The Lancaster Way

          It is such an overwhelming experience to have been able to experience what the hospitality industry is all about within a 3-month time frame. From applying to numerous hotels, to hopes of being called for interview, to processing requirements, to actual training, to learning experiences, and finally, to having your freshly printed out certificate of completion.

Hotel's Facade

          I was first assigned at the Housekeeping Department. At first, I was kind of hesitant about everything. I wasn’t sure if I can handle all the work knowing that housekeeping is a very tiring job. You have to be fast and focused when it comes to cleaning rooms. For trainees, we are assigned either as a runner or as a partner to a Room Attendant – we call this “tandem”. As a runner, you are tasked to follow everything what the Team Leaders, Coordinators, Linen Attendants and Room Attendants asks you to do. Runners run guest and Room Attendant requests. They fold linens whenever the laundry arrives. They prepare daily operation materials such as linens, towels and amenities, and does inventory every month. Being a runner is not very tiring, however, much of your time is taken by the slowness of the service elevator whenever going to different floors. On the other hand, whenever in tandem with a Room Attendant, trainees also act as a Room Attendant. They get to do and experience all the work that RAs do. They remove trash, strip linens, clean bathrooms, wash dishes, set up beds, sweep and mop floors, do dusting in all the furniture in the room, and set up clean towels and amenities for arriving guests. Every day, each RA must obtain a minimum of 16 points – where 1 bedroom is equivalent to 1 point – regardless if it’s a Vacant Dirty (VD) or a Make Up Room (MUR). There was a time when the hotel’s occupancy rate is high and each RA was given more than 20 points to accomplish. Most of them had to work for unpaid overtime. And so, they would always tell us that they’re thankful that they have us trainees to help.

Bed Making

          As for my second department, I was transferred to the Food and Beverage Department, mainly in Banquet Service. Trainees are tasked with a lot of things including setting up function rooms, ironing table napkins, cloths, toppers and runners, arranging center pieces, skirting tables, setting up buffet tables, monitoring the coffee and water station, serving food and beverages to guests, and clearing (bust out), washing and drying plates, glassware and utensils. All of these procedures are done for every event or function. There were times that our duty lasts for a minimum of 10 hours, depending on the length of the event. We got to experience going home late and tired because of all the work. However, being at banquet service had been very challenging for me. It enhanced my skills and abilities regarding creativity, time management and communication. I became more sociable by dealing with numerous guests in one event.

Banquet Service

          I would just like to suggest that the hotel should have a more established and organized management. They should conduct orientation of the proper procedures in the different departments before deploying trainees in the actual operation. And also, for the betterment of the hotel, they should invest in equipment, materials and industry standard machines to improve facilities and service. My 500 hours of training at Lancaster Hotel Manila had been one of the best experiences I ever had. I have met new people and gained knowledge at the same time. There were certain problems that I have encountered, but eventually, everything was resolved through proper handling and communication. For my training as a whole, I have experienced it “The Lancaster Way”. :)