How to hire hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Advise housekeeping staff when rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning. • Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels. • Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops. • Make and confirm reservations. • Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers. • Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary. • Transmit and receive messages, using telephones or telephone switchboards. • Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong speaking, active listening, monitoring and reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service, English Language, public safety and security and administrative • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $16.86 an hour ($35,070 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to advise housekeeping staff when rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to make and confirm reservations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks do
- Advise housekeeping staff when rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning.
- Greet, register, and assign rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
- Issue room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
- Make and confirm reservations.
- Post charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
- Record guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
- Transmit and receive messages, using telephones or telephone switchboards.
- Verify customers' credit, and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +1.8% over ten years, little or no change · about 35,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $59,110 |
| District of Columbia | $47,060 |
| Vermont | $44,940 |
| Washington | $40,460 |
| Massachusetts | $39,400 |
| Louisiana | $27,420 |
| Mississippi | $27,300 |
| West Virginia | $26,830 |
See hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Brokerage Clerks
- Correspondence Clerks
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- Customer Service Representatives
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- File Clerks
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
- Library Assistants, Clerical
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.