Hotel Receptionist Job Description
A friendly, organised Hotel Receptionist is the face of your property. This role handles guest arrivals and departures, answers enquiries, manages bookings and supports day-to-day front desk administration — all while keeping high standards of customer service and accuracy.
What does a Hotel Receptionist professional do?
Recruit a professional front‑of‑house receptionist to manage check‑ins/out, reservations, guest enquiries and front desk administration.
Hotel Receptionist job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Hotel Receptionist
About the role
[Hotel name] is looking for a friendly and reliable Hotel Receptionist to join our front‑of‑house team at [Location]. You will welcome guests, manage reservations and payments, handle enquiries by phone and in person, and coordinate with housekeeping and other departments to ensure smooth operations. This is a [full‑time/part‑time] role on a [shift pattern] basis. Salary: [Competitive/£x–£y].
Key responsibilities
- Welcome guests on arrival, manage check‑in and check‑out procedures and issue room keys.
- Take and confirm reservations by phone, email and online channels; update the property management system accurately.
- Process payments, handle cash and card transactions and record any extras or incidentals.
- Answer guest enquiries about hotel facilities, local services and directions; signpost to local attractions.
- Manage the front desk area — telephone, email inboxes and public information displays.
- Communicate with housekeeping and maintenance to coordinate room readiness and report issues.
- Resolve guest complaints and service issues promptly, escalating where necessary to management.
- Maintain accurate guest records, adhere to data protection requirements and follow check‑in verification procedures.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven customer‑facing experience, ideally in hospitality, retail or customer service.
- Clear spoken and written English and confident telephone manner.
- Basic numeracy for processing payments and reconciling takings.
- Comfortable using computers and common office software; able to learn property management systems.
- Ability to work shifts including evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
- Right to work in the UK and willingness to pass standard background checks where required.
Desirable
- Previous experience on a hotel front desk or using a property management system (PMS).
- Formal hospitality or customer service qualification.
- Additional spoken language(s) useful for international guests.
- Experience handling group bookings or corporate accounts.
- Familiarity with cash handling and end‑of‑day reconciliation.
- First aid training or knowledge of local emergency procedures.
What we offer
- [Competitive salary or hourly rate]
- [Holiday entitlement and public holiday arrangements]
- [Employer pension contribution]
- [Staff meals or subsidised food]
- [Discounted stays at company properties]
- [Training and progression opportunities]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Hotel Receptionist role?
A Hotel Receptionist manages the front desk, greeting and checking in guests, handling reservations and payments, and responding to enquiries. They coordinate with housekeeping and other departments to ensure rooms are ready and guest needs are met. Strong customer service, clear communication, accuracy with bookings and basic IT competence are central to the role.
Core duties
Check guests in/out, handle reservations, process payments and manage front desk communications.
Working pattern
Shift work is common — including early, late, weekend and bank holiday cover depending on the property.
Key skills
Customer service, clear communication, attention to detail, basic IT literacy and calm problem solving.
Typical Hotel Receptionist responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Welcome guests on arrival
Welcome guests on arrival, manage check‑in and check‑out procedures and issue room keys.
Take and confirm reservations by phone
Take and confirm reservations by phone, email and online channels; update the property management system accurately.
Process payments
Process payments, handle cash and card transactions and record any extras or incidentals.
Answer guest enquiries about hotel facilities
Answer guest enquiries about hotel facilities, local services and directions; signpost to local attractions.
Manage the front desk area — telephone
Manage the front desk area — telephone, email inboxes and public information displays.
Communicate with housekeeping
Communicate with housekeeping and maintenance to coordinate room readiness and report issues.
Resolve guest complaints
Resolve guest complaints and service issues promptly, escalating where necessary to management.
Maintain accurate guest records
Maintain accurate guest records, adhere to data protection requirements and follow check‑in verification procedures.
Hotel Receptionist skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven customer‑facing experience, ideally in hospitality, retail or customer service.
- Clear spoken and written English and confident telephone manner.
