Hotel Front-Desk Essentials Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: Check-in and check-out

The front desk is the first and last place a guest sees, so it sets the tone for the whole stay.

Greeting guests

Acknowledge every guest within a few seconds. Smile and make eye contact. If you are on the phone when a guest walks up, signal that you have seen them, for example with a nod or a small wave, and finish the call as soon as you can.

A check-in routine

1. Greet the guest and ask for the name on the reservation.
2. Ask for photo ID and check that it matches the name on the reservation.
3. Confirm the departure date, number of guests, room type and rate. Fix any mistake now, not at check-out.
4. Take the payment method and explain any pre-authorization hold.
5. Make the keys. Write the room number on the key folder and point to it. Do not say the room number aloud.
6. Give key information: Wi-Fi, breakfast hours, check-out time and where the elevators are.
7. Ask if they need anything else and wish them a pleasant stay.

Count the stay in nights, not days. Subtract the arrival date from the departure date. A guest who arrives on October 14 and leaves on October 17 stays 3 nights. If the dates on the booking do not match what the guest says, check whether the change is possible before you promise it.

Holds on cards

Many hotels place a pre-authorization hold on the guest's card at check-in. A hold sets aside an amount to cover the room and incidentals, such as parking or room service. It is not the final bill. After check-out, only the actual charges are billed, and the card issuer (the guest's bank) controls how long it takes for the hold to disappear. Explain this simply, because guests often think they were charged twice.

Early arrivals and late check-outs

Never send a guest to a room that has not been cleaned and inspected. If a guest arrives early and no room is ready, offer to store their luggage and take a phone number so you can call when the room is ready. If a guest asks for a late check-out, check whether the room is needed for an arriving guest and what your hotel's policy says. Explain any fee before the guest decides.

Check-out

The folio is the guest's account. It lists every charge (room, taxes, restaurant, parking) and every payment. At check-out, ask about the stay, then review the folio with the guest and ask if all the charges are correct before you take the final payment.

With express check-out, the guest leaves without stopping at the desk, and the final folio is sent by email. If a guest wants to leave bags after check-out, store them in the luggage room and give a claim ticket, so the right bags go back to the right person.

Themaquiz 1: Check-in and check-out

Lesson 2: Reservations, rates and deposits

Clear details at booking prevent most problems at check-in.

Taking a reservation

• Guest name (ask how to spell it) and contact details
• Arrival and departure dates, and the number of nights
• Number of guests and room type
• Rate, and what it includes
• How the booking is guaranteed (card or deposit)
• Special requests, such as a crib or a high floor
• The cancellation policy

Before you end the call, read the details back to catch mistakes, and give a confirmation number.

Guarantees, no-shows and deposits

A guaranteed reservation is secured with a credit card or a deposit. The hotel holds the room all night, even for a very late arrival. In return, if the guest does not come and does not cancel, they may be charged under the policy, often for the first night. A non-guaranteed reservation is held only until a set time, such as 6 p.m. After that, the room may be released. A guest who never arrives and never cancels is a no-show.

A deposit is money paid before arrival. Subtract it from the room total to find what is left to pay: 2 nights at $160 is $320, so after a $100 deposit, $220 is left.

Rates and rate rules

Hotels sell many rates, such as corporate, group, package and prepaid non-refundable rates. Each has rules about changes and cancellations that the guest accepts when booking. If a guest on a non-refundable rate wants to cancel, check the rules, explain them kindly and offer any option the policy allows. Only a manager can approve an exception.

Changing a booking

When a guest wants to add, remove or move nights, check availability and the rate for each new night, because rates can change from night to night. Confirm the new total and send an updated confirmation. Check the rate rules too: some rates allow free changes up to a deadline, such as 48 hours before arrival.

If the hotel is oversold and a guaranteed guest arrives to find no room, the manager decides, under hotel policy, how to find them a comparable room nearby. This is sometimes called walking a guest.

Quoting honest prices

The Competition Bureau explains that advertising a price buyers cannot actually pay, because of fixed extra fees they must pay, is called drip pricing and is treated as false or misleading. Only amounts imposed by government, such as sales tax, can be left out. So when you quote a price, include every mandatory fee. For example, $139 a night plus a mandatory $20 facility fee is ($139 + $20) × 2 = $318 for 2 nights, before taxes.

Taxes: an Alberta example

Taxes depend on the province. The Canada Revenue Agency lists GST/HST rates by province. In Alberta the GST is 5% and there is no PST, so the GST on a $300 room charge is $15. In Ontario, HST is 13%.

The Government of Alberta also charges a tourism levy on short-term accommodation. It is 6% of the purchase price for accommodation booked after March 31, 2026 (4% before that). The purchase price includes certain added charges, such as pet, cleaning, extra-bed and booking or service fees. Some stays are exempt or excluded, such as lodging occupied continuously for 28 days or more.

Themaquiz 2: Reservations, rates and deposits

Lesson 3: Room assignments and guest requests

Room status

The hotel's system shows each room's status. Codes differ between hotels.

Assign only rooms that are clean and inspected. Never give out a room that is occupied or out of order.

Choosing the right room

• Match the room type the guest booked first.
• Keep accessible rooms for guests who need them, and assign them to those guests.
• For families, look for connecting or side-by-side rooms, and note the request.
• Requests such as a high floor or a quiet room are noted and met when possible. Do not promise what the booking does not guarantee.

Guest requests

When a guest asks for something, such as towels, pillows or a repair, you own the request until it is done or clearly handed over. Log it, pass it to the right department, give the guest a realistic time and then follow up.

For a wake-up call, record the guest's name, room and time, then read the time back to confirm it.

