Anti-dirty dancing

NEWPORT BEACH — Don’t be surprised to hear some funky dance tunes coming from the third floor around 8 a.m. on any given day at the Fairmont Newport Beach hotel.

No, it’s not a party-animal guest. It’s the morning meeting of the Fairmont’s jovial housekeeping squad.

In August, the housekeeping staff began a morning regimen of stretching so their muscles would be ready to work safely while cleaning rooms. But in October, rooms director Jerry Mong decided to ramp up the morning stretching routine with some dance moves and catchy tunes.

Safety is a big deal at the Fairmont — as of Wednesday morning the hotel had gone more than 600 days without a workplace injury that caused a time loss. The vigilance recently won the hotel a safety award from its company.

The housekeeping staffers had a hefty task Tuesday as they set off to clean more than 300 rooms after their dance and stretch routine. Each housekeeper cleans about 14 rooms a day — that’s 14 or more beds to make, and tubs and floors to clean — which means there’s a lot of stress being put on their backs and muscles as they bend up and down throughout the day.

“It’s good because when we do the exercises, we go upstairs and it’s more comfortable to do the work,” housekeeper Rosalia Alvarez said after a routine Tuesday. “And it’s fun.”

About 30 housekeepers got groovy during a dance mix Tuesday as executive housekeeping director Philip Patz led the group in some basic exercises, as well as some dance moves.

The ladies, who all counted in unison with assistant executive housekeeper Elvia Silva, laughed as they moved and grooved to the beat.

“Their mood rises — it’s not just about being physically energized, but we laugh a little too…. It’s an opportunity to interact and it builds a sense of teamwork and a sense of family,” Patz said.

The housekeepers look to Tina Turner for inspiration, describing the legendary performer as “humble,” “optimistic,” “full of energy,” and “can’t bring her down.” So Fairmont patrons should expect to hear a few bars of “Proud Mary” during their stay.

It’s all part of the service.