Hotel Property Maintenance for Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Motels, And Resorts
WPBS Services provides Hotel Property Maintenance and Preventative Property Maintenance for Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Motels, and Resorts in Sydney.
Size, Scope, and Definition Of Hotel Property Maintenance
A Hotel usually defines the size of a job by how many rooms are taken offline and the duration the room is unavailable for occupancy.
Regarding Hotel Property Maintenance, anything that can be fixed without taking a room offline for occupancy is considered a small job. Anything that takes the room offline for up to a day or so impacts occupancy and is regarded as a bigger job as it affects booking revenue. Suppose a guest room is offline for more than one day. In that case, the hotel property maintenance job is defined as ‘big’, regarded as incredibly significant and impactful with higher revenue losses.
In general, for hotel property maintenance, the shorter the period a company can program for maintenance, the more desired the maintenance period. However, hotel managers understand that sometimes a room has to go offline.
A room consistently offline with a recurring issue because that issue has not been resolved or fixed correctly (and permanently) the first time will cause significant disruption and further revenue loss. In this light, an offline room is essential for a permanent remedy to issues.
Hotels understand that property maintenance jobs must ensure perfection and high standards, as they have their reputation and market position to consider and uphold. Property maintenance is important to achieving and maintaining a high reputation and preserving a Hotel’s ‘good name’.
What Makes WPBS Services Different To Other Hotel Property Maintenance Companies?
Many Hotel Maintenance Property Maintenance Companies have fantastic and qualified tradesmen, however, most of these tradesmen have never been employed or have had direct experience with hotels and serviced apartments or worked directly in the industry.
Our CEO, Frank Cetinich, is unique in his previous experience working for Serviced Apartments in an employed role and, later, in his own Building and Property Maintenance Company in Sydney, working with Quest and APX Apartments.
Frank has a unique and empathic understanding of what Hotel Operation Managers face in their roles, exactly what is required in performing property maintenance for hotels and resorts, and considering the scheduling, planning, and preventative maintenance of works for Hotels.
These jobs must be executed with as little minor disruption to general hotel activities and operations as possible. Any major disruptions must be managed in terms of their impact and duration.
What Are The Most Important Things An Operations Manager Needs To Know About A Hotel Property Maintenance Company?
- Westpoint Building Services is fully licensed and insured with Public Liability and equivalent licenses to all building maintenance work carried out in Hotel Property Maintenance
- We have Referees you can speak to regarding our capabilities and track record as a Hotel Maintenance Company in Sydney
- We are local and can get to jobs quickly
- We can also respond quickly to jobs as we are a smaller property maintenance company
- We have a proven track record in Partment and Hotel Property Maintenance, and our Director has worked in the industry
- We are flexible with budgeting and implementation of Preventative Maintenance Plans and Scheduling
- We are responsive, proactive, communicative, honest, and friendly
- We invoice correctly and quote amounts on hotel property maintenance works
- We have after-hours (6 pm onwards) emergency services for Hotel Maintenance
- We are available after 3 pm 7 days a week
- we have heard many stories from Operations Managers that they can’t seem to get hold of anyone to attend the site for an emergency after 3 pm on any day of the week because most Hotel Property Maintenance Companies trade between 7 am and 3 pm
- We know that rooms are commonly vacant between 10 am (checkout) and 2 pm (check-in), and we can ensure that we primarily work around these timelines for your Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Motel, or Resorts
- Common property maintenance works carried out up to the value of $2000 are paid upon invoice, and all quotes are obligation-free for Hotels
- Larger Hotel Property Maintenance works over $2000 will be project managed with key milestones where stipulated payment for these milestone amounts are agreed to and due on the dates stipulated in the Property Maintenance Contract signed between WPBS Services and the Hotel
- WPBS Services seek ongoing, sustainable relationships with our Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Motel, and Resort clients and are therefore flexible on price, availability, and scheduling. In our minds, a Hotel Property Maintenance contract with a Hotel is an ongoing partnership.
- We don’t treat every repair, maintenance, and preventative maintenance job as a one-off job and try and screw a Hotel with a big-ticket price to make money quick off a job.
- We are fairly and reasonably priced for work, flexible, and open to negotiation.
What Are The Top Of Mind Issues For Hotel Property Maintenance?
