Post job

Front desk manager vs reservations manager

The differences between front desk managers and reservations managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a front desk manager and a reservations manager. Additionally, a reservations manager has an average salary of $73,697, which is higher than the $40,802 average annual salary of a front desk manager.

The top three skills for a front desk manager include front desk operations, reservations and customer service. The most important skills for a reservations manager are reservations, data entry, and customer inquiries.

Front desk manager vs reservations manager overview

Front Desk ManagerReservations Manager
Yearly salary$40,802$73,697
Hourly rate$19.62$35.43
Growth rate--
Number of jobs54,55114,447
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

What does a front desk manager do?

A front desk manager is an employee employed to manage a hotel's reception area, coordinate all front desk activities, and supervise the support staff. A manager is expected to handle guest complaints and schedule training for front desk staff. Apart from handling hotel guests, a front desk manager must be able to handle cash, accounting procedures, and general administration. A manager should also possess talents such as multitask, manage time as well as proficient in computer skills.

What does a reservations manager do?

A reservation manager is a front-line professional who handles hotel room booking and other tasks. Reservation managers facilitate the sales, bookings, and promotion of the products and services of a company. They quickly respond to phone calls and emails on room booking, apply room blocks, forecast room reservations, and update the arrival checklist. It is part of their job to review room inventory and allocate resources. Usually, they are employed by transportation firms, tour operators, car rental agencies, hotel chains, and travel agencies.

Front desk manager vs reservations manager salary

Front desk managers and reservations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Front Desk ManagerReservations Manager
Average salary$40,802$73,697
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $59,000Between $48,000 And $111,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkNew York
Best paying companyRHCreative Discovery Museum
Best paying industryHospitality-

Differences between front desk manager and reservations manager education

There are a few differences between a front desk manager and a reservations manager in terms of educational background:

Front Desk ManagerReservations Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeCornell UniversityCornell University

Front desk manager vs reservations manager demographics

Here are the differences between front desk managers' and reservations managers' demographics:

Front Desk ManagerReservations Manager
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 31.4% Female, 68.6%Male, 28.6% Female, 71.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 5.4% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 5.3% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage8%8%

Differences between front desk manager and reservations manager duties and responsibilities

Front desk manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage vendor relationships in support of CRM and sales reporting projects.
  • Serve as a point of escalation for guest problem resolution and manage all VIP special guests and execution of requests.
  • Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
  • Direct a team of three, successfully providing resolution to daily incidents, meeting SLA and KPI objectives.
  • Supervise entire front of the house functions including front desk and concierge personnel, bell staff and PBX associates.
  • Utilize Marriott policies and procedures to train new employees and keep proper records to relay training progress to hotel supervisors.
  • Show more

Reservations manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage Hotel/F & B/Spa reservation and PBX departments.
  • Lead salesforce in selling and upselling cruises via inbound and outbound calls as well as internet inquiries.
  • Manage payroll and scheduling, interview and hire new associates, score calls and coach associates on a daily basis.
  • Manage productivity from reservations staff by assigning additional tasks depending on call volumes and approve payroll.
  • Manage all GDS activity, including channel and inventory management, and report analysis and distribution.
  • Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
  • Show more

Front desk manager vs reservations manager skills

Common front desk manager skills
  • Front Desk Operations, 16%
  • Reservations, 15%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Guest Service, 8%
  • Room Availability, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 5%
Common reservations manager skills
  • Reservations, 53%
  • Data Entry, 15%
  • Customer Inquiries, 15%
  • Booking, 2%
  • Room Inventory, 1%
  • Payroll, 1%

Browse office and administrative jobs