ONE-ON-ONE with Chandra Illanperuma, Director of Housekeeping, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts

 

Habtoor Palace Dubai makes it top priority to keep the hotel and guest rooms clean, sanitized and comfortable as per the guest’s needs.

 

Filed under
Housekeeping
 
February 24, 2023
 
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ONE-ON-ONE with Chandra Illanperuma, Director of Housekeeping, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts
 

“I love what I do. It is my self-motivation and passion towards the hospitality industry, which gives me the strength to continue to improve, support, and guide my team to deliver the best service at all times.“ 

  • Chandra Illanperuma, Director of Housekeeping, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts. 

All departments at a hotel are crucial and have their own important role to play. The housekeeping department is one of the most crucial departments, because as a guest enters a room, the first thing they would notice is the cleanliness. Habtoor Palace Dubai makes it top priority to keep the hotel and guest rooms clean, sanitized and comfortable as per the guest’s needs. All these aspects are managed under the impeccable leadership of Chandra Illanperuma, Director of Housekeeping, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts. 

Let’s take a look at his journey. 

About you  

I was born and raised by the beach side of southern Sri Lanka in a city called Matara, surrounded by beautiful beaches with crystal clear water. Oh what a sight to the eyes that was! One side was covered in greenery and one side with the beach. I have been working in the United Arab Emirates for over three decades and joined Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts as the Director of Housekeeping in 2023. 

Being raised around nature made me love it even more. Seeing trash on beaches around the world now breaks my heart. I do my part and clean up whenever I can. This is why sustainability has always been a part of me, especially when it comes to cleaning products. First thing is to look at the ingredients to ensure all used is environmentally friendly. 

Your years in the industry 

I have been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years. I started my career at Hilton Dubai in 1981 as a housekeeping associate, and moving forward held various roles in the rooms department in some of the finest hotels in Dubai including the Burj Al Arab. 

In 2021, I got the chance to work at one of the most prestigious hotels in Dubai, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts as the Director of Housekeeping. 

How did you get into the hospitality industry and how have you grown since then?

I stepped into the hospitality industry in the early 1980s, as I had a natural desire and passion to serve others. It was a humble beginning, where I started as a Housekeeper. Within a very short period, I developed my skills and was promoted to supervisory roles, followed by senior leadership roles within the same property. I considered Dubai my second home, as it was the place where I learned and mastered the industry. After completing nine magical years at the iconic Burj Al Arab, I had the opportunity to excel further at other five star brands, and was part of the pre-opening of a luxury residence brand in 2008. I had the chance to be exposed to many different brands and master the art of housekeeping and being able to share my knowledge with my team members. 

What drives you and your career?

I love what I do. It is my self-motivation and passion towards the hospitality industry, which gives me the strength to continue to improve, support, and guide my team to deliver the best service at all times. Throughout my career, I have been driven to achieve excellence and deliver an unforgettable experience to guests.

An accomplishment that shaped the career

I am proud and grateful to my former employers; for the many recognitions and accomplishments achieved over the years. In 2009, I was recognized and awarded as “Manager of the Year” and in 2018, I was once again nominated for other hotelier awards at renowned hospitality brands. I also remember this one time last year, a guest at Habtoor Palace Dubai was staying with us, and his wife wanted to surprise him by coming to Dubai. She called us from the airport and told us she was on her way to the hotel and wanted to surprise him for his birthday. We had exactly 30-40 minutes to do the whole set up before the guest came back to the room. In the span of 5 minutes, I had 5-6 team members come up, and set up the whole room as per his wife’s wish. Why and how did this shape my career? Because I had the chance to be part of such a beautiful moment, and realized that anything can be done, the smile on the couple’s face when they saw the setup made my day and that feeling of happiness will always stay with me. 

The best part of your job

I love the quality time that I spend with the team at Habtoor Palace Dubai. It helps me to listen, understand, encourage, motivate and support the team to do their best. Similarly, I really enjoy walking around in guest areas to ensure that every single piece is in place to deliver a luxury experience for our guests. I feel proud to work in such a lieu, almost like being in the Maison of the Habtoors, being surrounded by such breathtaking beauty, noble materials and fabrics. Truly a palatial workplace!