Accessible service

Rules differ by province. Ontario's accessible customer service guidance is one example. It says there are no restrictions on the type of animal that can be a service animal. An animal is a service animal if it is easy to identify, for example by a vest or harness, or if the person has documentation from a regulated health professional. Welcome service animals into public areas, and do not touch or talk to them, because they are working.

The same guidance says that when an accessibility feature, such as an elevator, is out of service, you should post a public notice with the reason, how long it will last and any alternatives. If a fee applies to a support person, it should be clearly disclosed in advance.

Themaquiz 3: Room assignments and guest requests

Lesson 4: Complaints, service recovery and payment errors

Service recovery means turning a bad experience into a good one.

Steps for handling a complaint

1. Listen to the whole story without interrupting.
2. Show you understand how the guest feels.
3. Apologize for the experience, without blaming anyone.
4. Offer a solution that is within your authority, and say when it will happen.
5. Follow up to make sure the fix worked.
6. Record the complaint in the log so the next shift and managers know.

For example: "I'm sorry your room wasn't ready for you. Let me fix this right away." Avoid blaming housekeeping, doubting the guest or saying "That's not my department." Say "Let me find out for you" instead.

Know your authority

Learn what you are allowed to offer, such as a room move or a small adjustment. When a guest asks for more, such as a refund for the whole stay, tell them you will get the manager on duty, and stay polite and helpful while you wait.

For a noise complaint, thank the guest, note the room, contact the noisy room as your policy says and call the guest back.

Payment errors

Common folio errors are a wrong rate, a charge posted to the wrong room, and charges for things the guest did not use. Compare the folio with the reservation. Apologize, check the record (for example the minibar record) and correct real mistakes as your policy allows. Do not argue, and do not remove charges that are not in question. Give the guest a corrected folio.

A guest may see two amounts in online banking: a pending hold from check-in and the final charge. The hold is not a second charge. Only the final amount is billed, and the card issuer decides how long the hold takes to disappear.

If a card is declined, tell the guest quietly and privately and ask for another way to pay. Never announce it in front of other guests.

Themaquiz 4: Complaints, service recovery and payment errors

Lesson 5: Guest privacy, keys and card security

Room numbers and guest information

Never give a guest's room number to anyone, not to a caller, a visitor, a delivery driver or someone who says they are family. If your hotel does not confirm whether someone is staying, do not confirm it. Offer to take a message instead. Keep deliveries at the desk and tell the guest.

Lost keys

Before you make a replacement key, ask for photo ID and check that it matches a registered guest for that room. Knowing the room number proves nothing. If you cannot verify the person, do not make a key. Follow your policy, such as contacting the registered guest or calling security. On many electronic lock systems, a new key stops older keys from working, so tell the guest the lost key will no longer open the door.

Privacy law

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) explains that PIPEDA covers private-sector organizations that handle personal information in commercial activity. Personal information is any factual or subjective information, recorded or not, about an identifiable individual, such as a name or an ID number. Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec have their own private-sector laws that the OPC calls substantially similar.

PIPEDA has 10 fair information principles. Three matter every day at the front desk: consent, limiting use and disclosure and safeguards. In practice, lock your screen when you step away, keep registration cards and ID out of sight, and never read guest details aloud.

Card security

The PCI Security Standards Council publishes a guide to safe payments for small merchants. Its advice for the front desk:

• If you don't need card data, don't store it.
• If a guest emails card details, you can process the payment, then delete the email right away. Do not send the card details back in a reply.
• Shred card data you don't need. If you must keep paper with card data, black it out with a thick marker and lock it away.
• Check card terminals for tampering, such as broken seals. If you suspect tampering, don't use the terminal and call the vendor or merchant bank.
• Use your own login and never share passwords.

Watch for scams. A caller who says they are from computer support and asks for your password is not real support. Refuse, end the call and tell your manager.

Themaquiz 5: Guest privacy, keys and card security

Lesson 6: Safety, emergencies, escalation and handover

Fire safety

Front-desk staff are often part of the hotel's fire safety plan. The B.C. Fire Code is one example. Its plan covers emergency procedures (sounding the alarm, calling the fire department and evacuating occupants, including people who need help), staff duties, training and fire drills, and must be reviewed at least every 12 months.

• Fire safety rules showing the exits and the routes to them must be posted in each hotel and motel bedroom.
• Supervisory staff must be trained in the fire emergency procedures before they are given any fire safety duties.
• Fire drills for supervisory staff must be held at intervals of no more than 12 months.

During an alarm, follow the plan, tell guests to leave by the nearest exit and not to use elevators, and have the list of guests who told you they need help to evacuate ready for the fire department.

Medical emergencies and danger

If a guest collapses or is not breathing normally, call 9-1-1 right away, give the hotel's address and send someone to meet the paramedics at the door. If a person shouts or comes close to you, stay calm, keep a safe distance (keep the desk between you if you can) and call security or the manager. Call 9-1-1 if anyone is in danger.

If you see signs of possible human trafficking, call 9-1-1 if someone is in immediate danger. Otherwise, you can call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010. It is confidential and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Escalating to a manager

Call the manager on duty right away for threats, injuries, safety risks and anything beyond your authority. When you escalate, give the facts: who, what, when, what you have already done and what you need.

Shift handover

A handover log passes information from one shift to the next. Write facts, not opinions. Include open requests and complaints (with owner and follow-up time), out-of-order rooms, late arrivals, equipment problems and safety incidents. Never write card numbers, gossip or personal opinions in the log.

Themaquiz 6: Safety, emergencies, escalation and handover