Reservations Manager Resume Guide
Reservations Managers are responsible for overseeing the booking and reservations process at hotels, resorts, or other lodging facilities. They make sure that guests have a pleasant experience when they book their stay by ensuring availability of rooms and services, managing room rates according to occupancy levels, and providing customer service support to address any issues with reservations.
As a reservations manager, you know how to keep guests happy and bring in new customers. But potential employers don’t know who you are yet. To make sure they remember your name, write an eye-catching resume that showcases your skills.
This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating a top-notch resume. We first show you a complete example and then break down what each resume section should look like.
Table of Contents
The guide is divided into sections for your convenience. You can read it from beginning to end or use the table of contents below to jump to a specific part.
Reservations Manager Resume Sample
Piper Effertz
Reservations Manager
[email protected]
415-063-1799
linkedin.com/in/piper-effertz
Summary
Determined reservations manager with 9+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Proven track record of increasing customer satisfaction and efficiency levels by introducing new systems, processes, and policies. At XYZ hotel, successfully implemented a fully automated system that decreased costs by 15%. Experienced in handling complex issues related to room availability, guest complaints/requests, and other services offered at the hotel.
Experience
Reservations Manager, Employer A
Hayward, Jan 2018 – Present
- Spearheaded the reservations process for a 5-star hotel, managing over 400+ bookings and ensuring that customer satisfaction was consistently maintained.
- Consistently exceeded monthly sales targets by upselling additional services to guests; improved revenue growth rate by 14% in just one year.
- Improved guest loyalty levels by introducing innovative mobile booking technology which made the whole reservation process easier and faster for customers; reduced average waiting time from 15 minutes down to 8 minutes per request.
- Introduced an automated system to handle cancellations & refunds, streamlining operations while reducing overhead costs associated with manual labor by 17%.
- Streamlined daily reporting processes using advanced analytics software tools; decreased administrative tasks related to data entry & reports generation by 30 hours each month on average.
Reservations Manager, Employer B
Charleston, Mar 2012 – Dec 2017
- Participated in the implementation of a new reservations system, training and onboarding 30+ staff members on its usage; reduced booking time for each customer by 50%.
- Presented monthly reports to senior management outlining key performance indicators related to occupancy rates, revenue targets, upgrades & cancellations; achieved an average 5% increase in bookings year-over-year.
- Compiled essential documents such as checklists and operational guidelines for handling day-to-day operations within the reservations department while meeting or exceeding all corporate standards.
- Meticulously maintained accurate records of guest preferences & requests into central database systems, ensuring that customers received personalized services during their stay at property with no errors occurring in bookings or payments made online/offline.
- Achieved 100% accuracy rate when processing room allocations and providing necessary information regarding hotel facilities prior to arrival dates; successfully managed over 3200 incoming calls daily from potential guests inquiring about availability & pricing options.
Skills
- Hospitality Industry
- Hospitality
- Hospitality Management
- Hotels
- Hotel Management
- Front Office
- Tourism
- Event Management
- Revenue Analysis
Education
Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
Certifications
Certified Reservations Manager
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
May 2017
1. Summary / Objective
A resume summary/objective for a reservations manager should highlight your customer service and organizational skills. You can mention the number of years you have been working in hospitality, the software programs you are proficient with, any awards or recognition you have received for outstanding performance, and how your experience has helped to increase revenue at previous companies.
Below are some resume summary examples:
Talented reservations manager with 5+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Skilled in managing teams, developing customer relations and implementing new processes to optimize operations. At XYZ, successfully managed a team of 10 staff members while overseeing the booking process for over 500 rooms per day. Recognized as an excellent communicator and problem solver who consistently exceeded expectations within tight deadlines.
Enthusiastic reservations manager with 5+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Proven track record of successfully managing reservations and ensuring a smooth customer experience. Skilled at developing innovative strategies to increase sales and boost revenue for ABC Hotel & Resort. Experienced in training staff on reservation systems, setting up new software programs, and preparing reports related to occupancy levels.
Driven hospitality professional with 8+ years of experience in reservations management. Skilled at leading teams to maximize sales and revenue while providing exceptional customer service. At XYZ Hotels, achieved a 10% increase in bookings month-over-month by implementing innovative strategies for marketing campaigns. Seeking an opportunity to leverage my knowledge and expertise as the Reservations Manager at ABC Hotel Group.
