Central Reservations Agent

Reservations Agent — Central Reservations Office

Providence Hotels Group
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Department: Commercial
Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Salary: R15,000 – R20,000 per month, depending on experience
Reports To: Central Reservations Supervisor / Central Reservations Manager

About Providence Hotels Group

Providence Hotels Group is a growing hospitality operator managing a diverse portfolio of independent, branded and boutique hotel properties across the UK. Our portfolio includes Mercure branded hotels, independent leisure hotels, boutique properties in Bath and the Lake District, and a pipeline of new brand launches.

We have established a Central Reservations Office based in Cape Town, South Africa, to centralise reservations handling across our UK hotel portfolio. The CRO team is the first point of contact for many of our guests and plays a key role in creating an excellent first impression, driving direct bookings and supporting the commercial performance of the group.

About the Role

We are looking for a warm, confident and commercially minded Reservations Agent to join our Central Reservations Office.

This is not a scripted call-answering role. It is a guest-facing, sales-focused hospitality position where you will handle inbound reservation enquiries by phone, email and digital channels. You will listen carefully to each guest’s needs, recommend the most suitable hotel, room type or package, and convert enquiries into confirmed bookings.

As the Providence Hotels portfolio continues to grow, you will be expected to continuously build your knowledge of each property, brand, location, facilities, guest profile and selling points. This will allow you to confidently guide guests to the right hotel and create a seamless booking experience.

Key ResponsibilitiesReservations Handling

You will be responsible for answering inbound calls promptly, professionally and warmly, as well as responding to email and digital enquiries within agreed response time targets. You will handle each enquiry as a unique guest conversation, taking the time to understand the guest’s reason for travel, preferences, budget and expectations before recommending the most suitable option.

You will provide accurate information on room types, rates, packages, availability, hotel facilities and local area information across the Providence Hotels portfolio. You will also process bookings, amendments and cancellations accurately in the Property Management System and ensure all confirmations are sent with the correct details.

Conversion and Consultative Selling

You will approach every enquiry with a conversion mindset, aiming to find the right stay for the guest and secure the booking directly with Providence Hotels. This includes using consultative selling techniques, overcoming objections professionally and confidently promoting direct booking benefits.

You will also upsell room upgrades, packages and relevant extras such as breakfast, dinner, spa, early check-in or other ancillary services where appropriate.

Portfolio Knowledge and Product Familiarisation

You will be expected to develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of all Providence Hotels properties, including locations, room types, facilities, dining options, accessibility features, parking, local attractions, guest profiles and key selling points.

You will participate in ongoing product familiarisation, property knowledge sessions, brand updates and training activities to ensure your knowledge remains accurate, current and confident. As new hotels, brands, packages, systems or processes are introduced, you will be expected to adapt quickly and apply your knowledge in guest conversations.

Booking Accuracy and Systems

You will be responsible for entering all bookings accurately, including correct dates, rate codes, room types, guest information, contact details and special requests. You will maintain accurate guest profiles and booking notes, check booking details carefully before confirming, and report any system issues, rate discrepancies or availability concerns to your Supervisor.

Guest Experience and Brand Standards

You will represent Providence Hotels with warmth, professionalism and genuine care in every interaction. You will adapt your communication style to different guest types, including leisure travellers, corporate bookers, group organisers and guests booking special occasions.

You will handle requests relating to accessibility, dietary requirements, celebrations and personal preferences with sensitivity and attention to detail. Complex complaints or difficult enquiries will be escalated to the Supervisor with a clear and complete handover.

Team Contribution

You will contribute positively to the CRO team environment by arriving prepared for each shift, supporting colleagues during busy periods, participating in training and quality feedback sessions, and sharing useful guest insights or product knowledge with the team.

You will be expected to demonstrate adaptability, a willingness to learn and a positive attitude as the CRO function and Providence Hotels portfolio continue to expand.

Compliance and Data Standards

You will handle all guest information in line with GDPR and Providence Hotels data protection policies. You will follow all approved payment procedures and ensure that card details are never written down, emailed, stored in notes or shared via Teams or WhatsApp. Any suspected fraud, chargeback risk or suspicious booking pattern must be escalated immediately.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• At least 1 year of experience in a customer service, sales, hospitality, travel, retail or call centre environment
• Strong verbal communication skills and a warm, confident telephone manner
• Strong written English skills with accurate spelling and professional tone
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Confidence using computers, digital tools and booking systems
• The ability to learn new systems, processes, brands and property information quickly
• A genuine interest in hotels, travel and guest experience
• A commercial mindset with the desire to convert enquiries into bookings
• The ability to remain calm and professional under pressure
• A positive, reliable and team-focused attitude

Previous experience in hotel reservations, front office, a travel agency, tour operator, PMS system or target-driven sales environment would be advantageous, but is not essential.

Key Performance Areas

Performance will be reviewed against areas such as:

• Call conversion rate
• Email and digital enquiry conversion
• Call answer rate
• Email response time
• Upsell revenue
• Booking accuracy
• Call quality scores
• Guest satisfaction
• Attendance and punctuality
• Product knowledge and training participation

Working Hours and Conditions

This role operates within a live reservations environment and may require shift work, weekend work, South African public holiday coverage and UK peak trading hour coverage depending on business needs.

Calls may be recorded for training, quality monitoring and compliance purposes.

What We Offer

• Salary of R15,000 – R20,000 per month, depending on experience
• Performance-based incentive scheme linked to conversion and upsell KPIs
• 30 days annual leave, including bank holidays
• Employee hotel rates across the Providence Hotels portfolio
• Friends and family hotel discount rates
• Accor employee benefits, where applicable to Mercure properties
• Access to Accor training and development programmes
• Structured induction and onboarding
• Ongoing product familiarisation and portfolio training
• Regular coaching and call quality feedback
• A clear development pathway from Agent to Senior Agent, Supervisor and Manager
• The opportunity to build a commercial hospitality career within a growing hotel group

Equal Opportunities

Providence Hotels Group is an equal opportunities employer and