- A Preventative Maintenance Schedule is explicitly devised for each Hotel client by WPBS Services as the size of the Hotel impacts the frequency and range of preventative maintenance checks and repairs and how often they will need to occur
- The frequency of room use will play a major part in scheduling & repairs
- A high turnover of guests will mean significant wear and tear on fixtures, door locks, kitchen cupboard door hinges, kitchen cupboard doors, kitchen drawers, wardrobe doors and wardrobe wheels, flip mixers, taps, lights, light switches, powerpoints, etc, and these will need to be audited in a shorter cycle
- The frequency of room use will play a major part in scheduling & repairs
What Is Most Important For Operations Managers In Terms Of Hotel Property Maintenance And Preventative Maintenance?
The Most Common Areas of Hotel Property Maintenance For Hotels Are Common Areas And Guest Rooms
The following repairs and checks are some of the most important and regular to be performed as Preventative Maintenance for Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Motels and Resorts:
- All door locks
- Painting touch-ups (and whole floor painting renewals)
- Checking drains (usually done quarterly)
- Fire alarms (monthly)
- Fire doors (annually)
- Hot Water systems
- HVAC – air conditioning (VERY big maintenance area, especially in the summertime)
- Grease trap cleaning
- Basement Pumps, Storm Water Pumps
- Garage doors
- Plumbing
The following are part of a Hotel Property Maintenance Preventative Maintenance Schedule and are maintenance works performed by WPBS Services:
- Painting and repainting
- All door locks, door closers
- Testing and tagging of all appliances (regular testing of all electronic items)
- Painting touch-ups (and whole floor painting renewals)
- Checking drains (usually done quarterly)
- Basement Pumps, Storm Water Pumps
- Plumbing (including re-grouting and re-siliconing)
The Pain Points of Operations Managers And The Hotel Property Maintenance They Manage
In our experience, we have found the following as significant issues that Operations Managers face, making their job extremely difficult and primarily annoying:
- Tradesmen and handymen simply not turning up
- Works and repairs not done in time and on time as promised by a handyman or tradesperson or property maintenance company (impacting on room downtime and ultimately revenue)
- A lack of communication, especially regarding updates, on particular jobs, expressly if these maintenance works are larger jobs implemented in stages (project managed with milestones)
- A lack of planning by tradespeople and maintenance companies where they have taken no consideration for general hotel operation, especially when works are required for common areas where planning is absolutely essential to avoid significant disruptions and inconveniences to staff and guests alike
- Individual tradespeople and companies not following standards and common work practices for the carrying out of maintenance works, that is, WHS, WHSE management, etc
- Often, individual tradespeople and companies do not conduct proper and/or thorough investigations, creating recurring issues by performing ‘quick fixes’. These results in repeat visits and jobs, which allows them to return and charge again. Then, the problem recurs in a common area, particularly a guest room, further disrupting general operations.
Dealing with Hotel Property Maintenance Companies In The Role of An Operations Manager
Other feedback we have received from Operations Managers regarding property maintenance companies has been that:
- They give too much advice regarding issues (advice that crosses over from maintenance to operations, which is not their place)
- Tradespeople and representatives of maintenance companies who come to quote onsite can be rude, treating Operations Managers like they have no idea about what is going on in terms of maintenance or general business
- Companies and individual tradesmen give the first quote, then down the line say their quote is incorrect or did not anticipate ‘x’ or ‘y’ and that the quote has been revised (a non-negotiable revision the Operations Manager had no say in) and the Hotel/Serviced Apartment/Motel/Resort will need to pay more than initially quoted (usually a much higher amount)
- Individual tradesmen and companies do not take pride in their work or properly consider safety often while they carry out maintenance works (often the area where tradesmen are working can look like a war zone, especially in common areas,, which becomes a poor reflection of the Hotel in terms of guests and their experience, and hence the reputation of the Hotel)
- Individual tradesmen and companies do not take enough ownership in repairs and maintenance; they are not self-determining and practical enough and often require unnecessary attention. They can also be slow and not complete jobs on time; which is crucial to hotel operations
- Individual tradesmen and companies do not give enough detail or explain issues and solutions for repairs and maintenance (also including the lack of real timelines when repairs and maintenance will be carried out and/or completed, oblivious or uncaring of the impact of maintenance works)
- Individual tradesmen and companies do not understand that their job reflects on the status and perception of hotel guests and that there is an absolute need for pride, cleanliness, and professionalism in all aspects of maintenance, dealing with staff, and even conversing with guests if required or through incidental conversation.
