Hotels Honour Accommodation Heroes

Hotels around the country have honoured their accommodation staff at an Appreciation Day, promoted by the Irish Hotels Federation and the Irish Accommodation Services Institute. 

Fitpatrick Hotels (pictured) were among those taking part.

Yoga sessions, special meals, afternoon tea and group activities were featured at Appreciation Day events, recognizing the outstanding contribution of accommodation staff who service thousands of bedrooms every day, involving the completion of up to 200 tasks in every room.

Often regarded as the “Cinderellas” of the industry, accommodation staff are often at the bottom end of a hotel’s salary scale and frequently work long hours. Accommodation Service Managers also frequently argue that they deserve a higher status within the management structure, given that they manage a department which can produce up to 80% of revenue.

The status of accommodation service employees has been significantly enhanced by IASI (formerly AHAM), an organisation of accommodation managers founded in 1985 by a group led by management consultant Mary Hall, who was then a member of the CERT management team, and her colleague Tony Lenehan.