How to Run Your Home Like a 5-Star Hotel (Even When Staff Take PTO)
What happens when your housekeeper takes a vacation? Does everything fall apart?
Too many homes run like a game of Jenga — remove one key piece, and the whole thing crumbles. I’ll teach you how to run your home like a five-star hotel, even when key staff are away.
World-class homes don’t crumble when someone takes personal time off (PTO). They stay calm and collected, and service never skips a beat. Let’s dive into how to make that your reality.
From proactive scheduling to practical cross-training tips, these proven methods keep your home on track — no last-minute fire drills required.
Here’s the misconception:
Your handyman doesn’t need to know how to tidy a room or shop for groceries.
But here’s the truth:
In a well-run private household, every team member should be cross-trained to ensure uninterrupted service when someone is away. Cross-training also provides additional benefits, such as developing empathy and collaboration skills that recognize how their work impacts others.
A PTO Plan + Cross-Training Program =
A stronger team, better service, and lower burnout for everyone on the team.
We’re focusing on higher-level aspects of building a world-class household team by planning for staff time off without disrupting service through a Cross-Training Program.
Remember Cindy, the housekeeper for the Martins? She finally took a week off. The House Manager brought in contract housekeeping services, but they didn’t know how to handle a silk settee. Water spots, oily fingerprints — it spiraled out of control fast. Mrs. Martin was furious, and the House Manager? She was burned out and embarrassed. All of this could’ve been avoided with a solid cross-training plan.
Without a PTO plan and a cross-training program, the House Manager did what she believed was best: hired additional help and took on some of Cindy’s responsibilities herself. Unfortunately, her good intentions led to further drama, and the staff remained on edge throughout the week, wondering what disaster might unfold next.
You hire staff to make your life easier, not more stressful. However, your entire operation falters if no one is trained to step in when someone is out.
I often see this:
Homeowners and House Managers approve time off without a coverage plan. Their hearts are in the right place by letting staff take well-deserved breaks, but the reality is that staff wouldn’t be employed here if they weren’t essential to daily operations.
Here’s the real issue. In a one-off situation, the mentality is, "Ok, let’s just get through the week.” However, remember that you have service-minded professionals working inside your home. It kills their soul when you’re unhappy and operations aren’t running smoothly. More importantly, they’re likely not to take time off because they aren’t sure things will run smoothly in their absence. And in the end, they’re likely to burn out. And no one will know it until someone loses their temper or gets injured. These are tell-tale signs of burnout.
The truth?
Regardless of job descriptions, you need to build a strong and long-term private service team to support your family.
Are job descriptions necessary in private service? Absolutely, but equally important is the mindset and flexibility needed for the team’s success. These help prevent burnout and support cross-training and team collaboration requirements.
When things don’t go smoothly, the result is often staff turnover.
Hiring new staff will set your team back at least three to six months for vetting, onboarding, and training. Therefore, retaining your current staff is in everyone’s best interest, unless specific signs indicate that you haven’t hired the right person with the right personality and attitude. Almost everything else is trainable.
Here’s how to build your Cross-Training Program
1. Identify essential tasks that keep the home running smoothly. These could be:
Housekeeping and laundry
Opening and closing procedures and mechanical inspections
Tech issues and resetting the Wi-Fi (where is the router?)
Contractor management and property protection measures
2. Build Step-by-Step Guides as Training Tools. For example:
Record a short video to demonstrate how to wind a grandfather clock for staff.
Create a Word document with pictures of how to make a perfect latte.
Conduct a hands-on training session to reinforce the details of making the bed and selecting the appropriate pillow to use with the silk pillowcase.
3. Train, partner, and solo
This involves showing them how to complete the task, then demonstrating it with them, and finally allowing them to do it independently.
4. Communicate & Designate
Communicate more frequently with the remaining staff during PTO. This is counterintuitive when you’re shorthanded, but essential to keeping the order flow in sync.
Remember to designate a staff member as the Assistant House Manager so that when your House Manager needs time off, their absence is covered.
Remember, when your staff burns out, you’ll lose time, money, and energy related to staff transitions and unknowingly rock the boat with your other staff members. They’ll be thinking, "When am I next?" That’s not a healthy mindset for your staff working inside your home.
Skipping PTO, not having a plan or training in place, and high staff turnover keep your staff siloed, erode the level of service you’ll receive, and keep you in a constant state of frustration about the investment you’re making in your real estate.
In any well-run household, PTO for staff members is not only a good idea — it's essential. Whether it's vacation, personal days, or unplanned sick leave, time off supports your team's mental, physical, and emotional wellness, allowing them to return refreshed and ready to serve.
THE SOLUTION:
Proactive Cross-Training + PTO Plan
Without a plan, your House Manager becomes the default for everything. That’s a recipe for burnout — and staff turnover you can’t afford.
THE LESSON:
Time Off Requires Planning — Hour by Hour and Task by Task
A detailed Personal Time Off Plan, paired with a cross-training strategy, ensures that when one team member is out, others know what, when, and how to do it, and no outside contractors are required to fill in the gaps.
Want your home to run like a 5-star hotel — no matter who’s on PTO? Download our Cross-Training Plan Template and our Personal Time Off Plan.
