Cleaning and sanitation
Hotel Room Inspection Checklist
- Who checks
- Housekeeping supervisor or duty manager
- When
- After a departure room is cleaned, before it is set to "inspected, ready for check-in"
- Time
- ~15 min · 36 items
| Location | Date and time | Inspector | Signature |
The room attendant cleans the room, but the supervisor has the final say before a guest moves in. This inspection catches what guests notice in the first five minutes: a hair in the bathroom, something left behind by the previous guest, an empty dispenser, dust on the headboard. One such find, and a "dirty room" review is already written, even though the room took forty minutes to clean.
The walkthrough goes around the room from the door: the first impression from the doorway, then the sleeping area, work area, minibar, bathroom and finally the hidden spots. The supervisor fixes minor issues personally and sends serious ones back to the attendant with a photo. The room is set to "ready" only once every critical item is marked "yes".
First impression from the doorway
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1
No off odors in the room: tobacco, damp or cleaning chemicals Walk in, close the door and stand for 5–10 seconds. A neutral smell or the hotel's light signature scent is a "yes"; a strong chemical smell also fails.☐ Yes☐ No
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2
The A/C is set to the hotel's standard temperature Check the remote or wall panel: the setting matches the hotel standard (often 21–23 °C / 70–73 °F), windows closed.☐ Yes☐ No
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3
Sheers and curtains are arranged to standard with even folds Sheers fully drawn, blackout curtains open and gathered evenly on both sides; all hooks in place.☐ Yes☐ No
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4
The overall look from the doorway matches the reference photo Photograph the room from the entrance and compare with the reference for this room type: furniture layout, pillows, lighting.☐ Yes☐ No
Bed and sleeping area
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5
The bed is made to standard: sheet tight with no wrinkles, hospital corners Run a palm over the surface: no waves or skew; lift the edge of the bedspread and check the corner.☐ Yes☐ No
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6
Linen has no stains, hair, holes or scorch marks Pull back the bedspread and inspect the sheet, pillowcases and duvet cover with the overhead light on.☐ Yes☐ No
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7
The number of pillows matches the room category Check against the room spec: e.g., two per guest plus decorative pillows where specified.☐ Yes☐ No
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8
Headboard, nightstands and lamps are dust-free Run a white glove or tissue over the top of the headboard and the lampshade: no dust.☐ Yes☐ No
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9
Bedside lamps and night light switch on from both sides of the bed Press the switches at each nightstand. The master switch by the door turns off all lights.☐ Yes☐ No
Work area, wardrobe and minibar
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10
Desk, mirror and TV are free of dust and fingerprints Look at the TV screen and mirror at an angle to the light: no streaks or prints.☐ Yes☐ No
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11
Guest directory, menus and printed materials are in place and undamaged Pages not folded, no stains or notes from the previous guest, information current (not last year's menu).☐ Yes☐ No
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12
The TV remote works and is clean Turn on the TV and change the channel. Remote wiped, buttons not sticky.☐ Yes☐ No
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13
The wardrobe has the standard set of hangers, robes and slippers Count hangers per the room standard; robes and slippers per the number of guests on the reservation.☐ Yes☐ No
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14
The safe is open, empty and not locked with the previous guest's code Door ajar, nothing inside. If the safe is locked, have engineering open it with the master code before the room is set to "ready".☐ Yes☐ No
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15
The minibar is fully stocked and products are within their use-by dates Check against the par list; check dates on 2–3 items with the nearest expiry.☐ Yes☐ No
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16
The tea and coffee station is stocked; kettle and cups are clean Look inside the kettle: no scale or water. Cups streak-free, tea and coffee sachets for the number of guests.☐ Yes☐ No
Bathroom
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17
No hair in the sink, tub, shower or on the floor Inspect the drain, shower tray corners and floor around the toilet with a phone flashlight. A single hair is a "no".☐ Yes☐ No
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18
The toilet is clean inside, under the rim and outside at the base Lift the seat and lid, look under the rim and at the back of the base.☐ Yes☐ No
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19
Faucet, shower head and mirror are free of limescale and streaks Look at the chrome at an angle to the light; drops and white spots fail.☐ Yes☐ No