WPBS Services understand when working with a Hotel, Serviced Apartment, Motel, or Resort that:
- You are a true working partnership with a Hotel as a property maintenance company and all your contractors and staff in conduct, behaviour, and work ethic needs to be aligned with the Hotel’s high standards of service & operations
- Communication is crucial and key with the Operations Manager you are dealing with
- Room availability is primary to consider when planning any maintenance works
- Common works and particularly larger maintenance works need to be planned (project managed) for minimum impact and disruption
- Works needs to be carried out professionally and repairs fixed permanently, not requiring any further downtime for rooms offline
- Corrective Maintenance and Preventative Maintenance Scheduling MUST be flexible to accommodate Hotel/Serviced Apartment/Motel/Resort operations and unseasonably high occupancy and traffic (notably in light of quarterly or biannual Preventative Maintenance Scheduling)
- A Property Maintenance Company should not complicate or over-explain things and never overstep their place, advising beyond their area of expertise
- Pricing needs to be fair and negotiable within reason
- Quotes need to be accurate with no unsanctioned revisions
- Invoices need to be correct and issued at the proper time and in the proper sequence if progress or milestone payments for larger property maintenance works
- Professional dealings should be courteous, considerate, and respectful demonstrating patience and empathy
- A Property Maintenance Company needs to LISTEN to the Operation Manager’s needs and the state of things as they see it in equal measure to communicating investigative findings of issues, advising of solutions and explanations of repair and maintenance processes
- Property Maintenance Companies must also empathise with the pressure of all Operations Managers to have rooms available to the highest extent possible and that this is always ‘top of mind’; it’s one of their most important jobs.
Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Motels and Resorts Preventative Maintenance Plans, and Schedules
Hotel Preventative Maintenance is usually carried out quarterly or bi-annually. It involves the ongoing property maintenance of common areas and guest rooms to ‘make good’, keeping the hotel property in optimum condition for guests and staff and allowing the Hotel to maintain its market position and its ‘good’ reputation.
Property Painting Maintenance in Sydney
Painting Maintenance is usually congruent to Preventative Maintenance when a full floor of rooms or multiple common areas need repainting
- One of the most important aspects of repainting is to use water-based paints as oil-based paints significantly impact guests with a pungent smell (it can even trigger asthmatic episodes, etc so it is the least desired type of paint)
- For a Hotel, we know that painting is one of the most difficult things to program and carry out as it impacts operations significantly and hence on revenue
WPBS Services realise that a sound Preventative Maintenance Plan needs to consider the least impactful repairs.
- Often a Preventative Maintenance Schedule may need to be flexible in its execution depending on high-occupancy times where a planned schedule is to occur
- Larger maintenance tasks need to be executed on a priority and needs basis
- Hotels require tradespeople to do jobs within a proper time frame, clearly defined and performed at the ‘correct time’ (the ‘correct time’ being the designated and agreed upon time and/or the least impactful for the Hotel)
- Of course, sometimes both parties will agree that a disruptive maintenance repair may be required where there is an immediate or high-risk danger to property or persons or simply an essential repair that is having a greater impact on operations, occupancy, continuing operations, etc
You can read more regarding our Preventative Maintenance Practices, Plans, and Scheduling here.
Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Motels, and Resorts Commercial Property Renovations Sydney
The most common hotel renovations for single guest rooms in need of ‘make good’ repairs or entire floors of hotels include new bathrooms, new kitchens or kitchenettes, full repainting of common areas and guest rooms, and full guest room and common area refurbishment and remodels.
WPBS Services has a team of highly trained, insured, and skilled renovation professionals across all trades and can manage small, medium to large hotel renovation projects.
You can see examples of WPBS Services’ Renovation work here.
Hotel Property Maintenance Quotes for Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Motels & Resorts Maintenance Jobs (Small and Large Scope) by WPBS Services
- WPBS Services endeavours to email a quote within 48 hours of common property maintenance requests from attendance at the site
- Larger property maintenance repairs jobs and renovations will be done on a case-by-case basis, and we will always negotiate with you and adhere to the promised due date of such quotes
- WPBS Services quote with fair and reasonable estimates; we are honest, and the cost of our materials, labour, and how long work will generally take
- We are also honest about timeliness with larger hotel property maintenance projects and do not underestimate which causes great inconvenience nor do we overestimate to find ways to charge more for jobs
- WPBS Services also don’t create ‘half quotes’ where we omit or do not anticipate materials, labour, and other associated costs where we suddenly notify Hotel Operation Managers that there is a revised or extra quote with a larger price tag attached
- WPBS Services are not the cheapest in the hotel maintenance market; we do not want to be. Our professional tradesmen, approach, and workmanship are of a high-quality standard in our field of expertise. We have tradesmen across all trade services relating to building maintenance for hotels in Sydney. We deal fairly and honourably in our business and price our work reasonably. We are flexible in our ongoing, sustainable relationships with Hotel clients.
