Do I need hotel experience to apply?

Not always. Reception, customer service and hospitality experience all transfer well. Show that you can be welcoming and accurate with bookings and payments.

Which skills matter most for a hotel receptionist?

Clear communication, care with details and staying calm with guests who are tired or frustrated. Give one short example of each.

Should I mention night shifts?

Yes, if you can work them. Hotels run around the clock, so say which hours you can cover.

Hotel receptionist CV example

A strong hotel receptionist CV shows a warm, tidy first impression and accurate work with bookings, payments and guest requests. It should mention the booking systems you have used, the hours you can work and how you stay calm when a guest is unhappy.

Louis Martin

Hotel receptionist

Profile

Welcoming and organised hotel receptionist with three years of experience checking guests in, taking bookings and solving problems at the front desk of a busy city hotel. Confident with booking systems, card payments and phone enquiries, and able to stay calm when several things happen at once. Comfortable with early, late and weekend shifts.

Experience

Hotel Receptionist

a 60-room city-centre hotel

Checked guests in and out, took payments and gave directions and local recommendations

Answered phone and email enquiries and made room bookings on the hotel's reservation system

Dealt with complaints politely, offering a solution or passing the issue to the duty manager

Passed room updates to housekeeping so rooms were ready for early arrivals

Cashed up at the end of each shift and left clear handover notes for the next receptionist

Guest Services Assistant

a small seaside guest house

Welcomed guests, carried bags and showed them to their rooms and the breakfast room

Took breakfast orders and helped serve on busy mornings

Answered the phone and kept the booking diary up to date

Explained the fire exits and evacuation routes to guests on arrival

Example · fictional candidate · Editorial design · Use this design

Tips for a hotel receptionist CV

Name any booking or property systems you have used, if you know them
Show your communication style, such as a clear phone manner and politeness when guests are tired or upset
Give one example of solving a problem, such as a double booking or a late arrival
Mention any languages you speak, since some guests will not have English as a first language
Include the night shifts, early starts and weekend work you can do
Keep the CV neat and accurate, as a receptionist is expected to be careful with details

Applying with a cover letter? See our hotel receptionist cover letter example.