Housekeeping Manager - The Ivy Hotel Relais & Châteaux

The Ivy Hotel is a 17-room luxury boutique hotel located in Baltimore's historic Mount Vernon neighborhood. A member of Relais & Châteaux and Maryland's only Michelin Two Key property, The Ivy is consistently recognized among the region's best hotels. The highly inclusive room rate features made-to-order breakfast, evening cocktails, private car service, valet parking, and deeply personalized guest experiences.

The Ivy Hotel is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented, and highly engaged Housekeeping Manager to lead daily housekeeping operations and ensure the hotel is maintained to the highest standards of cleanliness, presentation, comfort, and care.

As a small luxury boutique property, The Ivy depends on consistency, discretion, and attention to detail in every guest room, public space, and back-of-house area. This role is both hands-on and leadership-focused. The Housekeeping Manager is expected to be highly visible throughout the property, actively engaged with the housekeeping team, and comfortable stepping in wherever needed to support the operation and guest experience.

The ideal candidate brings strong housekeeping leadership experience, excellent organizational skills, a refined eye for detail, and a natural commitment to gracious hospitality.

Housekeeping Operations

• Oversee the daily cleaning, inspection, and presentation of guest rooms, suites, public areas, offices, and back-of-house spaces.
• Ensure all rooms and guest-facing areas meet The Ivy's standards for cleanliness, comfort, and presentation.
• Conduct regular room inspections and property walkthroughs to identify and address service, cleanliness, or maintenance needs.
• Monitor room readiness and housekeeping productivity throughout the day.
• Coordinate closely with the FOH to ensure accurate room status, timely arrivals, special requests, and guest preferences.
• Communicate maintenance issues promptly and follow through to ensure completion.
• Step in operationally wherever necessary to support the team and maintain service standards.

Leadership & Team Development

• Recruit, onboard, train, coach, and develop housekeeping team members.
• Create and manage schedules to ensure appropriate coverage, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Set clear expectations for cleanliness, presentation, guest service, and daily responsibilities.
• Provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and performance support.
• Lead by example with professionalism, humility, and a strong work ethic.
• Foster a warm, respectful, collaborative, and accountable workplace culture.

Guest Experience & Service

• Support The Ivy's commitment to warm, personalized, and discreet service.
• Respond promptly and professionally to guest requests, concerns, and service needs.
• Ensure guest preferences, special requests, amenities, and VIP details are handled accurately and thoughtfully.
• Maintain awareness of guest activity, arrivals, departures, and property needs throughout the day.
• Represent the housekeeping department with professionalism, care, and attention to detail.

Inventory & Departmental Management

• Manage housekeeping inventories, including linens, terry, guest supplies, cleaning products, amenities, and equipment.
• Maintain appropriate par levels, ordering schedules, and organized storage areas.
• Monitor usage, waste, purchasing, and departmental expenses.
• Work with vendors and suppliers to ensure product quality, consistency, and cost efficiency.
• Support budget goals while maintaining service standards and overall guest experience.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with hotel policies, safety standards, OSHA regulations, and health and sanitation requirements.
• Ensure proper handling, labeling, and storage of cleaning chemicals.
• Conduct regular safety training and reinforce safe work practices.
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas for the housekeeping team.
• Respond to operational issues calmly and effectively.

** Please include a COVER LETTER outlining why you're a great fit for the role. Applications without this will not be considered.**

• Minimum 3-5 years of housekeeping leadership experience in a luxury hotel, boutique hotel, resort, or similar hospitality environment.
• Proven ability to lead, train, and hold a team accountable while maintaining high standards.
• Strong organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Strong attention to detail and a genuine commitment to quality.
• Experience with hotel PMS systems such as Opera is preferred.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on operational needs, including weekends and holidays as required.

Personal Attributes

• Warm, professional, and polished demeanor.
• Strong eye for detail and presentation.
• Hands-on, dependable, and highly organized.
• Calm under pressure and solutions-oriented.
• Collaborative, low-ego leadership style.
• Comfortable leading with both warmth and accountability.
• Pride in creating a clean, comfortable, and beautifully maintained guest environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, lift, and move throughout the property for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds occasionally.
• Ability to inspect guest rooms, bathrooms, public spaces, and back-of-house areas thoroughly and efficiently.
• Ability to step into housekeeping tasks when needed.

We offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive health and dental coverage
• Disability and life insurance options
• Retail and hospitality perks
• A high-quality daily staff meal
• Support for ongoing learning and development
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Retirement savings plan
• A collaborative, supportive team environment

The Ivy Hotel is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a background check, and pre-employment drug test conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

We look forward to hearing from you!

« Rejoindre Relais & Châteaux, c'est profiter d'une opportunité unique d'élargir vos horizons tout en nourrissant votre talent.
Que vous souhaitiez construire une véritable carrière à nos côtés ou recherchiez un poste saisonnier, vous découvrirez des maisons de caractère, toutes unies par la défense de nos valeurs d'hospitalité, d'ancrage local et de partage.
Partez à la rencontre de nos équipes passionnées par le beau et le bon, qui font vibrer le cœur de chaque Relais & Châteaux. Embarquez à nos côtés pour un délicieux voyage et devenez vous aussi, acteur d'un monde plus humain ! . »

Philippe Gombert
Président, Relais & Châteaux