A great victory!
Hundreds of hotel workers hoping to clean during the Housekeeping Olympics mopped, vacuumed and broomed during this year’s games.
The highly anticipated competition returned in force for its 33rd edition on Monday after a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Las Vegas event saw cleaning professionals compete in a series of national competitions in teams of three or more.
Competitors traveled to the Michelob Ultra Arena in Mandalay Bay to compete in six events, including bed making, speed vacuuming and a mop race.
The Bellagio Hotel and Casino team cleaned up the podium by winning first prize overall, as well as first place in the bed making category.
Hundreds of hospitality workers descended on Las Vegas to compete in the annual IEHA Housekeeping Olympics.
Competition events include a mop race, quick vacuum, bed making, dab toss and others.
The 33rd Housekeeping Olympics took place this year for the first time since 2019 after a disruption due to COVID.
“For me, it’s very special,” team member and gold medalist Feve Rodriguez told FOX5 Las Vegas. “We don’t spend a lot of time together, just to enjoy.”
Other big winners included the ARIA team who won gold in the vacuum race and Canadian Healthcare Solutions EH! Team that took first place in the mop race and tampon toss.
Mandalay Bay came first in the leadership race, while Park MGM won the Spirit Award.
MGM Resorts, which operates the Bellagio, said in a statement: “These Housekeeping and EVS team members are the heart and soul of the hospitality industry. Congratulations to Team Bellagio for winning the championships.
The IEHA Housekeeping Olympics are held annually and invite spectators to witness the “thrill, passion and competitiveness” of cleaning professionals for free.
Hundreds of hotel employees participate in the competition and the athletes are welcomed with an opening parade, just like in the real Olympic Games.
In the mop race, competitors must slalom around signs indicating wet ground as part of a relay team in a test of speed and agility.
The Make Bed Round tests participants’ speed and accuracy, while in the Speed Vacuum Challenge, competitors must pick up the confetti pieces from the carpet as quickly as possible.
The Bellagio team, including captain Feve Rodriguez (photo), took first place in the general classification
Hundreds of spectators turned out to watch the games at the Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
The games even feature an opening parade of athletes, just like in the real Olympics.
Other highlights include the dab toss, which sees teams attempt to catch the cleaning product on the pistons.
The executive race is usually a relay-style event, with previous years requiring teams to throw toilet brushes into trash cans as part of the race.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Award is given to the team that presents the best choreographed dance routine.
The last time the games were held was in 2019, when the Venetian Resort Las Vegas team beat challengers from 14 other hotels to win gold.
This year’s games were the first to welcome international teams, with competitors from Canada among the hundreds of participants.
The competition also took place in conjunction with the ISSA show organized by the Global Cleaning Union, which runs until November 16.
Teams often dress to impress, with coordinating suits regularly seen at the conference center, such as during the 2019 Housekeeping Olympics, seen below.
The Mandalay Bay team won first prize in the highly anticipated Executive Race which is part of the program every year.
The highly anticipated annual event takes place in Las Vegas and welcomes international teams for the first time this year.
In addition to “glory,” winners get a trophy and other “fantastic prizes.”
“The Housekeeping Olympics is an incredible opportunity for cleaning professionals to come together and showcase their expertise in a lively and engaging competition,” said Michael Patterson, Executive Director of IEHA.
“This event highlights the importance of excellence in the cleaning industry and recognizes the hard work and dedication of participants.”