- Once we have forged an ongoing, sustainable relationship with a Hotel client, you will never have the experience with us where our prices are suddenly cut significantly in quotes. What we mean by this is that some maintenance companies, over time, begin slashing their rates and give surprisingly lower costings and discounts for larger works, revealing that they have had a practice of overcharging and ‘putting fat’ (that is adding additional large margins of profit) on top of fixed quote prices.
Contact Frank for an Obligation Free Quote Now
Emergency Calls Outs for Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Motels, And Resorts And Property Maintenance After Hours In Sydney
Emergency Job Costs, which are ‘do and charge’ are outlined below:
- We charge a flat $150.00 for emergency callouts for building maintenance that involves carpentry & related issues (such as broken front doors in need of make-safe, removing water-damaged ceilings to prevent caving)
- For Electrical issues, our Emergency Callout fee is $150 – a minimum of 4 hours charged (such as the main circuit breaker or circuits tripping, no power, light switches and powerpoints sparking, someone being electrocuted from an earth leakage, main circuit breaker tripping, isolating lights or power if the roof is leaking in ceiling spaces so everyone is safe)
- For Plumbing issues (including sumps and pumps) our Emergency Callout fee is $ – minimum of 4 hours charged (such as a burst water pipe, a water leak, blocked sewer, roof leak, etc)
- Note – quoting process and variations
- Hidden issues that quote not have been anticipated during the initial quoting process
Emergency Call Outs WE DO NOT COVER for Hotel Property Maintenance in Sydney
- Fire alarm and protection services
- HVAC
- Lift services
- Locksmiths (intercoms)
- Glass glaziers (broken windows and any glass panels, etc)
- Internet and data services
- Garage doors
CEO Frank Cetinich’s Experience Working In The Hotel Industry In A Hotel Property Maintenance Role in Sydney
Back in 2013, Frank was a tradesman employed directly by APX Apartments. His property maintenance roles included:
- Managing and organising the maintenance storeroom, keeping it clean, tidy, and safe
- Pool cleaning – testing PH levels
- Maintenance of the irrigation system
- Painting and repainting on-premises
- General property maintenance, including:
- Gyprocking
- Carpentry
- Minor electrical jobs (replacing appliances, light globes, cleaning light covers)
- Plumbing (replacing toilet cisterns, vanities, flip mixers, fixing leaking taps, silicon shower screens during replacement, regrouting and tile replacement)
- Preventative Maintenance management & scheduling (including the cleaning of air conditioning filters scheduled every 6 months)
- Routinely scheduled room maintenance pre-check-in (to see if everything was neat, tidy, and in full working order
- Maintenance of common areas, including foyers (general repairs and painting)
- Replacing door locks and window locks
- Replace wardrobe wheels
- Repair of handrails for staircases in guest rooms (some were bi-level rooms with staircases)
- Replace hinges on kitchen cupboard doors and door handles
- Replace sliding balcony door wheels
- Repair or replace sliding door locks
- Replace wardrobe mirrors if cracked or broken
- Adjusting door closers in entries of guest rooms
- Repairing and replacing broken furniture
- Ensure telephones and internet were functional in all rooms (and reception was contactable as well)
- Ensuring rooms and property were safe for guests and staff and that:
- There were no electrical faults
- There were no plumbing issues
- There were no broken tiles
- Shower screens were not cracked or dangerous in any way to occupants
- Guest room door locks worked to protect possessions and persons and maintain privacy
- Door strips at entry were not worn or lifting causing trip hazards
- Benchtops were undamaged (no sharp edges, etc)
Property Maintenance in Sydney
Westpoint Building Services not only provides Property Maintenance for Hotels, Serviced Apartments, Motels, and Resorts, but we also can provide Facilities Building Maintenance and Preventative Maintenance for:
- Day Care Centres Property Maintenance Sydney
- Recreational Centres Property Maintenance Sydney
- Gyms Property Maintenance Sydney
- Village Centres Property Maintenance Sydney
- Shop Arcades Property Maintenance Sydney
- Medical Centres Property Maintenance Sydney
- Retirement Villages Property Maintenance Sydney
- Retirement Homes Property Maintenance Sydney
- Warehouse Property Maintenance Sydney