- Basic numeracy for processing payments and reconciling takings.
- Comfortable using computers and common office software; able to learn property management systems.
- Ability to work shifts including evenings, weekends and bank holidays as required.
- Right to work in the UK and willingness to pass standard background checks where required.
Useful where relevant
- Previous experience on a hotel front desk or using a property management system (PMS).
- Formal hospitality or customer service qualification.
- Additional spoken language(s) useful for international guests.
- Experience handling group bookings or corporate accounts.
- Familiarity with cash handling and end‑of‑day reconciliation.
- First aid training or knowledge of local emergency procedures.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Hotel Receptionist job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be clear about shifts and hours
State the expected rota, typical shift times and weekend or bank holiday requirements so candidates self‑screen early.
List truly essential requirements
Keep the essential section practical (customer service, IT competence, right to work) and move nice‑to‑have skills into desirable.
Describe the guest profile and property
Mention whether your hotel is budget, boutique, full‑service or part of a chain and the typical guest mix to set expectations.
Include training and progression
Candidates value clarity on induction, on‑the‑job training and opportunities to move into supervisory or other hospitality roles.
Give examples of day‑to‑day tasks
Short, specific examples (e.g. group check‑ins, night handovers, invoice reconciliation) help applicants assess fit.
Hotel Receptionist salary considerations
Hotel receptionist pay varies widely. Rather than a fixed market figure, consider the main factors that influence salary and how they apply to your vacancy.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Hotel Receptionist candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What are the exact shift patterns and rota arrangements?
Candidates will want to know start/end times, frequency of weekends and night shifts and how far in advance rotas are published.
How is pay structured and are there shift premiums or overtime rates?
Be clear about hourly rate or salary, overtime rules, paid breaks and any extra pay for bank holidays or unsocial hours.
What training and induction will be provided?
Detail initial training on the property management system, health & safety, emergency procedures and any ongoing development.
Is staff accommodation or travel support available?
If you offer staff rooms, transport allowances or parking, state this as it significantly affects candidate interest.
Are background checks or right‑to‑work checks required?
Explain that right to work verification is required and note any additional checks the employer undertakes for front‑of‑house staff.
Which systems and processes will the receptionist use?
Candidates appreciate knowing the property management system (PMS), payment terminals and booking channels they’ll be expected to use.
Where to post a Hotel Receptionist job
For a Hotel Receptionist role, combine broad UK job boards with hospitality‑specialist channels and local advertising. Use hospitality recruitment sites and college/university hospitality course boards for candidates with industry training, and local community or tourism boards if the property depends on local recruitment. Consider social media and targeted local job ads when the role requires immediate starts or offers staff accommodation.
Hotel Receptionist job description FAQs
Do Hotel Receptionists need formal qualifications?
No statutory qualifications are required. Employers typically look for customer service experience, basic IT skills and the right to work. Hospitality qualifications are helpful but usually desirable rather than essential.
How should I assess candidates during interview?
Use a mix of behavioural questions about guest service, a short role‑play (handling a difficult guest or a check‑in), and a practical test of basic numeracy and computer skills. Check references focused on reliability and customer contact.
What shift patterns are common?
Typical rotas include early and late shifts, split shifts and weekend coverage. Some hotels offer fixed part‑time patterns, others rotate staff across a weekly rota; clarity in the advert reduces mismatched expectations.
Are DBS checks necessary for front desk staff?
Most hotel reception roles do not require a DBS certificate unless the role includes regular contact with children or vulnerable adults. Standard right‑to‑work checks and reference checks are common.
How long does training usually take?
Basic induction and system training can take one to four weeks, with ongoing on‑the‑job coaching. Training requirements depend on the complexity of your systems and the level of responsibility in the role.
Ready to hire a Hotel Receptionist?
Use this template to draft your vacancy, customise the shift pattern and benefits, and distribute across general and hospitality‑specific channels. If you need support, consider multi‑board posting or specialist hospitality recruitment services.
