Travelodge night receptionist interview

Hi I have a interview at the travelodge for night time receiponisst wondering if anyone could help with any questions they might ask please

How brilliant. Well done

Well done you!

I hope your colleagues are good and you enjoy your time with TL.

If you are paying for nursery for three under threes that will cost more than you would earn the night before. If it’s a non nursery day how will your dh look after the children?

Good luck!

There's an app/website called Glassdoor. Search travelodge on there and employees / previous employees tell you what was asked in interviews and their opinions of the job etc

Glassdoor is for all job sectors so idk if travelodge will be on there but worth a look

Hi OP, I once worked as a day and sometime night receptionist at Premier Inn.
If it’s anything like PI, I expect you’ll NOT do laundry of sheets etc, but will carry laundry deliveries up to the linen rooms throughout the night on laundry delivery days, and maybe pop the housekeepers’ cloths in the wash or dryer. You’ll likely clean the reception area (anti bac spray and mop floor) and maybe restock breakfast supplies. Guests will come to you with questions, new towels, irons, more teabags etc.

You’ll be fine. The time will go quickly if you ‘break up’ your jobs to something each hour, you take some healthy, tasty food and plenty of fluids to drink and a book. Make sure you do little walks (which you’ll do anyway each hour to check for noise and rubbish outside guests’ rooms etc). That’ll stop you from nodding off at 3/4am!

I should say that the staff in all the TLs I used to stay in for work in pre-Covid times were uniformly pleasant, warm, and welcoming. They also had phenomenal memories for the preferences of regular visitors and made the overnights bearable.

One lovely reception lady made up an extra bed for us when I'd cocked up the room booking, could it be that kind of thing?

I interviewed for their night shift reception a few years ago for the same reason (great around childcare) but it actually turned out they wanted a mixture of shifts which changed week by week despite the adverts. Very frustrating after thinking I’d found good working hours

No vacuuming or cleaning typically, just sorting out late check ins/outs, room changes and problems that occurred, setting up for breakfast and making sure everything was ready for the early shift staff to arrive

I doubt it will involve cleaning and laundry, as you’ll need to be near reception most of them time incase any guests needs you.

I would understand the preparations for the next day to be things like reviewing who is checking in, what needs they have, allocating rooms, getting all of their key cards ready, adding breakfast vouchers to the right key wallets, maybe making sure that the rooms needing bassinets or put-me-up beds have them in ready if they’re not currently occupied, and of course buzzing in guests who have arrived back from their day out/night out late. Perhaps even packing the breakfast boxes for the next day, as I think Travelodges don’t always have a restaurant, so it’s usually a box with orange juice, cereal box, milk carton, pain au chocolat and a flapjack in it.

Good luck in interview

Cleaning.....ok....my sister and as teenagers stayed in one room whilst parents in another as family wedding...around 1am one of us...had a period issue so had to phone the reception for help. The nicest kindest lady came with new sheets and calmed two very worried teenager s. Thinking that situation and maybe drink sickness. Prepare breakfast

Best of luck with the interview

One of my friends sometimes works security at night in the one in our town, which is ‘naice’ and a MN favourite town. They have a lot of sex workers, noisy guests and rooms that are regularly fumigated. He did say that if any guests order food the restaurants send something for night staff too.

All the TL I have stayed in don't have any dining facility so not sure that sorting out breakfast is an issue. But agree with upthread - usually one person on reception with a mobile number to contact as they seem to be around and about doing things like checking towels in rooms, emptying bins etc. We've only stayed in small out of town ones and I have to say that all of the reception people have been great - helpful, pleasant etc. So maybe it's not a too horrible job if you pick the right TL

Our cards. We were in with the dog but werent that smelly

Good luck for your interview!

I expect your role would include cleaning the reception area and perhaps the restaurant area where breakfast is served and also setting up for breakfast in the morning. Perhaps also cleaning public toilets etc. With regards to laundry there might be a laundry room where they’d ask you to put through some laundry in the washer/dryer. Other than that general a night receptionist role would include doing a banking for that day’s takings, checking in late arrivals, possibly preparing bills for the morning.

Hope that helps!

I, too, work in hospitality (although not the night shift) as the hours I do actually help with working around childcare for my DS (3 yrs), so I get it. I also bloody love my job. 😊

Good luck, OP.

It depends which city it is but I've seen TL reception staff handle clean laundry (they're not servicing rooms), prepping the tables for breakfast service, setting up the coffee/tea and juice areas etc. If TL are no longer doing serve yourself buffet breakfasts maybe the duties have changed a little but I'd still think table prep. is part of it.

Night reception staff tend to be the ones running around when people realise that they don't have toothpaste or need a towel etc. and delivering it to people's rooms or answering queries about the nearest shops/takeaways that will still be open and whether it's safe to walk there. They will also be handling requests for extra teabags or sachets of hot chocolate like they're being asked to dispense gold dust.

I think you'd have to be prepared to do anything as you'd be the only staff member there on duty.

The reason I say that is that the last time I stayed in a Travelodge someone had had a diarrhoea incident in one of the lifts (not very pleasant but not their fault I don't think ie. not a drunken episode).

Anyway, the member of staff on duty in reception was the one that had to deal with it.

I remember at the time thinking that they must have to deal with all sorts of shit (no pun intended!)

I left glowing feedback for a Travelodge receptionist recently because she took just a few minutes to tell us about good local places to have dinner and breakfast. She knew times etc and it was just so helpful and made a real difference to our stay. Not sure if that’s at all helpful, but thought it was worth a mention.