Hotel and Motel Desk Clerk

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:

• 2006 NOC: Hotel Front Desk Clerks (6435) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Hotel Front Desk Clerks (G715) 
• 2011 NOC: Hotel front desk clerks (6525) 
• 2016 NOC: Hotel front desk clerks (6525) 

When new guests arrive, desk clerks:

• Welcome and register them
• Assign rooms and rates, and issue room keys or cards
• Provide information about services available in the hotel and in the community
• Verify customers' credit and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation
• Promote and sell guest rooms
• Respond to special requests

When guests check out, desk clerks:

• Review accounts with them
• Inquire about satisfaction with their stay
• Receive payment for accounts
• Balance cash accounts
• Advise housekeeping which rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning

Desk clerks also may:

• Keep an inventory of room reservations
• Respond to reservation inquiries
• Answer telephones and take messages
• Handle guest mail
• Record guest comments
• Deal with customer complaints or refer dissatisfied customers to a manager

In small hotels, desk clerks may have administrative responsibilities (for more information, see the Administrative Assistant profile). On night shifts, desk clerks may assume the duties of assistant manager, night cashier, concierge (manager of guest services) or night auditor.

In large hotels, front desk duties may be divided among several desk clerks.

Desk clerks work shifts that include nights, weekends and holidays. They must remain standing for most of their working hours.

In large hotels, employees who do not have related post-secondary education generally start in positions such as telephone operator, guest services attendant or cashier, and advance to desk clerk positions when they become available. Employment for desk clerks is steady and year-round except in summer hotels and resort operations. In some establishments, hours may be reduced during slower periods.

Desk clerks may advance to assistant front office and front office manager positions, particularly if they have related post-secondary education, or are willing to pursue it.

Hotel and motel desk clerks are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 6525: Hotel front desk clerks. In Alberta, people employed in this classification work in the Accommodation and Food Services [pdf] industry.

The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
• Trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Accommodation and Food Services industry)
• Location in Alberta
• Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
• Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
• Size of the occupation

In Alberta, the 6525: Hotel front desk clerks occupational group is expected to have an average annual growth of 1.9% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 58 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association website: www.ahla.ca

American Hotel and Lodging Association, Educational Institute website: www.ahlei.org

emerit website: emerit.ca

Tourism HR Canada website: tourismhr.ca

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