Reservations Assistant

The University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Edinburgh seeks a Reservations Assistant to support the Reservations Manager and ensure exceptional customer service. The role involves maximizing revenue and occupancy through effective inventory management while being the first point of contact for guests. Ideal candidates will have strong customer service skills, communication abilities, and organizational capabilities. This position offers a competitive salary and a vibrant working environment with comprehensive staff benefits.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous holiday entitlement

Comprehensive pension schemes

Staff discounts

Family-friendly initiatives

Qualifications

• Approachable and attentive personality is essential.
• Proven ability to provide high quality customer service.
• Strong organization and planning skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Reservations Manager in operations.
• Maximize revenue and occupancy in our hotels.
• Be the first point of contact for guests.

Skills

Customer service expertise

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Job description

Grade UE03 – £24,729 – £25,276 per annum

Accommodation, Catering and Events

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Open Ended: Permanent Contract

The Opportunity:

The Commercial Operations team are looking for an experienced Reservations Assistant who will assist the Reservations Manager to deliver the effective operation of the Reservations department and is enthusiastic about delivering exceptional customer service.

The University of Edinburgh, through its Accommodation, Catering and Events (ACE) department, manages a large portfolio of hotels, Venues, student and seasonal accommodation. This includes three year‑round hotels with circa 200 beds, 10,000 student bedrooms, which during the summer are used for large group bookings and individual leisure guests.

This is an excellent opportunity to join Accommodation, Catering and Events as a Reservations Assistant, a key role in supporting the day‑to‑day operations within our Central Reservations team, often the first point of contact for our guests. We are looking for a passionate, customer focused, guest obsessed, team player who will keep our clients at the heart of what we do.

You will support in maximising revenue and occupancy in our hotels and seasonal accommodation collection through effective management of all rooms inventory, system and resources.

Based in our Central Office, located at Pollock Halls. You will work closely with the wider teams to provide high‑levels of customer service. We are looking for an individual who displays a positive can‑do attitude and enjoys working in a fast‑paced environment.

In this role, you will:

• Be an ambassador for our newly refurbished and rebranded products.
• Continuously look to improve our standards and deliver world‑class hospitality.
• Become an integral part of our existing teams with a desire to succeed in delivering our values.
• Be a part of a world‑renowned team providing accommodation for high‑profile clients.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• A winning personality, approachable, genuine and attentive
• Expertise in providing high quality customer service
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent organisation and planning skills gained through previous experience.

Click to view a copy of the full job description (opens new browser tab)

Application Information:

• CV
• Cover letter

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

• A competitive salary
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family‑friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 5th January 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interviews will be held 2 weeks after the closing date.