Hotel Receptionist Resume | The Key to Landing the Job

A hotel receptionist is the first person you see when entering any hotel. It's not an easy job, but if you have what it takes to be one, our resume builder can assist you in creating the professional resume you need to become a hotel receptionist.

But if you want to start from scratch, we have different examples of receptionist resume. We'll discuss each part so you'll learn how to create your resume. Surely, you'll get your dream job in no time!

To start, we'll show you a good hotel receptionist resume.

How to Make a Hotel Receptionist Resume from Zero

Your hotel receptionist resume should showcase your experiences and skills that could wow the hiring managers. You need to be able to present them in a professional and personable manner. To do that, you need to have the basic contents of a resume.

A good resume format must have the following:

• Header
• Professional Summary
• Work Experience
• Skills
• Educational Background

Feel free to add other sections that boost your professional experience and skills. You can view our resume example or create your own using our resume builder.

Perfecting the Resume Format

Remember that hiring managers would first observe the overall look of your hotel receptionist resume. Before they get to read its content, you must catch their attention with how you prepared your resume format, layout, and structure.

You should use a readable and simple font style. Some common fonts used are Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri. Font size should be either from 10 to 11 only.

Present your experiences and skills in bullet points. Doing so makes it easier to read and comprehend. Apply headers to indicate the different sections and highlight important details.

For the layout, ensure that the whole document is left-justified except for one section. The header can either be left-justified or centered. That’s entirely up to you, depending on the design you’re aiming for.

When structuring your receptionist resume, there are three resume format types you can choose from. These are the following:

• Functional Format

The functional format features the skills you have more than the experience you've had. This format is best used when you have no experience as a hotel receptionist or any other similar position but have the relevant skills needed to work as one. This format is also recommended for those with gap years in their work history. Since the skills section will be the star of the resume, hiring managers would divert their attention to this rather than the gap.

• Chronological Format

In a receptionist resume written in chronological format, you're somehow telling a story of your career progression. This resume format is the best option if you have years of relevant experience in the same industry. For example, you could include how you advanced from being a desk staff to becoming the head hotel receptionist. You can show how your roles became more difficult along the way.

• Hybrid Format

The hybrid format, also known as the combination resume format, is the most commonly used resume format. It's a mix of functional and chronological formats. In this format, your skills are listed first, followed by your work experience as a hotel receptionist.

You can get more ideas with our receptionist resume example or our resume builder.

Make a Distinct Header

The header is seen at the top of your hotel receptionist resume. This section is vital since it contains your name and contact information. It's the easiest part to make, but some tend to go overboard in writing this part. Remember to keep it straightforward.

Most importantly, ensure that your contact information is updated and accurate if you want to nail that job. Hiring managers depend on this to reach out to you.

A direct header would look like this: 👇🏼

CORRECT

Jane Doe

Hotel Receptionist

100 W 31st St, New York, NY 10001

doejane@email.com | (532)545-5415

In the example above, you can observe that the first line is in a bigger and bolder font to highlight your name above all else. The header should also include your current position, complete residential address, email address, and contact number. If you have a professional social media account, such as LinkedIn, you may also include it. The format presented above is also optional. You may opt to write all information in a singular line.

⛔️ DO NOT write your header this way:

INCORRECT

Grace D. Smith

Hotel Receptionist

amazinggracesmith99@email.com

This latter example doesn’t portray professionalism and completeness. As you can see, there is no address and contact number indicated. In this case, how will the hiring manager contact you?

Another red flag is the email provided. At some point, we all thought it was cute to have emails similar to the sample, but employers disagree. Job seekers must secure a professional work email. It should contain only your first and last name or initials.

Here are examples of email formats you can provide: 👇🏼

• gracesmith@email.com
• smithgrace@email.com
• gdsmith@email.com

Detailed Hotel Receptionist Experience

While listing your work experiences, you need to be as specific as possible. Generalizing your professional history won't show the extent of your knowledge in specific tasks. Hiring managers should be able to see what you can bring to the table even before talking to you.

It's also suggested to research the job you're applying to. Often, these posts include the job description of the position you're interested in. The job description can help you tailor your resume. Use similar keywords posted in the job description in describing your work experience.

