| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Hospitality |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Rooms Division Manager |
| Direct reports | Front Office Supervisor, Front Office Associate, Guest Relations Executive |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in front office |
Front Office Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Front Office Manager
Department: Hospitality
Reports to: Rooms Division Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Front Office Manager leads the reception and front desk of a hotel. They own check in and check out, room assignment, guest requests and the first and last impression a guest gets. The role reports to the Rooms Division Manager or Resident Manager and leads supervisors, associates and guest relations staff. A good Front Office Manager keeps queues short and welcomes warm, handles overbookings and complaints smoothly, and drives upselling and guest satisfaction at the desk.
Key responsibilities
- Lead front desk operations for check in, check out and room assignment.
- Ensure a warm, quick welcome and smooth departure for every guest.
- Manage room inventory, overbookings and upgrades with revenue in mind.
- Handle guest complaints and requests at the desk and recover service.
- Drive room and service upselling at the front desk.
- Roster and lead supervisors, associates and guest relations staff.
- Coordinate with housekeeping and reservations on live room status daily.
- Oversee guest billing, cash and foreign exchange at the desk.
- Maintain guest data, loyalty enrolment and privacy at reception.
- Train the team on standards, systems and service recovery.
Requirements
- Degree or diploma in hotel management
- Strong front office experience
- Front desk supervisory record
- 6 to 10 years in front office
KRAs and KPIs for a Front Office Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Guest satisfaction | Front office guest scores held above the agreed level |
| Check in speed | Average check in and check out time held within the standard |
| Upselling | Front desk upsell revenue meets the monthly target |
| Complaint recovery | Desk complaints recovered within the shift or agreed time |
| Billing accuracy | Front desk billing and cash errors held near zero each month |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Property management system, Channel manager, Key card system, MS Excel, Loyalty system.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Rooms Division Manager, Resident Manager, Hotel General Manager
Interview questions for a Front Office Manager
- How do you handle an overbooking at peak check in?
- How do you keep check in fast without losing the warm welcome?
- How do you drive upselling at the front desk?
- How do you recover a guest upset at check out over the bill?
- How do you coordinate room readiness with housekeeping?
- How do you train the desk team on service standards?
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What does a Front Office Manager do?
A Front Office Manager leads the reception and front desk of a hotel. They own check in and check out, room assignment, guest requests, upselling and the first and last impression. They handle complaints, manage overbookings, oversee billing and lead the desk team, reporting to the Rooms Division Manager or Resident Manager.
How does a Front Office Manager handle overbooking?
When rooms are overbooked, the Front Office Manager reassigns room types, uses upgrades where possible and, if needed, arranges a comparable hotel nearby with transport and an apology. Good managers spot the risk early from the arrival list and act before guests reach the desk, protecting the experience and the hotel's name.
What qualifications does a Front Office Manager need?
Most Front Office Manager roles ask for a degree or diploma in hotel management with strong front office experience and six or more years, including a supervisory record. Command of the property management system, guest handling under pressure and upselling matter most for the role.