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20
Grout and silicone show no dark buildup Inspect grout in the shower and around the tub. Dark spots go to deep cleaning or engineering.☐ Yes☐ No
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21
Towels are set out to standard and in the right quantity Bath and hand towel per guest on the reservation, plus a bath mat. No stains or pilling, folded identically.☐ Yes☐ No
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22
Amenities are complete; bottles sealed or dispensers filled Shampoo, shower gel, conditioner, lotion, soap; dispensers at least half full.☐ Yes☐ No
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23
Toilet paper: main roll folded into a point, spare roll in place Roll at least half full, end folded; spare roll in the holder or cabinet.☐ Yes☐ No
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24
The bathroom bin is clean with a new liner; sanitary bags are provided Look inside the bin and under the liner: no debris or leaks.☐ Yes☐ No
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25
The hair dryer is in place and works Switch on for 2–3 seconds. Cord neatly coiled, not twisted.☐ Yes☐ No
Hidden areas
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26
No debris or items under the bed or behind the nightstands Use a flashlight under the bed and in the gap between the nightstand and the wall.☐ Yes☐ No
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27
No items from the previous guest left in drawers, wardrobe or safe Open every drawer, check the top shelf of the wardrobe and the robe pockets. Anything found goes to Lost and Found with a log entry.☐ Yes☐ No
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28
Baseboards, windowsill and top of the door are dust-free Run a glove along the windowsill and the top edge of the entrance door.☐ Yes☐ No
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29
Room trash bins are empty and clean Check all bins: new liners inside, no leaks at the bottom.☐ Yes☐ No
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30
Carpet or floor is vacuumed, with no small debris along baseboards Check corners and under the desk; vacuum lines are even.☐ Yes☐ No
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31
Balcony or terrace is clean: ashtray empty, furniture wiped If there is no balcony, mark "yes". Floor free of leaves and butts, door glass streak-free.☐ Yes☐ No
Issues and status
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32
Visible maintenance issues are reported to engineering with a work order Burned-out bulb, dripping faucet, broken handle: work order raised before the status change.☐ Yes☐ No
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33
VIP amenities or special requests from the reservation are in place Check reservation notes: crib, hypoallergenic pillows, welcome card. No request means "yes".☐ Yes☐ No
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34
Issues found are fixed before the room is set to "ready" The supervisor fixes small things personally, the rest goes back to the attendant; problem spots are re-inspected.☐ Yes☐ No
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35
Room status is updated in the PMS immediately after inspection The front desk sees the room as "clean, inspected" within 5 minutes of the supervisor leaving.☐ Yes☐ No
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36
Inspection end time Record when the room was set to "ready" to spot delays ahead of check-in time.
This template is a starting point. Check the limits and wording against your local regulations, your company standards and the equipment manufacturers' instructions.
jeCheck · https://jecheck.io/en/templates/hotel-room-inspection
Common violations
- Inspecting "from the doorway" without going into the bathroom or looking under the bed. That is exactly where guests find hair and other people's belongings, and the photos end up in reviews.
- Setting the room to "ready" before issues are fixed because a guest is waiting at the desk. The guest gets a room with an empty minibar or no towels, and the complaint comes within the first hour.
- Leaving the safe locked with the previous guest's code. The new guest cannot use it and has to wait for engineering.
- Items left by the previous guest are found by the new guests. It is not only awkward but a risk of a loss claim if the item was never logged in Lost and Found.
- The supervisor fixes everything personally without telling the attendant. The same mistakes repeat in every room because the employee never learns about them.
Frequently asked questions
All departure rooms and rooms for VIP arrivals are inspected without exception. Stayover rooms after daily service are usually spot-checked, e.g., 20–30% per attendant per shift, plus all rooms cleaned by new staff.
A cleaning checklist describes the attendant's process: sequence of work, linen change, restocking. The pre-arrival inspection checks the result through the guest's eyes and is done by a different person after cleaning.
Offer the guest a drink in the lobby while they wait, or a different room of the same category if they agree. Never check a guest into a room with a critical issue (hair, stained linen, odor, someone else's belongings).
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