Good Examples of Hotel Receptionist Experience

In listing down your professional background, indicate the position, name of the company, and the dates you're employed with them. This information is vital because most hiring managers would ask for character references from your previous employers. Don't make this part up because lying in your resume would lead to serious consequences.

Here are the examples: 👇🏼

CORRECT

Hotel Receptionist

Refinery Hotel, October 2020-February 2022

• Greet guests upon entering hotel premises
• Assign rooms to incoming guests
• Handle guest check-ins and check-outs
• Answer telephone calls and in-person queries related to hotel amenities and services
• Follow special requests by tapping the appropriate department, such as maintenance staff

Front Desk Agent

The Manhattan Club, September 2019-October 2020

• Updated room availability promptly
• Answered phone calls about guest inquiries on hotel services and hotel offers
• Ensured that guests get the assigned or reserved rooms for them
• Educate hotel guests on using the secure deposit box
• Coordinate with housekeeping and maintenance staff to comply with guest requests

As seen in the examples above, the job experiences are well-described. Strong words such as coordinate, educate, handle, etc., are important. It shows that you're confident in the different tasks you've done.

If you don't have any experience as a receptionist, you can still include any history of working in the same industry. If you've worked part-time at local restaurants doing basic desk operations or serving multiple guests during business meetings, don't hesitate to include them. These experiences prove you've developed the fundamental skills needed in the hospitality industry.

Only include four to five descriptions; adding more will make your resume too wordy. Go straight to the point but don't forget to specify the actual tasks you've done to display the extent of your expertise in the field. Also, the hotel receptionist position comes in different names, and it's okay to put either in your resume.

Bad Examples

Below are examples of how not to write your Hotel Receptionist Experience section.

INCORRECT

Hotel Receptionist

• Handle guest accounts
• Provide guest services
• Assisted guests
• Monitored front desk operations
• Conducted administrative tasks like answering phones

Receptionist

• Answer incoming calls
• Monitor desk operations
• Safe keep office equipment
• Greet guests
• Track if guests arrive on time for check-in

Compared to the good examples, these experiences are not specific. By simply saying "assisted guests," you're not saying anything at all. What assistance did you provide? How would the hiring manager know what you're talking about? Keeping your descriptions vague won't help you land a job as a hotel receptionist.

Present Your Educational Background

Educational requirements differ depending on the employer. But generally, you can apply as a hotel receptionist with a high school diploma. There’s also an option to take the GED test when the diploma isn’t available.

Of course, if you’ve taken a hospitality degree, you can aim for higher positions and be a better candidate than the rest. Include any type of seminar and workshop you’ve attended related to the hospitality field.

The common format in writing this part is as follows: 👇🏼

• School name
• Location
• Duration of study (in year format)
• Distinction awards
• GPA (optional)

Below is an example of how to write your educational background: 👇🏼

Relevant Skills as a Hotel Receptionist

Although a charming personality and pleasant attitude could take you far as a hotel receptionist, it takes much more than that to be considered fit for the job.

Remember that hotel receptionists are the first point of contact between the hotel and clients, which means you should provide exceptional service at all times. You must also be efficient and accurate in dealing with guests.

Besides the required soft skills, you must also have basic knowledge of data entry. Each hotel has its system for creating reservations, monitoring booking appointments, and more. Although you will be trained for the system's navigation, it still helps if you're well-equipped with the fundamental skills to use them.

Here’s a list of skills you need to have when working as a front desk agent: 👇🏼

• Strong organizational skills
• Exceptional customer service skills
• Great verbal and communication skills
• Ability to deal with challenging situations
• Ability in multitasking
• Basic phone etiquette skills
• General knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Basic data entry skills
• Fluency in English

Writing a Professional Summary in a Receptionist Resume

This section comes right after the header. We've gone over the resume's different parts yet skipped this one. Why? Because the professional summary contains the outline of your overall resume.

You need to summarize your skills, experiences, achievements, and career objectives in just a few sentences. It will be challenging to shorten your entire career into one paragraph. You must identify which part of your career is the most significant. It's suggested to include numerical data in describing your accomplishments and history because the figures would show the impact of your contribution to the company.

