Most resort guests don’t think about what goes on behind-the-scenes at the resort, and that’s exactly the way it should be. A guest shouldn’t worry about whether their rooms have AC or if the floors are clean—they need to be able to freely enjoy their room and amenities without frustration or hassles.
Every resort strives to provide the best quality experience for each guest, but having satisfied customers requires more than just great customer service. Resorts need to have an edge on their maintenance tasks to make sure nothing goes wrong.
Surprise problems are not only costly to fix but tarnish the resort’s reputation as well. Although the needs of each resort vary, every resort requires essential maintenance such as:
- Making sure safety equipment is up to code
- Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces, rooms and amenities
- Inspection of living areas, vehicles, heavy-use equipment, and technology for signs of wear or damage to ensure everything is running smoothly
Even one inspection or task falling through the cracks can lead to a less than ideal customer experience; resorts have to ensure they are on top of their maintenance schedules, and resort checklists help keep things running.
Types of preventive maintenance checklists for resorts
Every resort is different, but all resorts have one thing in common: they require regular maintenance for these areas:
- Buildings
- Facilities
- Equipment
But just regular maintenance is not enough; managers have to be ahead of tasks to make sure nothing breaks down or malfunctions in between regular inspections. Preventive maintenance is a key aspect of any efficient maintenance program.
Resorts need to make sure their checklists for buildings, facilities, and equipment maintenance are complete and consistent to prevent problems from occurring.
Resort building maintenance
Nothing ruins a guest’s stay faster than a broken AC— it’s the most common resort complaint. A building maintenance checklist generally covers the resort’s electrical, safety, lighting, and HVAC systems.
Resorts need to ensure the entire building, not just the AC, is operating efficiently. To make sure systems are well maintained, utilizing a building maintenance checklist is key to making sure things run without failure. Building maintenance checklists need to include:
- Lighting fixtures
- HVAC units
- Plumbing
- Safety equipment
- Electrical
- Indoor and outdoor lighting voltage and wiring
- Fall protection harnesses and seat belts
- Carbon monoxide and fire alarms
- Safety labels and signs
- Elevators
- Old or outdated equipment
Failure to check a safety or electrical element leads all too often to distress for resort guests, which is why having a detailed and fool-proof building maintenance checklist is critical. Make sure the checklist is always available, so nothing gets overlooked.
Resort facility maintenance
Resort facility maintenance checklists usually cover the resort’s living, gathering, and recreational spaces. No matter the size, every resort has these same staple facilities that need always to be inspected:
- Lobby
- Guest rooms
- Hallways
Though the amenities like gyms, pools, laundry rooms and other additions vary from resort to resort, amenities in general always need to be of top priority to maintain as well. Amenities help guests feel at home during their stay and improve their overall experience.
To make sure resort facilities are always in excellent condition, keep these tips in mind:
- Check for dirty floors, walls, furniture, carpets, and rugs
- Inspect walls and for chipped or discolored paint or wallpaper
- Make sure there aren’t any water leaks—this leads to very costly repairs and even resort closures
- Ensure all bathroom and pool elements are clean
- Remove all litter and garbage—always make sure to take out the trash from all locations
- Repair any cracked door or window frame right away
- Check if mirrors and glass are free of cracks or chips
- Replace any low batteries
- Inspect outdoor elements for discoloration, dirt, and damage
- Eliminate any pests and insects immediately
- Check indoor and outdoor decorations (like statues, clocks, fountains, and paintings) for dust and damage
Although these tasks seem simple, resorts are always busy, and these simple tasks get quickly overlooked. But they directly impact a client’s opinion and experience. Not only that, but facilities drive people to want to stay at the resort, meaning the better kept the facilities, the more the resort profits.
These tasks need to be kept up with regularly, without fail, to maintain the resort.
Resort equipment maintenance
Equipment maintenance is vital to ensuring resorts run as smoothly as possible, and this usually means inspecting machinery for any signs of wear and repairing as necessary.
A resort guest rarely considers if their air filters have been changed or if the resort’s AC unit needs coolant, but that doesn’t mean the behind-the-scenes aspects are any less critical. A well-planned equipment maintenance checklist ensures that the equipment necessary to make a guest’s stay perfect is always in top working condition.