Professional reservations manager with 10+ years of experience in the hospitality industry. Skilled at developing and implementing strategies to maximize revenue, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction. At XYZ Hotel & Resort managed reservations for 400-500 rooms per day while increasing sales by 15%. Experienced in overseeing staff training programs and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Well-rounded reservations manager with over 8 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Skilled at overseeing and managing hotel room blocks, handling customer inquiries, and resolving complex issues related to travel bookings. At XYZ Hotel & Resort achieved a 20% increase in revenue by introducing innovative strategies; Received “Employee of the Year” award for outstanding performance and commitment.
Passionate reservations manager with 5+ years of experience leading teams in the hospitality industry. Achieved a 25% increase in guest satisfaction ratings through proactively resolving customer complaints, streamlining processes and providing exceptional service. Seeking to join ABC Hotel as Reservations Manager to use my extensive knowledge of hotel operations and customer relations for further success.
Hard-working reservations manager with 8+ years of experience managing large teams and complex reservations systems. Proven track record in developing new processes that improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and increase revenue. At XYZ Hotel, reduced system error rate by 40% while increasing online bookings by 25%. Seeking to bring my expertise to ABC Hotels as the next Reservations Manager.
Seasoned Reservations Manager with 8+ years of experience in hospitality management. Proven track record of leading teams, ensuring optimal customer and guest experiences, as well as managing hotel reservations systems efficiently and effectively. Seeking to leverage expertise at ABC Hotel & Resort to provide outstanding service for guests from around the world.
2. Experience / Employment
In the experience section, you should provide details on your employment history. This section should be written in reverse chronological order, with the most recent job being listed first.
When stating what you did at each role, use bullet points to make it easier for the reader to digest quickly. You want to take some time to think about the specifics of what you did and any quantifiable results that were achieved as a result of your work.
For example, instead of saying “Managed reservations,” you could say “Successfully managed over 500+ hotel reservations per month; implemented new online booking system which resulted in an 8% increase in bookings.”
To write effective bullet points, begin with a strong verb or adverb. Industry specific verbs to use are:
Other general verbs you can use are:
- Achieved
- Advised
- Assessed
- Compiled
- Coordinated
- Demonstrated
- Developed
- Expedited
- Facilitated
- Formulated
- Improved
- Introduced
- Mentored
- Optimized
- Participated
- Prepared
- Presented
- Reduced
- Reorganized
- Represented
- Revised
- Spearheaded
- Streamlined
- Structured
- Utilized
Below are some example bullet points:
- Assessed customer needs and preferences to process over 400 reservations daily, quickly filling up hotel occupancy rate by 10%.
- Mentored a team of 5 reservation staff members in making accurate bookings, resolving customer complaints & managing cancellations; achieved an overall satisfaction score of 95% from customers.
- Reduced billing discrepancies related to reservations by 20% through rigorous data entry accuracy maintenance procedures for each transaction processed.
- Thoroughly examined customer feedbacks on various online review sites such as TripAdvisor and Yelp! to ensure that all services provided were consistently above the expected standard level of quality.
- Represented the company at business events and travel trade shows, successfully networking with other industry professionals while promoting services offered by the hotel chain worldwide.
- Resourcefully prepared reservations for up to 500 guests daily, increasing bookings by 15% in the last quarter.
- Structured an efficient database system to efficiently track guest confirmations, cancellations and special requests; enabled quick identification of room availability and reduced manual errors by 12%.
- Formulated attractive promotional packages targeting corporate customers that boosted hotel occupancy rate by 10% over a period of 6 months.
- Utilized customer feedback surveys to identify areas of improvement and implement necessary changes in reservation procedures as needed; improved service quality ratings from 78% – 92%.
- Developed multiple strategies for proper distribution of rooms among staff members resulting in average handling time reduction from 45 minutes – 25 minutes per booking request.
- Optimized the reservations process by streamlining procedures and increasing staff efficiency, resulting in a 20% time savings for bookings.
- Coordinated with vendors to ensure that all client requests were met, including special accommodations and dietary restrictions; successfully managed over 400 room reservation requests per month.
- Demonstrated excellent communication skills when interacting with customers via telephone, email or online messaging systems; increased customer satisfaction ratings by 15%.
- Independently handled guest complaints related to hotel services and amenities while maintaining high levels of professionalism at all times; reduced unresolved issues by 40%.
