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Hotel/Motel Clerk  What They Do

Just the Facts


Accommodates hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests' accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.

This career is part of the Hospitality & Tourism cluster Lodging pathway.


A person in this career:

  • Greets, registers, and assigns rooms to guests of hotels or motels.
  • Contacts housekeeping or maintenance staff when guests report problems.
  • Issues room keys and escort instructions to bellhops.
  • Verifies customers' credit, and establishes how the customer will pay for the accommodation.
  • Makes and confirms reservations.
  • Keeps records of room availability and guests' accounts, manually or using computers.
  • Posts charges, such as those for rooms, food, liquor, or telephone calls, to ledgers, manually or by using computers.
  • Reviews accounts and charges with guests during the check out process.
  • Records guest comments or complaints, referring customers to managers as necessary.
  • Computes bills, collects payments, and makes change for guests.

Insider Info

Dig into the details and check out what people in this job have to say about their work.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
  • Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Rotating shift work
  • Weekend work

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Front Desk Associate --
  • Front Desk Clerk -- Greets and monitors visitors to a building.
  • Front Desk Supervisor --
  • Front Office Agent --
  • Guest Service Agent -- Provides efficient and effective front desk service by handling hotel reservations, greeting arriving guests, providing information and offering assistance.
  • Guest Service Representative -- Checks guests in and out, answers general questions and takes and modifies reservations.
  • Guest Services Agent (GSA) --
  • Night Auditor --
  • Desk Clerk --
  • Front Desk Agent --