Senior Hotel Receptionist

Advius (Pty) Ltd; Somerset West; On-site; ZAR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Advius (Pty) Ltd seeks a Senior Receptionist for a luxury estate hotel and spa in Somerset West, Western Cape. You will lead the front desk on shift, oversee check-ins/outs, guest accounts and reservations, and act as shift leader in the absence of the Front Office Manager.

You’ll supervise junior receptionists, train staff, and upsell hotel offerings while maintaining high service standards. Flexibility for nights, weekends, and holidays is required.

Qualifications

• 3 years’ front desk experience in a 4- or 5-star hotel or lodge
• At least 1 year in a senior or shift-leader capacity
• Working knowledge of Opera or Protel PMS
• Strong cash-handling and night-audit experience
• Excellent spoken and written English; Afrikaans or another language advantageous
• Willing to work nights, weekends and public holidays

Responsibilities

• Lead the front desk on shift, setting the standard for warm, professional guest service
• Oversee guest check-ins/check-outs, room allocation and key control
• Handle reservations, amendments, cancellations and confirmations by phone, email and online channels
• Manage group, conference and event bookings and arrivals with the reservations and events teams
• Supervise, train and support junior receptionists, and assist the Front Office Manager with rosters
• Act as shift leader in the absence of the Front Office Manager
• Oversee guest accounts, deposits, payments, cash floats and end-of-shift cash-ups
• Upsell room upgrades, packages, dining, spa and golf experiences
• Resolve guest queries and complaints professionally, escalating as needed
• Coordinate with Housekeeping, Maintenance, F&B, Spa and Concierge on room status and guest requests
• Keep the property management system (PMS) accurate, and run daily arrival, departure and occupancy reports
• Ensure front office SOPs, POPIA, security and emergency procedures are followed

Skills

Guest service

Shift leadership

Attention to detail

Communication

Sales-minded

Problem solving

Education

Hospitality/front office qualification

Tools

Opera PMS

Protel PMS

Job description

Somerset West, South Africa | Posted on 11/13/2026

Our client is a well-established luxury estate hotel and spa in the Helderberg region of the Western Cape, set among golf, vineyard and mountain scenery. The property welcomes leisure, corporate and events guests, and is known for warm, personalised service of a high standard.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Senior Receptionist leads the hotel front desk on shift, ensuring every guest enjoys a warm welcome and a seamless stay from arrival to departure. Reporting to the Front Office Manager, the role supervises and guides the reception team, oversees check-ins, check-outs, reservations and guest accounts, and acts as shift leader when the Front Office Manager is off duty.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the front desk on shift, setting the standard for warm, professional guest service
• Oversee guest check-ins and check-outs, room allocation and key control
• Handle reservations, amendments, cancellations and confirmations by phone, email and online channels
• Manage group, conference and event bookings and arrivals with the reservations and events teams
• Supervise, train and support junior receptionists, and assist the Front Office Manager with rosters
• Act as shift leader in the absence of the Front Office Manager
• Oversee guest accounts, deposits, payments, cash floats and end-of-shift cash-ups
• Upsell room upgrades, packages, dining, spa and golf experiences
• Resolve guest queries and complaints professionally, escalating to the Front Office Manager where needed
• Coordinate with Housekeeping, Maintenance, F&B, Spa and Concierge on room status and guest requests
• Keep the property management system (PMS) accurate, and run daily arrival, departure and occupancy reports
• Ensure front office SOPs, POPIA, security and emergency procedures are followed

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Hospitality or front office qualification (advantageous)
• At least 3 years’ front desk experience in a 4- or 5-star hotel or lodge, including at least 1 year in a senior or shift-leader capacity
• Working knowledge of a hotel PMS such as Opera, Protel or similar
• Strong cash-handling, guest account and night audit/end-of-day experience
• Excellent spoken and written English; Afrikaans and/or a foreign language advantageous
• Willing to work shifts, including nights, weekends and public holidays

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

• Polished, warm and well groomed, with a strong guest-service ethos
• Confident shift leader who guides and supports a small team
• Highly organised, with excellent attention to detail and accuracy
• Calm and solutions-driven under pressure, especially during busy arrivals
• Sales-minded, with good knowledge of the property’s offerings
• Strong communicator with guests, colleagues and management