- Revised existing policies & procedures pertaining to reservations management according to current industry standards on an annual basis, ensuring smooth operations within the department at all times.
- Reorganized and streamlined the hotel’s reservations system, resulting in a 25% decrease in customer wait times and an 8% increase in online bookings.
- Advised over 500 customers per month on availability of rooms, special offers & packages to ensure maximum occupancy rates; increased total bookings by 15%.
- Facilitated effective communication between departments such as housekeeping, front desk & maintenance for smoother operations of check-in/check-out activities.
- Developed and implemented new strategies for responding promptly to inquiries about room availability and pricing via phone or email; achieved response time under 1 hour 90% of the time within 6 months from implementation date.
- Substantially improved guest satisfaction scores through enhanced customer service training initiatives which resulted in a 5-star rating on TripAdvisor reviews within 3 months after implementation.
3. Skills
Skill requirements will differ from one employer to the next; this can easily be ascertained from the job posting. Organization A may be looking for someone with experience in managing large-scale events, and Organization B may require the candidate to have knowledge of GDS systems.
It is important to tailor your skills section accordingly as many employers use applicant tracking systems these days, which are computer programs that scan resumes for certain keywords before passing them on to a human.
In addition to simply listing your skills here, you can further elaborate on them by discussing it in more detail in other areas such as the summary or experience section.
Below is a list of common skills & terms:
- Banquets
- Catering
- Communication
- Customer Satisfaction
- English
- Event Management
- Food
- Food and Beverage
- Front Office
- Hospitality
- Hospitality Industry
- Hospitality Management
- Hotel Booking
- Hotel Management
- Hotels
- MICROS
- Opera
- Pre Opening
- Property Management Systems
- Reservations
- Resorts
- Restaurants
- Revenue Analysis
- Rooms Division
- Social Media Marketing
- Team Leadership
- Teamwork
- Time Management
- Tourism
- Travel Management
- Yield Management
4. Education
Adding an education section to your resume depends on how much experience you have. If you are just starting out in the field and don’t have a lot of work history, include your education below your resume objective. However, if you already have years of professional experience as a reservations manager it is perfectly acceptable to leave off an education section altogether.
If including an education section, make sure to mention courses or subjects that relate directly to the role of a reservations manager such as hospitality management or customer service training.
Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
5. Certifications
Certifications are a great way to demonstrate your expertise in a certain field. They show potential employers that you have taken the time and effort to gain additional knowledge and skills, which can give you an edge over other applicants.
Including certifications on your resume is beneficial for any job where the employer requires specific qualifications or experience. Make sure to highlight these credentials prominently so they stand out from the rest of your application materials.
Certified Reservations Manager
American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
May 2017
6. Contact Info
Your name should be the first thing a reader sees when viewing your resume, so ensure its positioning is prominent. Your phone number should be written in the most commonly used format in your country/city/state, and your email address should be professional.
You can also choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or other online platforms relevant to your industry.
Finally, name your resume file appropriately to help hiring managers; for Piper Effertz, this would be Piper-Effertz-resume.pdf or Piper-Effertz-resume.docx.
7. Cover Letter
Including a cover letter with your job application is a great way to make sure you stand out from the crowd. It should be made up of 2-4 paragraphs and provide additional information that isn’t already mentioned in your resume.
The purpose of a cover letter is to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the role, as well as give recruiters more insight into who you are and what unique qualities or experiences you bring to the table. Writing one can help set yourself apart from other applicants, making it an important addition when applying for jobs.
Below is an example cover letter:
Dear Ayden,
I am writing to apply for the Reservations Manager position at your hotel. As a hospitality professional with more than 10 years of experience in customer service and reservations, I am confident that I can exceed your expectations in this role.
In my previous role as a Reservations Agent at XYZ Hotel, I was responsible for managing all incoming reservation requests and ensuring that each guest received the best possible rate. I excelled in this role, consistently meeting or exceeding monthly sales goals while providing exceptional customer service. In addition, I successfully trained and supervised a team of four reservations agents.
As Reservations Manager at your hotel, I would use my experience and skills to streamline operations and improve efficiency. My goal would be to ensure that every guest has a positive experience when making a reservation, whether it is by phone or online. Additionally, I would work closely with the sales team to identify opportunities for upselling guests on higher room rates or packages.
Thank you for your time and consideration; please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my qualifications or suitability for this position. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Piper