Hotel Front Desk Resume: Writing Guide, Examples, Tips and more!

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As a Hotel Front Desk Agent, you’re used to dealing with room reservations and guests, but are you having trouble upgrading your job application into an interview? You can use our expert-written resume templates to create a 5-star application.

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The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the most developed in America. With more than 132,000 hotels in the US, the industry is on the rise, and scoring employment in this sector is a true race.

Whether you have a lot or a little experience as a hotel front desk agent, employees can struggle to land jobs in the industry. The likely culprit? A poorly executed resume.

Below is a detailed guide on how to write a resume for a hotel front desk receptionist. From practical examples to comparisons and useful tips to consider, let’s dive in.

The following is a promising hotel front desk agent resume.

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[Ada Junes]

[Hotel Front Desk Agent]

[Cincinnati, OH, 45201   | Cell: 444-444-4444|   adajunes@gmail.com]

Summary

Strategic hotel front desk agent with 10 years experience in the tourism and hospitality business. Successfully executes administrative tasks; comfortable high-energy, fast-paced environments. Proficient in various technology platforms and programs, as well as data entry and accounting duties

Experience

Hotel Front Desk Agent

The Lyle Hotel and Park
Cincinnati, Ohio

5/1/2019 – 11/5/2021

• Conducted booking, reservation, and departure tasks for 150-room hotel.
• Responded to guest requests in-person, on the phone, and via online chat system.
• Maintained active CPR and First Responder certificate to address emergencies.
• Successfully executed payment tasks in POS system and performed accounting duties for daily cash revenue of $17K.
• Communicated with guests in person, on the phone, and online.
• Created receptionist staffing schedule for five part-time employees, overseeing daily mentoring, as well as orientation training and onboarding.
  

Hotel Receptionist

Park Lane Hotel

Cincinnati, Ohio

9/1/2009 – 3/1/2011

• Registered guests reservations to maximize room revenue and occupancy.
• Provided each guest outstanding customer service and responded to requests quickly.
• Operated telephone switchboard and ensured that all hotel performance standards were met.
• Assisted Guest Relations Manager in marketing room rate specials and discounts on social media and the website.

Education

Master’s Degree – Management in Hospitality

Ohio State University

Cincinnati, Ohio

2020 – 2022

Bachelor of Arts – Hospitality and Tourism

Conel University

Ithaca, New York

2016 – 2020

Skills

Soft Skills 

• Clerical and administrative skills
• Data entry
• Customer Service
• Point of Sale Systems
• Billing and Accounting
• Communication

• Positivity and professionalism
• Teamwork
• Time management
• Organization
• Event Planning

Other

• Event Supplier Professional Certification
• Destination Management Certified Professional

When it comes to writing a resume, it’s best to first decide on a resume format. There are three types of resume formats:

• Reverse-chronological format – List your most recent experience first and work backward.
• Functional format – Focus on skills first and experience second.
• Hybrid format – Combine the reverse and functional format into one document.

Most hotel front desk resume templates use the reverse-chronological format because it leads with everything hotel employers look for in their future employees.

A functional format resume is sometimes a better option for those with less experience.

Before we jump into how to write a resume for a front desk hotel position, let’s skim through the duty alone. Front desk receptionists are the face of the hotel. They meet guests, schedule meetings, and communicate with staff and customers online, on the phone, or via email.

Regarding your resume, whatever a hotel front desk specialist does and can do should go in the resume summary or objective section

For those with experience in the position, a resume summary would be a more fitting choice.

If you don’t have the experience but have the skills and knowledge in the profession, a resume objective is a better option

Hotel Front Desk Resume Summary Example

If you’re an experienced hotel front desk employee, it is important to highlight your abilities, skills, and achievements in a summary. Make it eye-catching and info-rich, like so:

As for how not to do it, here is a sample to avoid:

A few more things to know when writing your summary when applying for work on a hotel front desk are: 

• Avoid generalized information – Be specific in your experience in various hotel environments and your ability to multi-task.
• Don’t get too descriptive – Brief summaries are easier to digest so stick to power verbs and keywords from the job description to support your claims  
• Use action verbs: Achieved, strategized, managed, solved, etc. – these action verbs send a precise message of what you can do as a professional.

How to Write an Entry-Level Resume Objective

Having no experience is not always the deal-breaker you think it is. If you structure your resume correctly, you increase the odds of scoring the job.

The good news is, employers look for more than just experience in potential candidates. If you lack experience in the position, avoid romanticizing your background and stick to what you can offer. Theories and strategies you learned at school, or work in a related field can all add value to your resume.

Example Resume Objective for Hotel Front Desk Jobs

Below, we point out 2 examples of how a resume objective should and shouldn’t look. 

