Hotel Employee

Hotel Employee

QuirkyHotelAide

Oklahoma City, OK

Female, 22

Been working for Embassy Suites, a part of Hilton Hotels, for a year half now. I basically check guests in/out, make reservations, and assist as a switchboard operator. But that doesn't mean I don't act as a bellman, valet, adult/child babysitter, cafe assistant and lite housekeeping. I have a love/hate feeling for this job, but deep down I love it because it's always something new each day.

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Last Answer on September 26, 2014

Best Rated

If a bellhop tries to assist with my bags, but I insist that I handle them myself, but then he takes them anyway, am I expected to tip him? This happens WAY too frequently and is insanely annoying.

Asked by tr3 almost 12 years ago

Well that is a very aggressive bell service you run into and you are not expected to tip. The bellmen in our hotel and any Hilton make the same as Front Desk. Generally by the 2nd "no" the bellman should have obeyed your wishes. I'm sorry you go through that.

Can you give guests room upgrades at your discretion? Do you ever do this if someone is just really nice and polite?

Asked by Q4U almost 12 years ago

When the occupancy is low and I'm not forced to sell/get rid of rooms I can upgrade a standard room at my discretion. You also have to remember that Embassy Suites only have two room suites and that is considered an automatic upgrade than if you stayed at a Holiday Inn. I have upgraded a regular guest to our presidential suite before on a slow night and on sold out nights a random guests was upgraded.

Sounds like you get asked to do a lot of stuff that's not your responsibility. Have you ever complained to your boss about it?

Asked by Jamie S. almost 12 years ago

I've never complained because bottom line is that I'm here to be a team player & make a guests stay memorable. The guest see the front desk first, so its a given that they will associate their problems/needs with me to supply an answer.

Have you ever been hit on by sleazy males guests who check in alone?

Asked by JSB almost 12 years ago

Sleazy, no. Been hit on by businessmen 20-30 years older than I, yes.

Do you get annoyed when guests ring the bell at the front desk?

Asked by joe torch almost 12 years ago

Well my hotel doesn't have bells for guests to ring, thank heavens.

What kind of training did you receive and how long did it take? Also, did you study hospitality in school?

Asked by margaret almost 12 years ago

To become a Guest Service Representative, which is my position, you have to complete about 26 hours (about 3-4 days) of computer training of the system. The plus about doing the training is that if you transfer to another Hilton property you don't need redo the gruesome computer work. I'm currently a senior in college and double major in International Business & French with a minor in European History.

What was the craziest request you ever received from a guest?

Asked by Uncle Larry almost 12 years ago

That's a hard one to think of indeed. I know I was working a night shift and an older gentleman wanted me to shuttle him to a strip club at 11pm. He didn't want my male coworker to take him, only myself and said he would tip me well. Nonetheless that gentleman was not taken to the club.

How long are your shifts, and are you on your feet the whole time?

Asked by bellboi almost 12 years ago

Well my hours are very flexible since I do my schooling online, but I can end up with 7a-3p, noon-8p, or 3p-11p generally. Plus my hotel does not have thetraditional front desk counter,; we have three floating islands where I stand the entire shift. Comfortable flats are my best friends.

Thanks for answering. When you say "ease in check-ins", what do you mean? What makes them difficult?

Asked by mayday305 almost 12 years ago

Well I mean when guests come in with zero photo id, forgot to bring in amethod of payment, days when 50 guests would like to check in at 8am (when check out is at noon & the hotel was sold out previously). Those are some insights that can turn checking in into a rough, bumpy experience.

As an employee, are you able to stay at other Embassy Suites and Hilton Hotels for free?

Asked by Charles H. almost 12 years ago

Sadly no. Hilton does provide very low rates just for employees and then their family/friends at any property in the world.

How much do hotel managers make? Is there a big jump from front desk clerk to manager?

Asked by Luca over 11 years ago

Well i do know once you move up to assistant manager you're automatically salary. Now how much in salary, I'm not exactly sure.

Fill in the blank: "If there was one thing I could change about this job, it would be ___________."

Asked by mayday305 almost 12 years ago

Hahaha I like fill in the blanks. If there was one thing I could change about this job, it would be an ease in check-ins.

