Exclusive Interview| Riddhi Dhotre, Housekeeping Manager Novotel Pune, Nagar Road.

Riddhi Dhotre

"Housekeeping is more than just cleaning rooms—it's about creating an experience where every guest feels comfortable and cared for."

Editor: Tell us about your journey in housekeeping. How did it all start?

My journey in hospitality started during my industrial training at The Westin Mumbai, where I was exposed to different hotel departments. During that time, I realized that I felt most connected to Housekeeping. I've always enjoyed sketching and paying attention to small details, so creating beautiful, organized, and welcoming spaces came naturally to me. That's when I knew Housekeeping was the career I wanted to pursue. I began my professional career as a Housekeeping Associate at JW Marriott, where I spent a year learning the fundamentals of hotel operations, guest service and brand standards. I then joined Conrad as a Housekeeping Associate, where I gained exposure to luxury hospitality and high service standards. At an early stage in my career, I was fortunate to receive an opportunity to join Novotel Pune as a Team Leader. This was a significant step forward, as I moved into a leadership role where I managed teams, ensured operational efficiency, and handled guest satisfaction. I worked there for a couple of years, which helped me build confidence as a leader. To broaden my experience, I joined Jaipur Marriott, where I continued developing my leadership and operational skills. Later, I explored the facilities management sector by working with JLL Facilities. While it gave me a different perspective on operations and asset management, I realized that my true passion has always been the hotel industry and guest hospitality. That passion brought me back to hospitality, and I joined ibis as a Housekeeping Manager. This role gave me the opportunity to lead the entire housekeeping operation, manage budgets and inventories, improve guest satisfaction, train teams, and drive operational excellence.

Editor: What do you think it takes to succeed in the housekeeping and operations side of hospitality?

I believe success in housekeeping and hotel operations comes with qualities like attention to detail, consistency, teamwork, leadership and a guest-first mindset. Housekeeping is more than just cleaning rooms—it's about creating an experience where every guest feels comfortable and cared for. Small details can make a big difference, so maintaining high standards consistently is essential. On the operations side, success requires good planning, effective communication with other departments, and the ability to solve problems quickly while remaining calm under pressure. As a leader, it's also important to motivate and train the team, lead by example, and ensure everyone understands the hotel's standards.

Editor: What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring housekeeping staff?

I always believe I can train someone on SOPs and cleaning techniques, but I cannot easily teach attitude, honesty or the willingness to serve. Positive attitude and willingness to learn, reliability and discipline, guest-focused approach, teamwork, and most importantly integrity.

Editor: If someone wants to work with you in housekeeping, what should they do?

If someone works with me, they can expect a leader who is approachable, fair, and supportive—someone who believes in growth. I believe in leading by example and creating a positive work environment where everyone is treated with respect. In return, I expect my team to be honest, disciplined, willing to learn and committed to delivering the best guest experience.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young, aspiring hotelier starting their internship in housekeeping?

My advice would be to stay curious, be humble and never hesitate to learn. During your internship, don't focus only on completing tasks—focus on understanding why things are done a certain way. Pay attention to the smallest details, ask questions, and observe experienced colleagues.

Editor: What is the single factor that helped you achieve your promotion in housekeeping management?

Willingness to take ownership and responsibility. From the beginning of my career, I treated every task as if it were my own responsibility, whether it was guest satisfaction, room quality, team support, or operational challenges.

Editor: What are some of the trends you see impacting the housekeeping function in hotels?

I believe the biggest trends impacting housekeeping today are sustainability, technology, higher guest expectations and workforce management. Guests expect cleaner rooms, faster service and eco-friendly practices. At the same time, digital tools are improving operational efficiency, while attracting, training, and retaining skilled staff has become more important than ever.

Editor: What technology would you like to see in housekeeping operations? What operational problems need tech solutions?

I would like to see more technology that improves efficiency, such as real-time room status updates, digital inspections, AI-based staff scheduling and smart inventory tracking. These solutions can reduce manual work, improve communication and enhance guest satisfaction.

Editor: Two things you would like to change in the housekeeping or wider hospitality industry.

Greater recognition for housekeeping—Housekeeping plays a vital role in guest satisfaction, and I believe the department deserves more visibility and appreciation for its contribution. Smarter use of technology—I would like to see more automation and digital tools for room status updates, inspections, inventory management, and guest requests. This would improve efficiency, reduce manual work and allow associates to focus more on guest service.

Editor: What is your favorite question to ask a candidate during a housekeeping interview, and why?

My favorite question to ask a candidate is: "Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work. What did you do, and what did you learn from it?" I ask this because the answer tells me a lot about the candidate's honesty, accountability, willingness to learn and attitude. In housekeeping, skills can be taught, but integrity, ownership, and a positive mindset are the qualities that make someone successful.