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Resume example

Hotel receptionist resume example

A hotel receptionist in France works the front desk in shifts: morning for check-outs and invoices, afternoon for arrivals, night for the audit.

Most of the day happens inside the property management system, where you assign rooms, apply rates from the booking engine and online travel agencies, and reconcile payments. With each guest you check the booking, take a card guarantee, hand over keys and explain breakfast times. Foreign guests fill in the individual police form required by French law, and every stay includes the local tourist tax (taxe de séjour), which you collect and explain. Between arrivals you answer emails, rebook guests when the hotel is overbooked, pass maintenance issues to the technician and brief housekeeping on early check-ins. At night, the receptionist is often alone in charge of the building.

Resume example

[First name Last name]

Hotel Receptionist, Bilingual French and English

[City] · [phone] · [email]

Profile

Front desk agent with [x] years in city and resort hotels, on day and night shifts. I handle arrivals, groups and overbookings calmly, run the night audit and keep online reviews in mind in every interaction. Fluent in French, English and [language].

Experience

Front Desk Agent, [Hotel name] ([x]-star, [x] rooms), [City]

[month year] to present

  • Welcomed and checked in [x] guests per shift, including groups and late arrivals
  • Ran the night audit two nights a week and closed the day without discrepancies
  • Handled overbooking situations by relocating guests to partner hotels and arranging transport
  • Replied to online reviews in French and English on behalf of the manager
  • Trained new receptionists on the property management system and check-in procedures

Resume headlines

  • Hotel Receptionist, Bilingual French and English
  • Front Desk Agent | Check-in, Reservations, Night Audit
  • Hotel Receptionist with Opera PMS Experience

Summaries for your profile

Entry level

Hospitality student in [programme] at [School], with an internship at the front desk of a [x]-star hotel in [City]. At ease on the phone in French and English and quick on booking software.

Experienced

Front desk agent with [x] years in city and resort hotels, on day and night shifts. I handle arrivals, groups and overbookings calmly, run the night audit and keep online reviews in mind in every interaction. Fluent in French, English and [language].

Career change

After [x] years as a flight attendant, I want to bring my guest service and language skills to a hotel front desk. I am used to irregular hours, handling complaints in several languages and following safety procedures.

Tips

  • Put your languages at the top with a real level, not just 'English'. Front desk recruitment in France often hinges on it.
  • Name the software you have used. Hotels appreciate not having to train you from scratch.
  • Give the hotel category and size for each job: a small boutique hotel and a large chain property are different worlds.
  • Say if you have done night shifts or night audit.
  • Mention upselling or reviews only with concrete examples.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Writing 'good communication skills' without listing languages and levels.
  • Omitting the software you know.
  • Leaving out shift patterns, which matter as much as experience.
  • Using a casual photo; hotels pay attention to presentation.

Working as a hotel receptionist in France

Search for réceptionniste, réceptionniste d'hôtel, employé de réception or, for night shifts, réceptionniste de nuit and night auditor (the English term is used in French ads). The job is not regulated. Usual French qualifications are the Bac techno STHR, the Bac pro Métiers de l'accueil, the Titre professionnel Réceptionniste en hôtellerie and the BTS Management en hôtellerie-restauration (option C, accommodation). Hotels must collect the tourist tax and have non-French guests fill in an individual police form. Most contracts follow the hotel and restaurant collective agreement (convention HCR), and a solid B2 in English is a common requirement in city hotels.

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Frequently asked questions

Is English enough to work at a French hotel front desk?

In some international hotels in Paris or on the Riviera, English carries a lot of weight, but you will still need French for local guests, suppliers, colleagues and emergencies. Aim for at least a conversational level in French, and state it honestly on your resume.

Should I include an internship as experience?

Yes. In French hospitality, internships (stages) are common and recruiters treat them as real experience. Give the hotel, the dates and what you actually did at the desk, so it does not look like observation only.

Is a night auditor job a good way in?

Often. Night positions are hard to fill, so hotels are more open to candidates with less experience. You learn the system, the closing and how to handle situations alone, which helps when you later apply for day shifts or assistant manager roles.

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