Hotel Front Desk Agent - Elysee New York

ABOUT ELYSÉE NEW YORK

Elysée New York is entering a new chapter as an intimate luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The hotel blends the elegance of a historic New York residence with the warmth and cultural spirit of a European luxury hotel, delivering a guest experience built on genuine hospitality, considered detail, and quiet discretion. Elysée New York by Wunderkind Hotels is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, one of North America's leading hospitality management companies.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Elysée New York is seeking a warm, detail-oriented Front Desk Agent to serve as one of the primary points of contact across every guest's stay, from arrival through departure. Reporting to Front Office Management and the Director of Operations, this individual manages check-in and check-out, guest escorts, phone communication, and every guest request in between, coordinating closely with other departments to ensure a seamless experience. The Front Desk operates to Leading Quality Assurance standards, and the Front Desk Agent is responsible for bringing those standards to life in every guest interaction. This position requires flexibility in scheduled shifts, including overnight, weekends, and holidays.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

GUEST EXPERIENCE AND FRONT DESK OPERATIONS

• Serves as the brand ambassador and first impression to all arrivals.

• Welcome, check in, and check out guests accurately and warmly, confirming reservation, payment, and stay details in Opera Cloud, the hotel's guest reservation and billing system.

• Escort guests to their rooms when appropriate, introducing them to key hotel facilities such as the Concierge, Salon Sanssouci, and the Fitness Studio along the way.

• Answer incoming calls promptly and professionally, and manage phone-based check-out and other guest requests with the same care given to in-person service.

• Respond to all guest requests with genuine hospitality, discretion, and anticipatory service, taking ownership of each request through to completion or a clear hand-off.

• Recognize returning guests and honor their known preferences without being asked.

• Maintain accurate awareness of room status, VIP activity, and daily arrivals and departures throughout each shift.

COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION

• Coordinate continuously with Bell Services, Housekeeping, Engineering, Food & Beverage, Guest Services, and Security to ensure a cohesive, seamless guest journey.

• Communicate clearly and discreetly with the Front Office team over the Relay to manage queues, room readiness, and guest hand-offs.

• Relay guest preferences, special requests, and follow-up items to the appropriate department or team member, and confirm completion.

• Alert the Front Office Manager or Assistant Front Office Manager promptly to any guest concern, system issue, or situation requiring escalation.

SERVICE RECOVERY AND DISCRETION

• Take ownership of guest concerns and comments raised at check-in, check-out, or at any point during the stay, resolving and acting on them with sound judgment or escalating promptly when needed.

• Protect guest privacy at all times, including never saying a guest's room number aloud and handling payment and identification discreetly.

• Maintain composure and warmth under pressure, including during high-volume arrival and departure periods.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND BRAND STEWARDSHIP

• Uphold Leading Quality Assurance and Elysée New York service standards in every guest interaction.

• Maintain accurate, complete records in Opera Cloud and KYC tool for every guest interaction and request.

• Participate in ongoing training to reinforce luxury service standards and house vocabulary.

• Maintain a polished, professional appearance and an organized, presentable Front Desk area at all times.

REQUIRED QUALIFITCATIONS AND SKILLS

• Genuine passion for hospitality, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport quickly and naturally.

• Clear, professional phone and verbal communication skills.

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple guest requests at once without sacrificing warmth or accuracy.

• Sound judgment, discretion, and composure, particularly during high-volume periods or sensitive guest situations.

• Working knowledge of hotel reservation and property management systems, such as Opera Cloud, or the ability to learn new systems quickly.

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

• Minimum one to two years of front desk or guest-service experience within a luxury hotel environment.

• Demonstrated experience delivering personalized, high-touch guest service.

• Ability and willingness to work a rotating schedule across all shifts, including overnight, weekends, and holidays.

• Experience within the New York City luxury hospitality market.

• Experience with Opera Cloud or a comparable property management system.

• Multilingual capabilities are a plus, though not required.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Salary range: $35.00-38.00 per hour; benefits package, 401(k) eligibility, professional development opportunities, and hotel travel benefits available through eligible programs.

WHY JOIN ELYSÉE NEW YORK

Joining Elysée New York is an opportunity to help shape the re-emergence of a legendary New York hotel and to build a new standard of intimate, personalized luxury hospitality. The Front Desk Agent is often a guest's first and last impression of Elysée New York, work that is considered, genuine, and built to last, on a platform toward hotel leadership growth opportunities. We invite candidates who believe that luxury is defined not by formality alone, but by generosity, discretion, and the ability to make every guest feel genuinely seen, to join us and help build a place where every guest, and every team member, belongs.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Elysée New York Hotel, managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the applicable Know Your Rights notice from the United States Department of Labor.

NOTE:

This description excludes non-essential and marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of the fundamental job duties. Furthermore, the specific examples in each section are not intended to be all-inclusive. Rather, they represent the typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. Other job-related duties may be assigned by the associate's supervisor.

Furthermore, this description is subject to change, in the sole discretion of the Company, and in no way creates an employment contract, implied or otherwise; each associate remains, at all times, an “at will” associate.