Formed in February 2005, the Professional Housekeepers Association of NSW is a non-profit organisation. While the committee is made up of executive housekeepers from various hotels in the Sydney area, the body contains experts from a range of professional industries such as hotel and resort housekeeping, hotel school lecturers and even a housekeeper of a cathedral.

The organisation aims to provide a voice for all housekeepers as well as a forum for networking and the exchanging of ideas that will educate, inform and challenge each individual as an executive housekeeper.

Former PHAN president, Maureen Jolowicz said, “I do have a vision for this organisation. As time goes on I envision we will grow to be an invaluable resource for housekeepers, be recognised as a strong force within the hospitality industry that has a voice and is respected; we will assist in improving the status of housekeeping and ultimately encourage career pathing and housekeeping to be a department of choice for would-be managers. We are at the start of a journey.”

Today, with more than 80 members, PHAN successfully provides this forum with members actively sharing their expertise and assisting and encouraging those under their direction to advance in their knowledge and experience.




The PHAN committee is made up of an eclectic selection of highly successful executive housekeepers who between them have more than 100 years professional housekeeping experience. The new committee, elected in March 2009, includes: president – Lalini De Silva, executive housekeeper of Fraser Suites; vice president – Chona Ogilvie, executive housekeeper at Four Points by Sheraton Sydney; secretary – Grace Esogon, executive housekeeper of Sydney Harbour Marriott; treasurer – Nela Neves, executive housekeeper of Holiday Inn Darling Harbour Sydney; assistant treasurer – Christine Burnett, executive housekeeper of Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour; other committee members – Maureen Jolowicz, executive housekeeper of Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney, Carol Hanna, executive housekeeper of Sydney Manly Pacific, Alex Atkinson, executive housekeeper of Meriton Serviced Apartments Collection and Nicole Salonga, executive housekeeper of Four Seasons Hotel Sydney; and public relations officer Liz Lycette, director of Lycette and Associates P/L.

Former assistant treasurer and executive housekeeper at Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, Kamila Smirski said everyone in the committee works hard for both their jobs and the organisation.

“Everyone is a hard working, professional woman who has more to offer. Under the guidance of the president, a variety of events are organised every year. They are a great networking tool.”

Annually, the organisation holds on average, six to nine events. Some of these functions are purely social to allow members to relax and network, others are educational seminars and workshops on topics relevant to the housekeeping profession and some are sponsored by PHAN preferred suppliers who use the function to demonstrate their product range or update members with information on new products.

Committee member Maureen Jolowicz said the body tries to hold an event every two months.

Last year, PHAN held a number of seminars, from a Discomania gala dinner at the Shangri-La Sydney and Pink Ribbon Breakfast for breast cancer support to a hotel tour of inner Sydney city properties and ‘best practice’ sharing workshop discussing linen operations, exchange procedures and stock takes.

The first event for this year was the Housekeeping Olympics held on 17 January 2009 at the Recreation Centre, King George Vth Centre in the Rocks, Sydney. Nineteen hotel teams entered and there were over 200 in attendance. The inaugural Housekeeping Olympics showcased five events including toilet paper throwing, mop relay, toilet paper mummy wrapping, scrubbing pad discus throwing and the final exciting event, the bed relay.

Winning teams were awarded with medals and a trophy. Runner-ups came away with certificates and ribbons.




The next Housekeeping Olympics will be held in the winter of 2010 (May/June next year). The rest of the 2009 calendar will be issued shortly now the new PHAN committee had been voted in.

Being a non-profit organisation, PHAN derives funding from membership subscriptions. A PHAN membership is renewed each April and every member receives a membership certificate and lapel pin to promote awareness of the organisation, a subscription to the quarterly publication, The Executive Housekeeper and access to the PHAN website (www.phan.org.au) that is updated regularly with the latest information and news from the association.

In affiliation with PHAN’s other sister organisations – Executive Housekeeper Association in the USA, UK and other countries – PHAN members must accept and abide the body’s code of ethics. Acceptance of this code is the agreeance to maintain professional conduct and dedicate to uphold a high level of ethical behaviour.

The code of ethics dictates that association members shall: apply their skills and knowledge in the interest of their employers for whom they shall act professionally as faithful agents and trustees; to know the responsibility of the position held and to exemplify loyalty and conscientiousness at all times to the company engaged by; to strive to improve management techniques raising the profile and recognition of the housekeeping profession; to uphold the principles of honesty and integrity; to share knowledge, encourage ambition and to inspire, train and mentor current employees for the future of the profession of housekeeping management; shall continue their professional development throughout their careers and shall actively assist and encourage those under their direction to advance their knowledge and experience; to comply with rules and regulations of the association; to give loyalty and support to both the association and all its’ members in all facets of the profession; to uphold and enhance the values of the association to the hotel industry; and to promote the association to peers, colleagues and the hospitality industry, thereby assisting in the growth and strength of the association by raising the profile.

The future vision of PHAN is that it will grow into a large, invaluable source for housekeepers who have become one strong force within the hospitality industry.

“We want housekeepers to have a voice and improve their recognition. The idea is to network, exchange ideas and talk about the common problems we all have,” Ms Jolowicz said.