Travelodge night receptionist interview

[mumjustmum]

Hi,

Just wondering if there's anyone out there who can advise me what to expect please from an inner city travelodge night receptionist role please?
It's advertised as 11-7 four nights a week, and I expect to do cleaning and laundry... but can I ask how much?
Any interview tips please?
I'm going to ring a couple of travelodges tonight in random cities to ask them about their role, but I'm asking here too

@Hellocatshome you obviously don't/didn't have a husband who works from home and kids in nursery three days a week then?

When will you sleep OP!?

@petshihtzu @Mmmmdanone oh god I feared this! Thank you Both x

Ah. Cross post. That makes sense!

Apologies for my ignorance.

@INeedNewShoes thank you x

Not TL but at premier inn a night Porter was expected to charge any no shows , check in late guests , cash up and banking . Sweep and mop reception and bar area and walk around the hotel checking fire doors

@Monpetitpoisson amazing, thank you! So helpful

I’m sure the night porter was bagging up the bins (the ones outside and in reception) for collection last time I was there.

Good luck op.

@petshihtzu brilliant, thank you. I'd only looked on indeed before now

@Isawthathaggis good point! Thank you, another one for interview.
Interview is 10:30 tomorrow. I'll Update you all.

I'm planning black chinos, a yellow shirt, and tan loafers, good hair and makeup. Any better ideas?

One of the reasons I avoid staying at a Travelodge is that there never seems to be anyone on reception

I used to travel weekly to London and a colleague had the misfortune of staying in TL. She said it was obvious people were bringing groups of people who hadn’t booked back to the rooms and it was chaos. Other people had said the same. It was the Tower Hill one so not even party central

Premier Inn always had 2 albeit one was usually in the office behind the counter. It always felt safer for me and the receptionists

I stay in them a fair bit and the downstairs area, including the restaurant gets cleaned overnight, plus all the floors washed.

I'd guess at some paperwork, obviously guests but shouldn't be too many overnight.
I'd be suprised at sorting out anything to do with the other cleaning, but I could be wrong here.

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.

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!)

@Monpetitpoisson

Not TL but at premier inn a night Porter was expected to charge any no shows , check in late guests , cash up and banking . Sweep and mop reception and bar area and walk around the hotel checking fire doors

Yes.

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.

Good luck, OP.

@Susannahmoody

Any chance you can apply to one in a less lively area? Ie. Lytham St. Anne's rather than Blackpool

I stayed in LSA recently for 2 nights, once we'd checked in, we barely saw anyone, we just put odour cards in a bucket for check out.

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. 😊

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

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

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.

Best of luck with the 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

Good luck in interview

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.