Practical guides, quick tips and the words hotels use — written from the other side of the counter. For people who work in hospitality, want to, or are just curious how hotels really work.
Write the guest’s name on the key card envelope before they reach the desk — it saves time and starts with a personal touch.
FRONT DESKGuests decide how they feel about a hotel almost before they reach the desk. Here is how to make that first minute count.
4 min readRead the guide
FRONT DESKSometimes the hotel is full and a guest with a reservation is still standing at the desk. A calm, generous process can turn the worst night into a loyal guest.
5 min read
FRONT DESKA guest who complains is giving the hotel a second chance. A simple five-step approach used in many hotels makes that chance count.
4 min read
FRONT DESKThe best upsell is a recommendation that solves something the guest already wants. Here is how to offer it naturally.
4 min read
FRONT DESKEvery night, while most of the hotel sleeps, someone closes the day. What the night audit is, why it matters, and what it usually involves.
5 min read
FRONT DESKFuture guests read your replies as closely as the reviews. A short, human answer does more than a long template.
4 min read
FRONT DESKThe property management system is the hotel’s central nervous system. A plain-language tour of what it handles and how it connects to everything else.
4 min readFree mini apps built for front desk work.
Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR in seconds — plus a what-if simulator.
Free · Web appOpen appWarm, ready-to-send guest messages in English and Spanish at once.
Free · Web appOpen appA clean front desk handover in two minutes. Copy it or print it.
Free · Web appOpen appReal situations from a hotel front desk. Pick an answer and see why it works — or doesn’t.
1:12 a.m. A tired guest arrives with a confirmed reservation. Housekeeping says their room still isn't ready.
The acronyms and terms you will hear on your first week — explained in one sentence each.
Beta Files about people, service and what hotels teach us about technology.
BETA FILE / 002What a hotel front desk can teach us about designing technology that actually helps humans.
4 min read
BETA FILE / 007I edited the right app on the wrong server. Here’s what that taught me.
2 min read
BETA FILE / 006A tiny comedy about sleep, ambition, and the mythical idea of being “done.”
2 min read