A hotel receptionist resume must have a professional summary like this 👇🏼

CORRECT

Professional Summary

Hotel receptionist with five years of experience providing excellent customer service by engaging about 30-40 guests daily and managing front desk operations to deliver the utmost customer satisfaction. Seeking a lead receptionist role to share my expertise while working with a charismatic team.

As seen in the example above, a measurable quantity shows your daily efficiency in catering to guests. The words are also concise, showing confidence in your skills and experiences. Employers would immediately know what you're capable of upon hiring you.

⛔️ DO NOT write your professional this way:

INCORRECT

Professional Summary

Hotel receptionist. Five years of answering phone calls, managing guest complaints, and providing customer satisfaction. Applying as a hotel receptionist for your company.

Resume Objective

The professional summary is suitable for job seekers with a prior work history in the same industry. But what if you have no relevant job background? Or if you’re applying for your first job? Don’t worry! You can choose to replace it with a resume objective.

This information contains a clear intent of your career goals. It's a simple statement that explains your professional goals. When written correctly, your resume objective would show what you want to be in a few years and your willingness to contribute to the betterment of the company you're applying to.

Additional Sections for your Receptionist Resume

After your resume's essential sections, you may add other parts. Make sure that these additions further support your skills and experiences to prove that you're the best candidate for the job.

Granted, English is the universal language, but not everyone is capable of speaking it.

Certifications are also acceptable if you've been to different hospitality training and seminars. You can also include those you've received from software training, etc.

Tips to Improve Your Hotel Receptionist Resume

After going through the process of creating a winning professional resume, here are some other tricks you need to know.

• Be direct. Don't add unnecessary information and go straight to the point. Remember that hiring managers only take a few seconds to view your resume. Don't waste that time.
• Review and rephrase. After writing your resume, don't send it out immediately. Take some time off before going back to it. Review it the second time and look for anything that you can improve.
• Conduct research. Everything is on the internet. Take the time to research the position you're applying for. Tailor your resume to that specific role.
• Be honest. Above all else, keep your integrity. Lying about experiences and skills would probably land you that job, but not without facing severe consequences.

A Comprehensive Recap

Let’s review how to write the perfect hotel receptionist resume:

• Choose the best resume format and make your resume brief and classy.
• Make a short header with accurate and updated information.
• Describe the specific details of your work experience.
• Share your relevant hospitality skills.
• Indicate your academic background and successes.
• Wrap it up with a complete professional summary of your entire career.

Including a Cover Letter

If you’re wondering whether you should add a cover letter or not, here’s why you should.

Including a cover letter is the key to making your application seem personalized. You’re speaking directly to the hiring manager. It would showcase your sincere intent to apply and be part of the company.

A cover letter contains what you can offer to the company. It should be written in a business letter format, specifically for the hospital receptionist position you're applying for.

It should begin by stating the intent to apply for the vacant role, how you heard about this vacancy, and your current position. Then, it should be followed by your relevant skills and work history that proves you’re qualified for the job. And it should be concluded by stating how they should contact you.

A cover letter is not always necessary. If the job posting doesn’t explicitly say whether it’s required or not, always assume that it is and include it with your resume. On the flip side, if it does say not to submit one, follow the instructions. Sometimes, hiring managers do this to see if job seekers follow the rule.

If you’re planning to add one, you can see examples of our cover letter ideas here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the average pay of a hotel receptionist?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hotel receptionists' median hourly wage was $14.40 or $29,950 annually in May 2021💰

Should I include my photo in the resume?

Adding a photo to your resume could be a hit or a miss. If it's not indicated in the job posting, you have the option not to add it. If you're planning to include one, you must consider it carefully since it'll affect how the hiring manager perceives your resume. However, it is safe to attach a photo in a hospitality setting where looks matter.

• Your facial structures should be visible.
• Directly face the camera upon taking the photo.
• Ensure that your overall appearance is neat and proper.
• Wear business attire.
• Give your best, charming smile.
• Do not wear any accessories and keep it simple.

How long should my receptionist resume be?

Generally, a resume should only be a one-pager. It's to squeeze all the information into a single page but having too many pages is also a big red flag for hiring managers. Remember that when they view your resume, they'd like to see everything immediately. Screen the information in your resume and decide whether it has real value. But in instances when you can't fit in your most important credentials, the most you can do is extend it into two pages.