Hotel Receptionist

About the hotel

Barnett Hill is a Queen Anne country house built in 1905, set in 26 acres of gardens and woodland in the Surrey Hills, just outside Guildford. The hotel has been recently refurbished into a 4-star AA property, with dining awarded 2 AA Rosettes. Bedrooms are spread across the Mansion House and additional buildings, giving the place a relaxed, “wander-and-discover” feel rather than a single corridor hotel. You’ll be welcoming guests arriving for countryside breaks, weddings, meetings, and dinners in the Oak Room and bar spaces.

The work

• • Welcome guests as they arrive, set the tone for the stay, and keep the front desk calm, warm, and in control from first hello to final goodbye.
• • Run check-ins and rooming smoothly, sharing the right details at the right time (breakfast, dining, timings, directions around the estate) without overwhelming people.
• • Handle enquiries in person and by phone, including the everyday curveballs—late arrivals, room questions, taxi requests, and “can you just…” moments.
• • Take reservations, post charges accurately, and manage guest billing so departures feel effortless and errors don’t ripple into the next shift.
• • Produce the daily activity report and keep internal teams informed so housekeeping, F&B, and events know what’s happening and when.
• • Close down your shift properly—balance the day, complete end-of-day procedures, and leave clean notes so the next team can pick up without guesswork.

This role is for you if…

• • You’re naturally warm and professional—friendly without being overly familiar, and confident with all kinds of guests.
• • You like being the hub: you enjoy juggling requests, prioritising quickly, and staying calm when the lobby gets busy.
• • You’re accurate with systems and admin—billing, data entry, and attention to detail are strengths, not chores.
• • You communicate clearly on the phone and face-to-face, and you’re comfortable asking questions to get things right first time.
• • You can get yourself to a rural hotel for early (7am) and late (2pm) shifts, including weekends.

This role might not be for you if…

• • You need a Monday–Friday schedule or can’t commit to weekend working and rotating early/late shifts.
• • You dislike desk-based accuracy work (posting charges, balancing shifts, end-of-day procedures) and prefer purely guest-facing roles.
• • You don’t have reliable transport—this location and shift pattern make public transport difficult.
• • You find it stressful to be the first point of contact when guests arrive with problems to solve.