The most challenging aspect of your job

In the hospitality business, challenges are inevitable so it is important to be proactive and be prepared to deal with any eventualities. Every day brings new challenges, some of them novel and unforeseen. Every guest has different wants and needs and things don’t always go according to plan, no matter how hard you try. The goal is to embrace these challenges and learn to adapt and think on the spot, which helps to improve yourself as a professional in this dynamic industry. 

Why is sustainability so important to you?

It is extremely important to protect and preserve the environment, as our reckless attitude and behavior towards the environment could affect the wellbeing of current and future generations. Sustainability is especially important for the hospitality industry as our work depends on the natural wealth and beauty of the planet. Our team at Al Habtoor City Hotel Collection is very involved in sustainability initiatives such as waste segregation, and using recyclable and biodegradable products. We are also working towards introducing bulk amenities in guest rooms in order to reduce large amounts of plastic being thrown into landfills.

Housekeeping practices you live by

Always lead by example and walk the talk. Use every opportunity to observe and address shortcomings, be it in your own department or in others, as it will help to continue the improvement of the company’s products and service. Most importantly, be humble and be open to criticism and self-reflection. It is also important to take time to look after your physical and mental health in order to operate at your highest capacity and efficiency.

Cleaning practices at your hotel

Cyclical cleaning programs have been established for rooms and public spaces to ensure every feature of the building is cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. Our guest facilities are closely monitored, cleaned, and sanitized frequently. Public washrooms are refreshed and sanitized, and check lists are kept to track the frequency of visits to washrooms. All public spaces are regularly deep cleaned and maintenance issues are rectified by the night shift team to ensure that our spaces are fully functional by day. We have specialized third-party service providers who help take care of marbles, carpets, plants, and façade cleaning. Meanwhile, all occupied rooms are serviced and inspected twice daily. However, the Housekeeping department is operational 24/7, and services are provided on demand at any time.

The latest products (chemicals & equipment) that are in use

At Al Habtoor City we are very concerned about the environment as well as the health and safety of our team. Therefore, we make sure to use environmentally friendly non-hazardous EU certified ECOLAB cleaning products - Peroxide Multi-surface cleaner and disinfectant. We have new enhanced cleaning technologies i.e. electrostatic sprayers to sanitize surfaces throughout the hotel. We steam clean, which eliminates the usage of chemicals and emphasizes more on sanitization, floor scrubbing, and carpet shampooing machines to maintain the highest level of cleanliness and we use air purifiers that are effective against viruses.

Training provided to the service team.

Training is an essential part of our business, hence in addition to orientation, and the Hilton recommended online training, new comers are trained on the job for a compulsory minimum of three weeks’ before being inducted into operation. All training is documented and placed in personal files for future reference. We also use the outsourced partners like ECOLAB/Pest control to train our workforce. 

 Challenges you have faced

Housekeeping is one of the most physically demanding roles within a hotel. You have to continuously come up with new ideas to keep the staff engaged and encourage them to exceed guest expectations and take pride in their jobs. If you ensure that the staff is dedicated towards their work and put their heart and soul towards it – then you are inevitably successful. In addition, to train and ensure the consistent quality in such a fast-paced and high-turnover environment is a challenge.

The housekeeping department entails the largest team in a hotel, and the operations area becomes very extensive to have an overview of the entire operations. The team is very diverse in terms of nationality, language, age groups and experience. The level of motivation, understanding and communication can be a challenge. Motivating each team member takes meticulous planning.

The future of the cleaning industry

I expect that the cleaning industry will continue to evolve and modernize as new technologies, techniques, and products are introduced into the market. It is important for hoteliers to keep an eye on developments happening in this space by attending industry exhibitions and conferences that are scheduled to take place in the region. I am certain that after the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholders recognize the importance of hygiene and cleanliness more than ever before. Therefore, the hotel industry should continue to adapt and devote resources towards the effective implementation of cleaning and sanitizing protocols.