From professional cleaning to unforgettable hotel experience

An unforgettable hotel experience starts with a fresh and clean hotel environment. Satisfied guests experience a wow effect when they arrive in their spotless hotel room. A spotlessly cleaned environment also creates a unique overall experience that allows a hotel to make a difference. We visited two Van der Valk Hotels, where motivated employees of Group-f Cleaning & Hospitality clean professionally every day.

Hotel owners and staff obviously don't have to convince you of the benefits of a fresh and clean hotel. A clean hotel environment contributes to the appearance of the property and the comfort of guests and visitors. Through the necessary expertise and the right materials and resources, a professional cleaning team contributes to a clean hotel and the guest experience that goes with it.

A professional appearance, comfort, health and general well-being of guests: the Kontich-based cleaning company Group-f has been the hospitality industry's trusted partner to achieve these goals for many years. "With Group-f, we go for a customised service for each hotel, allowing owners and staff to focus on providing the best possible service for their guests," says Kris Calle, Chief Commercial Officer. "With a passionate hero team of our own permanent staff, we are committed to three pillars: sustainability, training and quality."

As a market leader in the hotel sector, Group-f guarantees a total approach tailored to each client's needs, timing and budget. "Because we combine cleaning services with facility support, we offer each hotel maximum relief and cost efficiency," Kris confirms. "Besides classic cleaning activities, a customer can also turn to us for specialised floor and carpet cleaning, window washing, guest washing, handyman services and sanitary supplies. We always strive for a long-term cooperation with our clients."

The term 'sustainability' has been dropped and at Group-f this is no empty concept. Kris explains how the cleaning company puts this objective into practice. "In our choice of cleaning products and agents, the environment is central. For example, we work with ecological products, which our suppliers supply in bulk. We also leave nothing to chance when it comes to safety and well-being: all our employees receive the necessary personal protective equipment and support in ergonomic working. Our own motivated and trained employees give their best every day. We also build a sustainable and long-term cooperation with them every day. Respect to all our employees who perform their tasks passionately."

Attracting satisfied and motivated employees and keeping them on board. That is one of the big challenges within Group-f today. "Within our company, we invest in our own employees. I consider them our real heroes, because through their work they contribute to a positive guest experience. With our Hospitality Academy, we offer more than 20 in-house trainings and courses, from Room Attendant to Hospitality & Quality Coach. In addition, our own hotel cleaning staff first complete a two-week internship to learn the tricks of the trade. In this way, we guarantee better progression to the final workplace. Because we know the personal competences, talents and ambitions of future employees through this internship, we can place the right person at the right location. This is how we fulfil our promise that quality is not a coincidence."

Among the clients where Group-f's cleaning team is working are the Van der Valk hotels in Oostkamp and Antwerp. Brothers Kees and Willem Polman - manager in Oostkamp and Antwerp respectively - are full of praise for their cooperation with the cleaning company. "We are very satisfied with the professional approach from Group-f, both in terms of communication and service," the brothers say in chorus. "However, the cleaning team has a tough daily work schedule to complete, with over 340 rooms to be cleaned. Combining quality work and tight timing is not always obvious, but Group-f succeeds wonderfully. They achieve this by deploying their own experienced cleaners who not only work efficiently, but are also detail-oriented."

Kees and Willem conclude: "Punctuality is an essential consideration in professional cleaning anyway. Of course, a thorough approach is also crucial: there is no such thing as a half-clean hotel room. For both points, Group-f scores excellently. With a stable cleaning team, good contract conditions and quality service, we can only recommend this cleaning partner."■