Hotel Front Desk Employee Resume Example & Template

Hotel Front Desk Employees check guests in and out of the hotel. They process payments and provide guests with information about the hotel’s offerings. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this job is expected to grow at 2%, especially as people get back to traveling! Top paying states for this job are Hawaii, DC, New York, Alaska, and Nevada. 

So, in order to secure your dream job at a dreamy resort, let’s polish your resume until it shines!

In this article, we’ll discuss

1. Which format is right for your resume
2. How to write a resume summary 
3. Describing your work experience
4. Listing your skills
5. Including your education 
6. Choosing the right template

Hotel Front Desk Employee Sample Resume 

Hotel Attendant, Hilton Resorts

• Processed and delivered messages for guests
• Retrieved mail and small packages for guests as requested
• Arranged and confirmed recreational, business, and dining activities both inside and outside the hotel for guests
• Responded to guest inquiries and requests and resolved issues in a timely, friendly, and efficient manner
• Promoted company marketing programs and distributed printed materials advertising hotel offering 
• Offered recommendations, reservations, and procurement of tickets for entertainment and restaurants
• Offered assistance coordinating transportation to and from the hotel to locations like the airport and local tourist destinations
• Conducted floral and gift coordination for guests and visitors 
• Partnered with the management team to develop monthly newsletters for the hotel property, advertising special deals, events, and hotel promotional packages
• Managed front desk, supervising 3 desk attendants
• Scheduled hotel tours for clients looking to book halls for special events
• Sent confirmation emails to guests with their hotel reservations
• Created and distributed personalized client welcome packets for those with special events in hotel banquet spaces
• Managed keycard activation and deactivation in line with key handling procedures

‍1. Choose the Right Format for a Hotel Front Desk Employee Resume

The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset. 

You have 3 main options for your resume:

1. Reverse-Chronological -- this is the most commonly used resume format. With this structure, place your most recent jobs first, followed by the next most recent job, and ending with your oldest position. 

Tip: only include jobs relevant to the position to which you’re applying, so leave out any former jobs that don’t fit. For example, include prior work experiences like barista or concierge since these experiences show that you can handle cash and credit card transactions and serve customers.  

2. Functional -- this format is best for people who have been out of the workforce for a while, perhaps because they had to care for children or an elderly parent. This format will have headers like “Customer Service” and “Administrative Support” with their respective skills listed in bullet points below. At the very end of the resume, include a brief snapshot of your work experience.  

Tip: Read our advice on How to Explain Employment Gaps on a Resume. 

3. Hybrid / Combination -- this format is a mix of both Functional and Reverse-Chronological. It provides more detailed work experience descriptions that would typically be seen in the latter, while still offering a bulleted list of skills.  

Tip: When in doubt, choose the Reverse-Chronological resume format. For more details, check out our guide on How to Write Your Resume in Reverse-Chronological Order. 

For a Hotel Front Desk Employee, hiring managers want to glance at your resume and get a sense of the following:

• Customer service skills
• Computer savviness and experience with POS (point of sale) systems
• Enthusiasm and an ability to communicate  

The best format for a Hotel Front Desk Employee is either the Reverse-Chronological resume format or the Functional Resume format. This former shows the trajectory of your career -- how you’ve grown professionally and expanded your work experience and knowledge base. The latter, the Functional Resume format, shows employers your skills and abilities. 

 2. Write a Strong Hotel Front Desk Employee Resume Summary

Did you know that employers only look at your resume for an average of six seconds?

Including a resume summary is one of the best ways for you to succeed in that short glance.

But first --- what is a resume summary?

A resume summary is one or two sentences at the top of your paper that summarizes your entire resume. It’s the punch line that gets the resume reviewer wanting to know more.

For a Hotel Front Desk Employee career, include the following points in your summary

• The amount of time you’ve worked in the service industry X
• An adjective or two conveying your personality, such as “hospitable,” “friendly,” “personable” or “passionate” 

Here is an example of a bad resume summary: 

Experienced front desk assistant with guaranteed results in improving guest satisfaction.

This is a bad resume summary because it’s vague -- what does “experienced” mean? And because you aren’t showing what “guaranteed results” entails. Does it mean you see the guests again and again because they're satisfied with your customer service abilities? Does it mean you’re constantly praised by your superior for providing excellent service?

Here is an example of a good resume summary: 

Friendly and hospitable front desk attendant with 3 years of experience providing excellent guest service. Awarded Employee of the Year twice for demonstrated success in ensuring guest satisfaction. Seeking a position with upward mobility to Front Desk Supervisor in order to serve guests with even greater ability.  

This is a good resume summary because it shows how long you’ve been working in the service industry, and it gives an idea of your personality. You’ve also quantified your skills by stating that you’ve been awarded for your customer service abilities (more on this below). Lastly, the resume summary has an objective -- that you want a position with upward mobility.

A Resume Objective tells the employer what kind of position you are seeking. 

While this is certainly optional, it can help employers understand what you want from them and what you can offer. Put another way, a resume objective clarifies your intentions to employers. Plus, it can help to show why you are a good fit for the job.

For more information, checkout our guide on How to Write a Killer Resume Summary. Or, browse our Resume Summary Examples. 

3. Describe Your Work Experience as a Career

The next step to drafting your resume is to list your work experience. This includes the name of your position (See: The Right Way to List Job Titles on a Resume), the name of the location at which you worked, and the length of time in which you worked. 

Furthermore, write your resume experience in a way that anyone in your industry will understand. Don't use company-specific language.

