Jan. 21, 2005 - Procter & Gamble is checking into the hotel-cleaning business.

The Cincinnati-based consumer-products behemoth announced Thursday that metro Denver is the launching pad for what the company hopes will become a national hotel-cleaning service that specializes in using Procter & Gamble brands commonly found in U.S. households.

The company has tested the service for more than two years at two hotels in Lakewood.

Procter & Gamble has teamed with Coverall Cleaning Concepts, also in Cincinnati, to offer outsourced cleaning services -- a relatively new concept in the hospitality industry. Hotel managers have traditionally assumed the tedious role of hiring, training and supervising housekeepers.

"It's a high-turnover position that has always been one of the biggest problems for us to manage," said Teresa Snyder, general manager of a Super 8 and Quality Suites in Lakewood that have used the pilot service. "Having this support means that I don't have to take time away from my everyday duties to clean rooms at the last minute." Snyder estimated that the new service has helped the hotels save $5,000 a month in various costs, such as cleaning supplies and housekeepers' insurance. Procter & Gamble provides cleaning products, while Coverall assembles and manages staffs.

Hotels are charged monthly, allowing managers such as Snyder to more accurately budget for cleaning costs.

Another benefit, Snyder said, is that her hotels can guarantee customers "Downy fresh" linens, "Swiffered" floors and curtains spritzed with Febreze Fabric Refresher -- all Procter & Gamble brands.

"Guests will ask about the different chemicals we use," Snyder said. "They're more at ease when they see that we have the same products they do at home." Colorado was selected for the launch because of its tourism industry and abundance of hotels, said Paul Edmondson, senior account executive at Procter & Gamble.

Edmondson said the service will be rolled out gradually but that it has not been decided which market will be next.

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