How to build a strong front office team that guests can feel

Guests rarely remember the check-in software, but they do notice whether the people at reception get along. A front office team that works well together answers questions faster, covers for each other on hard days and greets guests in a way that feels real. The harder question is how to build one, and how to keep it motivated when staffing is tight and the pressure at the desk never really stops.

Michaela Luckhardt, Hotel Manager, has spent her whole working life in hospitality: from her training as a hotel specialist and two years at sea to running her own 37-room hotel with her husband for more than 20 years, through two economic crises and later the pandemic. Today she leads a hotel and often works shifts at reception herself.

Hire people who complement your front office team

The first step happens before anyone starts. In Luckhardt's view, an interview should show whether a candidate fits the people already there, not only whether they can do the job. She looks for applicants who add something the team is missing.

Her interviews are deliberately informal. She reads the CV beforehand and asks about the points that are unclear, but she brings no list of questions to work through. Often the conversation takes place over a coffee in a quiet corner or in the library, because a relaxed setting shows more of the person than a formal one.

She is also open to career changers. People from an office background or another trade look at familiar routines with fresh eyes, and she finds that inspiring. What they lack at first is an understanding of how departments depend on each other: what happens in the kitchen or in service when a guest's preference is not passed on with a reservation. That, she says, can be taught. What cannot be taught as easily is the right attitude:

• a genuine willingness to serve
• openness, and a slightly extroverted nature
• enjoying working with people

Share extra tasks according to strengths

Daily work at reception has to be done by everyone. Beyond that, most hotels have a long list of extra tasks, and how they are handed out says a lot about the culture. Luckhardt discusses them openly with the team and asks each person what they would like to take on.

“Ich versuche, außer den täglichen Arbeiten natürlich die anfallen, die gemacht werden müssen, die ganzen Zusatzaufgaben möglichst nach den Eigenschaften und den Stärken von den Teamkollegen zu verteilen.”

Michaela Luckhardt, 16:26

(Translated: “Apart from the daily work that has to be done, I try to divide all the extra tasks as far as possible according to the qualities and strengths of my colleagues.”)

The point is that people should be able to develop at the desk instead of only repeating a fixed routine. Her team works at eye level: she stands at reception in many shifts, everyone explains things to everyone, and criticism is welcome. Colleagues point out how something could be done differently, and that input is taken seriously.

Onboarding: give new people time to arrive

A strong start makes later motivation much easier. Asked what else matters, Luckhardt named two things in the same breath.

“Die Freude an der Arbeit und die gute Einarbeitung ist wichtig. Und dass man denen auch Zeit gibt, anzukommen.”

Michaela Luckhardt, 17:43

(Translated: “Enjoying the work and good onboarding are important. And giving them time to settle in.”)

Training does not stop after the first weeks. In her hotel, external trainers come in for department heads, managers, apprentices and the wider team, while department heads train apprentices on specific skills such as cheese, coffee, filleting and service at the table. She values that departments are trained together, because it builds understanding for the kitchen and for other teams when they are under more stress. Promotion from within is real too. Former apprentices now work as deputy sales manager, reservations manager, assistant to the management and deputy head chef.

How to keep a front office team motivated

Luckhardt starts from a simple observation: new staff usually arrive motivated. They chose the job, trained for it and picked the hotel. Her task as a manager is to keep that motivation from being worn down by events, by the workplace or by management itself. In practice that means:

• meeting roster wishes where possible
• making room for fun at work, alongside professionalism
• giving people backup and the tools to handle the day, including spontaneous problems and critical guest feedback
• being available whenever someone does not know how to continue
• team evenings and decisions made together
• taking small mistakes lightly: a typo or a technical glitch can be fixed later, the guest in front of you comes first

Communication carries the rest. Everyone brings something from home now and then, and she wants people to be able to say that today is not a good day, so colleagues can take it into account. Appreciation, a respectful tone when things get difficult, and a manager who sets the example all add up to what she calls a positive basic mood. Over time, that mood is also what builds employee loyalty in hotels.

Feel-good moments and two-way feedback

Luckhardt talks about feel-good moments: the conditions that make someone want to come to work instead of forcing themselves to go. One of them is sharing praise. Her hotel uses a tool that collects guest feedback and shows trends, and when guests mention a colleague by name for a warm welcome or great service, that message is passed on. The same warm contact at the desk is the basis for front desk upselling.

Feedback conversations follow the same informal style as her interviews. There are templates, and she uses them, but the talks sometimes take place at an ice cream parlour rather than in the office. In a different setting, points come up that never appear on an evaluation form. And she wants feedback to run both ways, an approach that also helps when managing gen Z hotel staff.

“Es gibt ja auch Sachen, die ich anders machen kann, dann kann man sich da vielleicht doch, wenn man da draußen sitzt oder auch in irgend 'nem Café oder so dann leichter austauschen, was auch diese Ebene betrifft.”

Michaela Luckhardt, 32:11

(Translated: “There are also things that I could do differently, and when you sit outside or in a café somewhere, it is easier to talk about that level too.”)

Why a happy front office team shows at the desk

Authenticity is the thread that ties all of this together. Luckhardt does not want staff reciting greeting phrases that do not suit them, because guests and colleagues notice when it is an act. Asked what makes a five-star stay special, she points to the same qualities: warmth, genuineness and the small extra service step nobody expects, delivered by a team that clearly gets along.

That is also why she plans carefully when positions are vacant. Since the pandemic, filling every role has taken time, and she does not want guests to notice when the team is short. She plans, organises and steps in herself. Digital tools help in the background, for example bundled replies to guest feedback and registration details entered before check-in, which leaves more time to listen to guests. To hear her describe it in her own words, watch the full conversation (in German).

Frequently asked questions

What makes a strong front office team?

In the view of hotel manager Michaela Luckhardt, it starts with hiring people who complement the existing team, then sharing extra tasks by strength, working at eye level and taking criticism seriously. Good onboarding, time to settle in and a positive mood in the team matter as much as skills. When the team gets along, she says, everything else works well.

How do you motivate hotel reception staff under pressure?

Luckhardt sees her job as protecting the motivation people bring when they start. She meets roster wishes where possible, keeps room for fun next to professionalism, backs staff up with difficult guests and is available when they are stuck. Team evenings, shared decisions and passing on guest praise by name help keep spirits up.

Are career changers a good fit for the front desk?

She sees them as a clear opportunity. Career changers bring a fresh view of routines, though they may not yet see how departments depend on each other, for example what a missed guest preference means for the kitchen. That can be taught. What they need to bring is a willingness to serve, openness and enjoyment of working with people.