Investigation of Housekeeping Standards and Room Cleanliness Satisfaction in Hotels in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria

This study investigates housekeeping standards and their relationship to room cleanliness satisfaction among guests in hotels in Owerri, Imo State, South East Nigeria. Housekeeping is a fundamental operational department in any hotel, and the quality of room presentation directly shapes guest satisfaction, repeat visit intentions, and online review outcomes. The study adopts a descriptive survey design with questionnaires administered to 190 hotel guests across 10 registered hotels in the Owerri Municipal Area. Variables measured include room cleanliness ratings, linen quality, bathroom hygiene, housekeeping staff responsiveness, and overall satisfaction. Findings reveal that 64 percent of guests are satisfied or very satisfied with room cleanliness, while 36 percent report concerns including dusty surfaces, inadequate linen changes, and bathroom hygiene deficiencies. Guest satisfaction with housekeeping is found to be positively correlated with overall hotel satisfaction scores. Larger hotels with structured housekeeping supervision systems perform consistently better than smaller properties relying on informal oversight. The study recommends introduction of systematic room inspection checklists, investment in high-quality linen and cleaning supplies, and mandatory housekeeping training curricula for all hotels regardless of size. A guest room rating card system is also proposed to enable daily feedback and prompt corrective action by hotel management. Keywords: housekeeping standards, room cleanliness, guest satisfaction, hotel operations, Owerri