What do hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks do?
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests' accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
This describes a U.S. occupation, not a live vacancy. Individual employers may use different titles and requirements.
Job titles to recognize in your search
O*NET reports these titles for this occupation. Compare the responsibilities in each posting before treating titles as equivalent.
- Desk Clerk
- Front Desk Agent
- Front Desk Associate
- Front Desk Attendant
- Front Desk Clerk
- Front Desk Receptionist
- Guest Service Representative (GSR)
- Guest Services Agent (GSA)
Core tasks to compare with a job posting
- Make and confirm reservations.
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation.
- Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
- Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
- Advise housekeeping staff when rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning.
- Transmit and receive messages, using telephones or telephone switchboards.
- Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
- Keep records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers.
- Perform bookkeeping activities, such as balancing accounts and conducting nightly audits.
Prepare an application for this occupation
- Check the employer’s requirements, location, schedule and any licenses against your situation.
- Choose two or three tasks above that match the posting and your actual experience.
- Build a resume evidence worksheet using the skills and software relevant to that employer.
- Practice explaining your contribution, decisions and results before an interview.
Ready to plan your search?
Start with hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks as your target. You can change your role in the quiz and tell us your location and work preferences.