Hotel Receptionist CV template (UK, 2026)
Hotel Receptionist CVs are screened primarily on PMS software fluency, since a hotel needs someone who can check guests in and out with minimal training on their specific system, whether that's Opera, RoomMaster, or a similar platform. UK employers also weight cash handling accuracy, upselling of room upgrades, and guest complaint resolution heavily, as these directly affect revenue and review scores.
Hotel Receptionists: pay and who’s hiring
Hotel Receptionists in the UK typically earn between £20,000–£26,000 depending on experience, location, and shift patterns. Employers actively recruiting for this role include Marriott, IHG, Hilton, Premier Inn, Travelodge. Tailoring your CV to each of these employers’ job descriptions — mirroring their exact wording — is what gets you past the ATS and in front of a hiring manager.
Keywords this template targets
- Opera PMS
- check-in
- check-out
- concierge
- upselling
- guest experience
- front desk
- cash handling
Certifications to highlight
- Opera PMS familiarity
- Food Hygiene Level 2 (some)
- Customer service NVQ
Personal statement example
Hotel Receptionist with two years' front desk experience in a 120-room branded hotel, confident managing check-in/check-out on Opera PMS, cash and card reconciliation, and guest complaint resolution. Regularly upsold room upgrades and late check-outs, contributing to ancillary revenue targets.
Example experience bullet points
Adapt these to your own roles — keep the verb-first structure and swap in your real figures.
- Managed check-in and check-out for up to 80 arrivals per shift using Opera PMS, maintaining accurate guest records
- Reconciled cash and card takings at shift end, identifying and resolving discrepancies before handover
- Upsold room upgrades, breakfast packages, and late check-outs, contributing to ancillary revenue targets
- Resolved guest complaints at first point of contact, escalating to duty manager only when necessary
- Coordinated with housekeeping and concierge teams to ensure timely room turnaround during peak occupancy
Section-by-section structure
- Personal summary — three sentences, lead with role + years + a measurable result.
- Key skills — 8–10 bullets, mixing the keywords above with one transferable soft skill.
- Certifications — bullet each credential with the awarding body and year.
- Experience — reverse chronological. Each role gets 3–5 bullets, each bullet starts with a verb and ends with a number where possible.
- Education — institution, qualification, year. Skip A-Level / GCSE detail if you have 5+ years of experience.
Common hotel receptionist CV mistakes
- Not naming the specific PMS software used (Opera, RoomMaster, Protel), which is often the first filter a hotel applies when shortlisting
- Leaving out cash handling and reconciliation experience, since front desk roles are trusted with daily takings
- Describing the role only as 'answering phones and greeting guests' without mentioning upselling, complaint handling, or occupancy figures
Frequently asked
Do I need previous hotel experience to become a receptionist in the UK?
Not always — many hotels will train on their specific PMS if you have strong customer service and cash handling experience from another sector, though naming any hospitality, retail, or call-centre background helps show you can work under pressure with the public.
What is PMS experience and why do hotels ask for it specifically?
PMS stands for Property Management System, the software used to manage bookings, check-in/out, billing, and room status. Naming the exact system you've used, such as Opera, tells a hotel how much retraining you'll need and can be a decisive factor over a candidate with none.
What ATS keywords matter most for a hotel receptionist CV?
The strongest signals are: Opera PMS, check-in, check-out, concierge, upselling, guest experience, front desk, cash handling. Include them in your skills section AND in the body of role descriptions — ATS systems weight contextual mentions higher than skill-list entries.
Should I add Opera PMS familiarity to my CV even if it's just in progress?
Yes — list it clearly with "(in progress, expected [date])". Employers screen-out CVs missing the credential entirely; partial credit is normal when the path is visible.
How long should a hotel receptionist CV be in the UK?
Two pages, ideally. For roles with under five years of experience, a single tight page outperforms a padded two-pager. Recruiters spend 6–8 seconds on the first scan.
See live hotel receptionist jobs by city
- Hotel Receptionists in London
- Hotel Receptionists in Manchester
- Hotel Receptionists in Birmingham
- Hotel Receptionists in Leeds
- Hotel Receptionists in Glasgow
- Hotel Receptionists in Liverpool
- Hotel Receptionists in Bristol
- Hotel Receptionists in Sheffield
- Hotel Receptionists in Edinburgh
- Hotel Receptionists in Cardiff
- Hotel Receptionists in Newcastle upon Tyne
- Hotel Receptionists in Nottingham
- Hotel Receptionists in Southampton
- Hotel Receptionists in Reading
- Hotel Receptionists in Coventry
- Hotel Receptionists in Leicester
- Hotel Receptionists in Brighton
- Hotel Receptionists in Milton Keynes
- Hotel Receptionists in Belfast
- Hotel Receptionists in Aberdeen