Say a guest arrives super early, like 6-7am, perhaps from a red-eye flight. Check-in technically isn't until 2-3pm, but you have open rooms. Will you let him in his room early and not charge for an extra night?

Asked by jay.wunders almost 12 years ago

Good question and if I have rooms clean to go then they would be allowed to check in, eat breakfast and wouldn't be charge an extra night. He would be charged an extra night anyways.

Why do those key cards fail so often? Seems like I can't stay in any hotel without having to get a card replaced at least once.

Asked by mike over 11 years ago

Well the keys are very sensitive and having them near magnets, cell phones and credit cards can wipe your room number.

Why isn't Internet access part of the standard hotel room package? Why, in this day and age when it's such a necessity, are customers still charged extra for it? Why not just build it into the cost of the room?

Asked by notime over 11 years ago

That is a good question & my manager described it as this: when you book at an Embassy Suites  that rate includes the larger rooms, complimentary cooked to order breakfast, complimentary drinks every night, could be the 24/7 fitness center, indoor swimming pool and such. We simply tack on the $9.95 internet as a perk i know more Hilton properties are dropping the charge will be introducing full free wifi. also I've stayed in hotels where the price is about $12.95 for 24 hours. 

Do you think working for one hotel chain is all that different from another? Or if you left Embassy Suites to work for Marriott Courtyard or Holiday Inn, do you think your life and job satisfaction would be about the same?

Asked by blast over 11 years ago

There may be slight differences in the check procedures and possible paper work or even the level of dedication. Location is key if I decided to leave Hilton properties because a Courtyard in Florida/New York would be different from one in Oklahoma/Kansas.

Hmm, not sure I follow. You said "he wouldn't be charge an extra night" and then in the next sentence you said "He would be charged an extra night anyways." Which is it?

Asked by jay.wunders over 11 years ago

I'm sorry about that confusion. That guest would NOT be charged an extra night if he wanted to check in a few hours before normal check-in.

Since Hilton is an international chain of hotels, if you wanted to transfer internationally, would Hilton sponsor your visa and is the process difficult? I want to live in France but jobs are tough to come by. I'm considering starting in hotels.

Asked by Darin over 10 years ago

I have been wanting to move to France since my last trip there and starting in hotels is one of the ways to make it happen.

Now I have put in for jobs abroad (New Zealand, France, United Kingdom, etc) and I have noticed that Hilton will not nessecarily sponsor your visa. One resort in New Zealand wanted to hire me, but were not offering a paid sponsorship which hurt. First thing first, buy a passport and look into the guidelines of gaining a temporary visa.

 

Good Morning :) Can you please tell me the room rate for a Hilton employee staying at a Hilton hotel on a personal trip? Does this vary by city, country, season?

Asked by RaveDancer over 10 years ago

Good morning :D

Well the employee rate is usually 80% less than standard rate (Home2, Homewood, Embassy, Hilton Garden, Hampton, Hilton, and Conrad) and only 50% less than the Hilton Resorts & Waldorf Astoria. Now when going outside of the USA the rates could be about 40-50% less, but I tend to stay in 2-Star hotels when abroad to fully soak in the culture.

How often do you get those people who 'pretend' to be guests in order to mooch a free breakfast? And how good are you at catching them?

Asked by Alex almost 10 years ago

 

How big a problem is theft? Do you know how much hotels lose each year to stolen towels, bathrobes, clocks, etc?

Asked by Hil over 9 years ago

 

Why do hotel toilets clog so often??

Asked by yahtzee over 11 years ago

 

How much Hilton pay for house keeping

Asked by Aa over 9 years ago

 

Where do hotels get their sheets? A hotel in Vegas with my favorite sheets in the world sold what they claimed were the same sheets they used in the rooms in their gift shop, but they were 100% not the same. Is that a common scam?

Asked by Bridget over 11 years ago

 

How much discretion does the front desk have if someone asks for a complimentary room upgrade?

Asked by Oren almost 10 years ago

 

Which guests tip better: annoying tourists or entitled businessmen?

Asked by TIPYOU about 10 years ago

 

is it true that hotels don't (or rarely) wash the bedspreads?

Asked by yechhh over 11 years ago

 

I hate this hilton can I transfer to another hilton

Asked by I hate this hilton can I transfer to another hilton over 8 years ago