure quick assignment of maintenance tasks to staff and track progress in real-time.
• Maintain a digital inventory of parts and supplies needed for repairs to avoid downtime caused by a lack of necessary materials.
• List and manage approved suppliers in the software, making it easier to source parts, equipment and services from trusted vendors and track their performance.
• Track and manage maintenance budgets through the software to monitor spending against budgeted amounts, ensuring cost control and optimising spending decisions.
• Generate reports on maintenance costs and supplier performance, providing data-driven insights that support more strategic budgeting and purchasing decisions.

If your hotel is ready for maintenance management software that could help you achieve more, we’re here to guide you through the choices. Let’s talk.