Guest Experience Specialist - Front Office - Holiday Inn & Suites Dubai Festival City

IHG Hotels & Resorts; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global hotel group is seeking a Guest Experience Specialist - Front Office at their Dubai Festival City location. The successful candidate will warmly welcome guests and manage bookings, providing exceptional service and addressing all guest needs. Candidates should have strong communication skills, fluency in English, and experience in a similar role within a 5-star environment. Join us to create memorable experiences and thrive in a supportive team culture.

Benefits

Impressive room discounts

Comprehensive training

Qualifications

• Experience in a front desk or guest service position in a 5-star property for at least two years.
• Ability to handle cash and credit transactions efficiently.
• Must be literate and possess basic math skills.

Responsibilities

• Be the warm welcome that kicks off a memorable guest experience.
• Acknowledge IHG Rewards Club members and returning guests.
• Manage guest bookings and up-sell opportunities.
• Swiftly check guests in and out.
• Record and act on guest preferences and handle their requests.

Skills

Communication skills

Fluency in English

Tech-savvy

Flexibility

Ability to work independently

Education

High school diploma

College or university degree (bonus)

Tools

Opera reservations system

Job description

Job Category: Hotel-Food and Beverage

Do you see yourself as a Guest Experience Specialist - Front Office for Holiday Inn & Suites® Dubai Festival City?

Travel is a journey. We help make it a joy. Starting with a warm, inviting welcome for all guests, whether travelling on business or for fun, a one night stay, or relaxing for a week. At Holiday ®️ we thrive on making our guests stays brighter, helping them create memories that will last a lifetime. Irresistible smiles are our specialty. We should know, we've been on our journey since 1952.

So if you can help our guests enjoy the brighter side of travel, we'd love to give you a warm welcome to the Holiday Inn®️ family.

The InterContinental Hotels Group® at Dubai Festival City consists of four hotels. These include the luxury and lifestyle brand InterContinental, the lavish long-stay InterContinental Residence Suites, the premium Crowne Plaza, and the essentials Holiday Inn & Suites. In addition to over 1,600 rooms, the cluster boasts a selection of 16 restaurants and bars, an impressive 3,800-square-metre Event Centre across two levels, the 5,000-square-metre Festival Arena by InterContinental, the luxurious Spa InterContinental, and state-of-the-art gym and swimming pool facilities. We are looking for people who are friendly, welcoming, and full of life to join over 1,200 colleagues who are always finding ways to make every guest's experience an enjoyable one. We value the passion and enthusiasm of our colleagues and encourage you to share your passion when you work with us.

Responsibilities

• Be the warm welcome that kicks off a memorable guest experience.
• Acknowledge IHG Rewards Club members and returning guests, in person or on the phone.
• Take and manage guest bookings, up‑selling opportunities and telling them about ways to improve their stay.
• Handle cash and credit transactions.
• Start every stay right by swiftly checking guests in and out – take IDs, hand out room keys, and control and release safety deposit boxes.
• Stay one step ahead of guests' needs – record and act on their preferences, and handle their messages, requests, questions and concerns.
• Be a trusted contact for all guests. Help them with anything from bill issues to local knowledge, and loop in management when necessary.
• Stay safe all the time. Following our safety procedures, you'll report all incidents and wear any protective gear needed.
• Take pride in your appearance and place as a brand ambassador.
• Always know what events and activities are on the day's schedule.
• Jump into other ad‑hoc duties when your colleagues need your help.
• Works as part of a team and communicates with other departments as per hotel procedures to ensure excellent quality and service.
• May regularly assist with deep cleaning projects.
• May have turndown duties.
• May assist with other duties as assigned.

What we need from you

• Communication skills – guests and colleagues will need to come to you with concerns as well as compliments, so you'll be easy to talk to.
• Fluency in the English language – extra language skills would be great, but not essential.
• Literate and tech‑savvy – you'll need a good grasp of reading, writing, basic maths and computers, especially our reservations system, Opera.
• Flexibility – night, weekend and holiday shifts are all part of the job.
• You'll have a high school diploma or qualification. A college or university degree would be a bonus, but not essential.
• Experience – ideally, you'll have spent at least two years in a front desk or guest service position in a 5 star property.
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment.

What you can expect from us

We give our people everything they need to succeed, from a competitive salary that rewards all your hard work to a wide range of benefits designed to help you live your best work life – including impressive room discounts and some of the best training in the business.

Our mission is to welcome everyone and create inclusive teams where we celebrate differences and encourage colleagues to bring their whole selves to work. IHG Hotels & Resorts provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants. We promote a culture of trust, support, and acceptance, always welcoming different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

IHG gives every member of the team the Room to Belong, Room to Grow, and a Room to Make a Difference in a collaborative environment. We know that to work well, we need to feel well – both inside and outside of work – and through our myWellbeing framework, we are committed to supporting wellbeing in your health, lifestyle, and workplace.

So, join us, and you'll become part of our ever‑growing global family.

About Us

At IHG, we've made a promise. As one of the world's leading hotel groups, we're here to deliver True Hospitality for Good. Making our guests and colleagues feel welcome, cared for, recognised and respected – wherever they are in the world. Want to be part of the journey?

About the Team

Travel is a journey. We help make it a joy. Starting with a warm, inviting welcome for all guests, whether travelling on business or for fun, enjoying a one night stay, or relaxing for a week. At Holiday Inn®️ we thrive on making our guests stays brighter, helping them create memories that will last a lifetime. Irresistible smiles are our specialty. We should know, we've been on our journey since 1952.

So if you can help our guests enjoy the brighter side of travel, we'd love to give you a warm welcome to the Holiday Inn®️ family.