What a hotel host really does, and why it matters

A guest walks into the lobby after a long trip, and the first face they see is the hotel host. That moment sets the tone for everything that follows, yet the work behind it is easy to underestimate, both by the people who plan the shifts and by the people who stand behind the desk. What does the role really ask of someone, and what can a hotel do to make it work?

Nichlas Midholm Eriksen works as a host at two hotels in Denmark, shortly after finishing his diploma in hotel management. His perspective from the floor is a useful reality check for any hotel that wants warmer guest connections without wearing out the people who make them.

What the role of a hotel host covers

The job changes with the property. In Eriksen's experience, two hotels can ask for very different hosts. One of his hotels has a high-class restaurant whose chef was nominated as a new talent in Denmark. Guests book a 10-course menu combined with an overnight stay, and they arrive with real knowledge of food because that is exactly what they came for. The hosts therefore need some of the chefs' knowledge too: what the guests will get, how they will get it and what the kitchen is doing. The host starts the evening with the welcome, time in the lobby and the first snacks, and only then brings in colleagues to finish it off.

His other hotel has no restaurant to rely on. There, the experience depends even more on connecting with guests and pointing them to things the hotel cannot offer itself. Across both, a few skills keep coming back:

• Enough product knowledge to talk about the kitchen, the rooms and the stay with confidence.
• The ability to set expectations at the first contact, before anyone else is involved.
• A clean handover to colleagues, so the team plays each other up instead of passing on problems.

Why a script cannot replace guest connection

Standard procedures are useful for consistency, but they do not create hospitality on their own. In Eriksen's view there is no one size fits all: a host cannot treat arrivals as guest one, guest two and guest three, but has to adjust to every person and find out what that person wants.

“I think that's where many people go wrong because they think they can just write down an SOP and then follow that step by step.”

Nichlas Midholm Eriksen, 11:52

He sees the same gap between school and the floor. In class, hospitality can be described as a concept with nine dimensions and sub dimensions, but no host at the desk thinks about which two of those dimensions they are using. What makes the difference is that each host knows what hospitable means for their own hotel and has made it part of who they are, so they can do it naturally. In his experience, much of that can only be learned by doing it, and by watching someone who does it well. A related article covers guest service training that sticks.

How hosts build a real connection with guests

A real welcome is more than handing over a key. Eriksen does not count a quick welcome, a room number and a goodbye as hospitality at all. To connect, a host has to speak with the person: why are they in town, what do they like, what kind of stay are they hoping for. That sounds simple, but the repetition is what makes it hard. A related article looks at the hotel doorman and the first greeting.

“That's what I would say, even if you're an introvert or extrovert, is one of the hardest parts because you have to do it for every guest every time, which is so hard.”

Nichlas Midholm Eriksen, 12:35

When the conversation does start and the host shows real curiosity, small details appear that can be connected into a better stay. Reading the guest is part of the skill. Some guests just want their key, a room and maybe a nap, and that is fair. The point is to find that out in a short exchange instead of assuming it.

Technology can make the first step easier. Eriksen already sees the property management system help by holding notes on a guest's favourite drink, preferred room or how they like to sleep, so the team can prepare before arrival. If the notes show a shared interest, such as football, the connection forms much faster. In his view technology will not take over that connection, but it can help hosts make it, at a time when hotels have to do more with fewer people while guests expect more.

Screens, eye contact and the front desk

Phones and screens pull attention away from people, and Eriksen admits that is true for himself as much as for younger colleagues and guests. Still, he finds that most guests who seem reserved at first end up enjoying a real conversation once it starts. One of his hotels took a practical step.

“We actually chose to remove all the screens from our front desk.”

Nichlas Midholm Eriksen, 16:42

Instead of large computers, the team works on iPads, so staff stay face to face with guests. The hotel also uses kiosks set flat into the desk, where guests type in their own name while the host stands in front of them and helps. The goal is to remove as many distractions as possible from the moment between guest and host.

The emotional labor managers tend to forget

Connecting with guests is often presented as easy: smile, make eye contact, be friendly. Eriksen calls it emotional labor, and he thinks it is one of the things general managers find hardest to picture, because they carry so many other responsibilities. A hotel host puts themselves out there all day. Some guests turn the conversation down because they want to get to their room. Others had a bad experience and take it out on the person at the desk, because they cannot take it out on the walls. Over time, that weighs on front office staff. A related article is about building a strong front office team.

Leadership is what makes that weight bearable. In his experience, junior staff feel straight away whether a leader is there for the guests and the team or for other reasons. What helps most:

• Show real passion for the work, because new staff pick it up even when the salary is modest.
• Embody whatever you want to pass on to junior employees.
• Lead by example on the hardest days, such as senior managers helping housekeeping strip duvets and pillows when the hotel is fully booked.
• Recruit for the hospitable spirit from the start.

The reward side is real too. Some of his best moments came from guests who started badly. A family arrived too late for the breakfast buffet, so a waiter, the chef and the host set up a small buffet just for them, with extra cake, hot cocoa for the kids and cappuccinos. A bad start gave the team the chance to show it cared. You can watch the full conversation for more of his stories from the floor.

Frequently asked questions

What is a hotel host?

A hotel host is the first person a guest meets and shapes the stay from the welcome on. Depending on the property, the role combines check-in, local advice and the start of a dinner. At its core, the job is making a real connection with each guest.

Can a standard operating procedure teach hospitality?

Procedures help with consistency, but in this frontline view they cannot create a connection. Guests differ, so a host has to adjust to every person. Following an SOP step by step makes staff sound like robots, and guests notice it.

How can a hotel reduce screens at the front desk?

One option is to take the large computer screens off the desk and work on iPads, so staff stay face to face with guests. Another is a kiosk set flat into the desk, where guests type their own name while the host helps.

What do general managers underestimate about frontline work?

The emotional labor. Smiling and getting to know guests all day is tiring. Hosts also face guests who turn the conversation down and guests who bring their anger to the desk. That weight builds up and is easy to forget from the office.