Director of Housekeeping

Sonesta International Hotels; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan with Company-Ma

Paid Vacation and Sick Days

Sonesta Hotel Discounts

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels in Chicago seeks a Housekeeping Director to lead all housekeeping and laundry operations, elevate cleanliness standards, and collaborate with Front Office, Engineering, and hotel leadership to consistently exceed guest expectations.

This role requires strong leadership, budgeting, vendor management, and a proven track record in hotel operations, with flexibility for mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive housekeeping or hospitality leadership experience.
• Experience as Housekeeping Director or similar leadership role in a hotel.
• Knowledge of sanitation standards and OSHA regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead housekeeping and laundry operations across guest rooms, suites, public areas, back-of-house spaces, and hotel facilities.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop housekeeping and laundry teams to support operational excellence and guest experiences.
• Ensure hotel cleanliness, presentation, sanitation, and brand standards across all areas of the property.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, cleanliness scores, online reviews, room inspections, and service recovery opportunities to drive improvement.
• Partner with Front Office, Engineering, Operations, and hotel leadership to support seamless operations.
• Oversee room inspection programs, productivity, labor management, inventory control, linen management, and departmental budgets.
• Manage supplies, equipment, vendor relationships, purchasing, and expenses to support efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with sanitation standards, OSHA regulations, chemical handling, and safety policies.
• Support VIP arrivals, group business, special projects, deep cleaning initiatives, and renovations as needed.
• Maintain cleanliness and readiness across closets, laundry areas, storage, and staff spaces.
• Analyze KPIs, productivity, labor metrics, and performance data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Foster a collaborative, guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Skills

Housekeeping leadership

Operations management

Budget management

Vendor relationships

Team development

Guest satisfaction focus

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Tools

Housekeeping management systems

Operational reporting tools

Job description

We’re People People. Are you? We’re Sonesta International Hotels—the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast ).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we’re everywhere our guests need us to be. But here’s the thing—we’re not just in the business of hotels, we’re in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect—delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What This Role Is All About

Exceptional guest experiences start with clean, comfortable, and welcoming spaces — and our Housekeeping teams help bring that experience to life every day. As the Housekeeping Director, you’ll lead all housekeeping and laundry operations across the hotel while driving cleanliness standards, operational excellence, guest satisfaction, and team performance. This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced hospitality environment and enjoys balancing operational leadership, team development, service standards, and hotel performance. You’ll oversee housekeeping operations across guest rooms, public areas, laundry, linen management, and back-of-house spaces while partnering closely with Front Office, Engineering, Operations, and hotel leadership teams to ensure the hotel consistently exceeds guest expectations.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead all housekeeping and laundry operations across guest rooms, suites, public areas, back-of-house spaces, and hotel facilities.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop housekeeping and laundry teams to support operational excellence and exceptional guest experiences.
• Ensure hotel cleanliness, presentation, sanitation, and brand standards are consistently maintained across all areas of the property.
• Monitor guest satisfaction, cleanliness scores, online reviews, room inspections, and service recovery opportunities to drive continuous improvement.
• Partner closely with Front Office, Engineering, Operations, and hotel leadership teams to support seamless hotel operations and guest readiness.
• Oversee room inspection programs, housekeeping productivity, labor management, inventory control, linen management, and departmental budgets.
• Manage housekeeping supplies, equipment, vendor relationships, purchasing, and operational expenses to support efficiency and profitability.
• Ensure compliance with hotel operational procedures, sanitation standards, OSHA regulations, chemical handling guidelines, and safety policies.
• Support VIP arrivals, group business, special projects, deep cleaning initiatives, and hotel renovation or transition activities as needed.
• Maintain cleanliness and operational readiness across housekeeping closets, laundry areas, storage spaces, and employee work areas.
• Analyze operational KPIs, productivity reports, labor metrics, and housekeeping performance data to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Help foster a collaborative, energetic, and guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta’s People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What Great Looks Like

• 5+ years of progressive housekeeping, hotel operations, or hospitality leadership experience preferred.
• Previous Housekeeping Director, Executive Housekeeper, Rooms Division, or hotel operations leadership experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of housekeeping operations, laundry operations, room inspection standards, inventory management, labor management, and hospitality service standards.
• Experience managing housekeeping budgets, operational forecasting, staffing plans, productivity metrics, and vendor relationships.
• Knowledge of sanitation standards, OSHA regulations, chemical handling procedures, and hotel safety requirements preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
• Experience using hotel operational systems, housekeeping management systems, and reporting tools preferred.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call support as needed.
• A passion for hospitality, leadership, teamwork, operational excellence, and creating exceptional guest experiences.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

Pay range is $90,000 - $100,000 and are eligible for a Bonus Plan.

The base pay offered may vary based on various factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and specific/overall experience.

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts
• Educational Assistance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Company Paid Short Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Various Employee Perks and Discounts
• Hospital Indemnity
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance

Go Beyond @SonestaHotels

Who We Are

We are an organization made up of people, thoughts and ideas – all working towards fulfilling our simple mission: To wow every guest, team member, partner & community we operate in by delivering quality, value & amazing hospitality. We will achieve our mission by being passionate about exceeding expectations - by being persistent, resilient, and constantly seeking new and creative ways to succeed. Doing the Right Thing and Going Beyond are our principles that guide everything we do.

Our Commitment to You

Sonesta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you’re organized, service-driven, and passionate about hospitality leadership — we’d love to meet you.