Some tasks for managers to consider are:
- Check oil levels, coolants, air filters, condenser coils, and fluid level indicators on all machinery
- Check for worn down parts and equipment
- Ensure fluid pumps have the correct amount power output
- Check for any faulty wiring
- Disassemble machinery, test for faults, and calibrate to specific specifications
- Check all machinery for rust, wear, material reduction, and breaks
- For mobile machinery, check fluids, tightness, and malfunctions
- Create checklists for specific mobile machinery and run benchmarks as per standard
- Make sure tools used for repair are in good working condition
Some machinery and tools have their own way of needing to be repaired, cleaned, or maintained, so managers need to be sure to follow the proper guidelines and standards to ensure techs are doing everything correctly.
Faulty equipment leads to managers always having to put out fires, and with the proper checklists always at hand, mistakes are less likely to happen— meaning fewer surprises and saving on repair costs.
Creating your own resort preventive maintenance checklist
Preventive maintenance checklists are a part of any successful general maintenance strategy because they improve uptime and reduce costs.
Resorts are more than just living spaces—they include various services and amenities that all need your attention and regular maintenance just as much as the rooms, lobby, and hallways. Visual inspections and routine tasks need to be a part of your checklist for all aspects of your resort.
If you want to create your successful own preventive maintenance checklist, make sure these steps are included:
- Always inspect equipment that experience heavy use for signs of wear
- Inspect all living areas, equipment, vehicles, and amenities regularly
- Check your elevators, automatic doors, and other electronic systems to determine if they’re in good working condition
- Make sure to clean and sanitize all areas in the resort
- Ensure tools and equipment are not damaged
- Check to see if your safety equipment and signs are up to code
When creating your checklist, also keep in mind the maintenance needs of every resource. Many items all have different lifespans, some stay cleaning longer than others, and each has its own malfunction and wear patterns. Make sure these are known and noted while creating your checklist so things are not misunderstood or missed entirely. Additionally, ensure these are indicated in your checklist so that you’re able to determine ahead of time how to properly get ahead on your maintenance.
For example, if you know your elevator belts need to be inspected every six months, schedule it a month before the six-month mark to get ahead of the inspection and prevent any issues that may come up in the last month, which possibly saves money in the long run.
Another tip is to determine which amenities and facilities need your attention the most, as these do vary by resort. Check out which areas get the most foot traffic, and make sure to schedule cleanings for those locations, decorations, and floors more often than others, so you’re always ahead of schedule.
Another tip for creating an efficient checklist is to make sure you have the correct times and dates for every single element on the list. An incorrect date or time impacts your maintenance and inspections, possibly costing you more money on repairs if things are overlooked.
You’ll also need to confer with your financial department to see how much of your budget can be allocated toward preventive maintenance. Your resort’s financial department can also help you create efficient timelines that work both for your schedule and your budget.
Benefits of preventive maintenance checklists
Resort managers benefit significantly from a perfectly constructed preventive maintenance checklist.
Using equipment maintenance software, managers no longer have to be bothered with writing everything down on paper lists or using confusing spreadsheets to track what task is on what date and what inspection is soon due. Spreadsheets and traditional paper always cause confusion and mistakes—it’s almost impossible for everyone to be on the same page because the maintenance team often updates spreadsheets but they don’t do it consistently across the board, leading to misunderstandings.
CMMS software not only prevents those misunderstandings but helps you keep up with and update your schedules and checklists without you having to do it manually. Automated scheduling is the key to not only cutting costs but also cutting down on the work you’ll have to do.
Having automated schedules and checklists gives you more control over your facilities and resources because you’re able to keep tabs on all of it—and avoid any surprise problems or have to run around putting out fires. In addition, tasks are simplified and streamlined to create effective plans, making your job a lot easier and improving the guest experience.
Summary
CMMS software solutions help maintenance departments keep critical assets online for less money by streamlining processes and capturing and leveraging reliable data. Unlike older management systems, a modern CMMS lives in the cloud, ensuring everyone has access to up-to-date data. Organizations across industries can see concrete benefits from the systems, including more uptime and less wasted time and money. When choosing a CMMS, it’s important to consider not only the features but also the complete user experience, including implementation, training, and ongoing support.
Next steps
Ready to get started with checklists powered by a modern equipment maintenance solution?
Hippo’s here to help you get the solution that works best for you, including answering your questions about facility maintenance software, helping you book a live software demo, or even setting you up with a free trial.