This objective example lacks concrete information. And unfortunately many applicants make this same mistake when writing their own statements. 

(It also uses first-person language, which is a big resume no-no.)

Working in the business is much more than a burning desire you had since childhood. So, instead of taking the emotional route, focus on your skills, knowledge, and experience.

See, what we did there – a senior year student with a problem-solving mindset. This separates you from other candidates, shows your consideration for the guests, and your knowledge for key hotel operation strategies.

Even the best, most related industry experience requires strategic positioning to attract the attention of recruiters. If your resume appears messy, unorganized, or lacks focus, you’ll miss your shot.

Follow the steps below to create a satisfying experience section for a front desk hotel position.

• Reverse chronology – Formatting matters. Begin with the most recent job responsibilities and work backwards.
• Neatly state previous companies – Provide necessary information. State the previous employer’s name, your job role, the dates, and your career achievements.
• Add bullet points – Make it skimmable. Start with an action verb and describe each achievement in detail. 
• Be specific – Quantify each statement. Use numbers, figures, and results-driven language to describe how you managed a team or booked reservations.

Hotel Front Desk Resume: Experience Section Examples

Here are two examples of how to structure your experience section, and what to avoid when creating your resume for hotel front desk work.

The problem with this experience section is evident. Don’t use block structure in resumes. Instead, use bullet points and action verbs. Get specific where appropriate.

 

An Entry-Level Experience Section Example

You can still slay the resume even without experience. Use this example to pad your work entry and land an interview.

Keep in mind that other customer service work experience can relate to a hotel receptionist position, such as cashiers, customer service resprentatives, personal assistants, and store sales associates.

The example below shows how you can tie sales associate experience into a relevant hotel front desk resume.

Sales Associate

3/14/2017 – 5/1/2019

• Assisted a wide variety of customers with questions and pricing.
• Handled all payment transactions including cash, credit, and loyalty rewards.
• Maintained the sales associate employee scheduling calendar; created a cloud-based spreadsheet accessible by all employees to streamline communications and ensure constant coverage.
• Gained significant experience in guest relations, problem-solving, and time management.
• Adept in using various technologies and systems; able to learn new programs quickly.

In the hospitality industry, the guest experience trumps all else. Outside of hospitality, there are not a lot of college degrees that teach manners and data-entry.

So, you’ll need to get creative when listing your education. Here’s what you must know about the education section:

• Include the right information – Write your college or university name, graduation year, and your major and/or minors.
• Elaborate on extracurriculars – Emphasize relevant courses, club or associations joined, thesis projects created, etc.
• Don’t forget post-graduate details – Certifications, professional associations, or courses taken after school are also valuable.

The Education Section: Examples

The education section comes after the experience, and while it may not seem that relevant compared to the actual experience, you shouldn’t overlook it. Some hotel chains require even aan advanced degree of education, depending on the service. 

Here’s how to tackle the education section:

Quality education should hold some weight, so check if there are any typos or un-updated information before completing the section. 

Hotel front desk jobs require a candidate that could best represent the hotel. In other words, the best candidate should possess the following soft and hard skills.

The “Other” section of the resume is your final say or the closure of your working profile.

The market is full of hotel front desk employees, and only a selected few get in for a second interview. You can add additional conferences, certificates, volunteering, or any other achievement you have here.

Avoid unrelated ‘other’ notes in this section of the hotel front desk resume. 

Sample “Other” Sections for Hotel Front Desk Positions

Many applicants lose the chance to end their resume with a bang by dismissing the “Other” section.  The lower one-third of your resume can serve as a completion to your professional profile.

It typically lists any certificates you completed, any courses you took, and any hobbies you have.

This is a great section for listing any languages you know and can be fitting for applicants who lack experience in the field. 

If you really want to get the job, show your extra certifications, skills and hobbies like this:

Certifications:

• Cvent Supplier Professional Certification
• Destination Management Certified Professional

Languages: 

• Fluent in English, Spanish, and German  

Hobbies

• Video editing

Applying for a hotel front desk position requires careful contemplation. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Use reverse-chronological resume format (in most cases).
• Write each section separately; check for typos and keep a consistent style throughout
• Be transparent and clear—don’t sugarcoat or oversell yourself 
• Proofread your information. Make sure your contact information is correct, as well as your employer names, job titles, and education details.  
• Avoid generalized sentences and irrelevant information. Study the job description to determine what’s most relevant to an employer. 
• Elaborate on transferable skills and related experience if you lack hospitality or customer service experience.

Your resume already ticks all boxes of quality and more? Congratulations, you’re well set to apply for a job – from ResumeGiants, we wish you good luck!