For example, let’s say you worked at a place that called cash registers “advanced payment systems.” Not everyone is going to know what this means, so it’s best to stick with the common name, otherwise a hiring manager may not know what you’re talking about, and if the manager is confused, they’re more likely to throw out your resume and move onto the next.    

You should also quantify your resume whenever possible. This means adding a number -- such as a dollar amount or percentage -- to your accomplishments. Quantifying your resume gives the hiring manager a more concrete idea of your workplace performance. For example, say that you “trained 3 employees,” “improved guest satisfaction by 20% according to hotel reviews” or “saved the hotel $30,000 by ensuring accurate booking procedures to prevent unnecessary refunds.”   

Tip: One way to quantify your resume is by listing your accomplishments and awards. 

We did this in the earlier resume summary, where it stated you were awarded “Employee of the Year” for your customer service abilities. Anytime you’ve been recognized by your workplace or manager, you should mention it, as this too offers a concrete idea of your skillset and performance. 

For more information on how to format your work experience, check out our guide on How to Describe Work Experience. 

Don’t have any work experience? We have a guide for Writing a Resume with No Work Experience!

4. List Your Skills

Skills show the hiring manager what you can do for the company -- without taking up too much space in the “work experience” part of your resume.

There are two types of skills -- soft and hard. “Soft” skills are those that are not quantifiable and are more indicative of your personality. Examples include leadership, problem-solving, and communication. In contrast, “hard” skills are those that are learned through formal education. Examples include computer technology, programming and foreign languages, and certifications.  

Hotel Front Desk employees generally need more soft skills than hard skills, since they’ll learn the latter while on the job. 

Relevant Soft Skills

• Communication
• Compassion
• Enthusiasm 
• Problem-Solving
• Teamwork 
• Hospitality 
• Customer Service
• Organization
• Guest Accommodations and Experiences

Relevant Hard Skills

• POS (point of sale) Systems
• Hotel Booking
• Reservation Management
• Brand Management
• Vendor Interaction
• Strategic Planning and Analysis
• Policy Adherence 

Tip: When completing this section on your resume, review the employers’ job requirements. Try to incorporate some of the language they use. For example, if the job description states they need someone who has “exceptional communication skills, good organizational skills, and the ability to work independently and within a team,” then be sure to include some of these keywords. List “Communication” and “Organization” under the skills section. 

Tip: If you’re multilingual or certified in CPR and First-Aid, include these under your skills section! It will definitely impress employers and set you apart from the crowd. 

If you’re adding a language to your resume, be sure to specify if you're fluent, intermediate or a beginner in the language. This will show hiring managers just how well you know the specific language.

If you want a more complete list of skills, read our guide on 100+ Key Skills for a Resume in 2021 with Examples for any Job.

5. Include an Education Section 

Hotel Front Desk Employees do not need a formal education. Most employers would prefer that you have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. However, if you’re looking to move up in the workplace hierarchy, to a managerial position, then an associate’s or bachelor's degree may be necessary, such as one in Hospitality Management or Business Administration. 

When writing your education section, be sure to include:

• The name of the school — "e.g. Aurora High School"
• The location of the school
• Your degree (high-school diploma, GED, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, etc.)
• Graduation year (if applicable)
• Major field or department of study (if applicable)
• Minor field or department of study (if applicable and relevant)
• GPA (If you're a student or graduates who held lower GPAs, this bit of information may be good to omit unless specifically requested by the employer)

Still uncertain on what to include in this section? Review our guide on How to List Education on Your Resume in 2021. 

6. Pick the Right Template

Now it’s time for the fun part -- picking the aesthetics of your resume! 

Here at EasyResume, we offer several different templates. 

• Academic: these resumes are professionally structured with minimal aesthetics in order to provide a clear and concise glimpse of your experiences. This is best for current students or those looking to pursue a career in an academic field as a researcher or teacher. 
• Creative: these resumes are bold and colorful with eye-catching fonts to help you stand out from the crowd. This is best for those in creative fields like marketing and art. 
• Elegant: these resumes are contemporary and stylish in a way that highlights you and your experiences. This is best for those in fields that prefer austerity, such as the healthcare and finance industries. 
• Modern: these resumes have sleek designs that are fresh and bold with tasteful fonts and clean lines. This is best for individuals applying to startups or to companies with a young audience or product.
• Professional: these resumes have a clean, crisp look that incorporates only one or two accent colors. The focus is solely on the text, pulling the recruiter into your experiences and accomplishments. This is best for individuals applying to straight-laced companies that mandate a suit-and-tie dress code.  

Your resume template should reflect the job to which you’re applying. For a Hotel Front Desk Employee, try a Modern, Simple or Professional format. These will showcase your skills and customer service abilities in a clear, straightforward fashion. 

If you want to create your own template, read how with our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Create a Resume Template in Microsoft Word. 

7. Takeaways

We’ve done it! Almost. 

Now it’s time to get down to business -- actually creating the resume. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Research the job description to locate keywords, and use these keywords in your work experience and skills sections
• Use a Reverse-Chronological or Functional resume layout
• Write your resume summary, including the length of time you’ve worked in the service industry and an adjective or two conveying your personality 
• Include your education 
• Write your experience section in a way that any outsider could understand. Talk more about the how and why of your responsibilities. Quantify your results.
• Pick a resume template that fits the position to which you’re applying, such as Modern, Simple or Professional

Start from our resume example to save time.

Good luck with the interview that is sure to come your way!