Hotel receptionist

You'd take room bookings and give guests the keys to their room when they arrive. You’d explain about the hotel’s facilities and services like where breakfast is served or when the gym is open.

You need to be friendly and professional at all times, be able to look after several things at once and always stay calm, sometimes under pressure.

You would:

• deal with bookings by phone, email, letter, fax or face-to-face

• complete the procedures when guests arrive and leave

• allocate rooms and give the keys to guests

• tell guests about hotel facilities and services

• take, and pass on, messages to guests

• deal with special requests from guests, like booking theatre tickets or storing valuable items

• provide information about the surrounding area

• prepare bills and take payments

• deal with complaints or problems

In most hotels, you'd use a computerised system to keep details of bookings and available rooms up to date.

You'd work as part of a team and you may be responsible for one area such as managing telephone reservations or guest departures (also known as checkouts).

In small hotels, your duties may include other tasks such as showing guests to their rooms and serving drinks in the bar.

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