A 29-task Hotel reception checklist signed with a PIN
The front desk is the hotel's first and last impression, running 24/7. Daily routines—opening the till, verifying guest IDs, completing card pre-authorisations and night audit—can now be turned into a digitised, signed checklist. The receptionist sees exactly what to do, and management tracks compliance in real time, without being on-site.
Runs on any tablet or PC at reception Every task signed with a PIN, time and employee Management sees compliance from anywhere
What does a receptionist do on shift?
A hotel reception shift covers five distinct blocks: opening the front desk after the night audit, check-in, ongoing duties during the shift, check-out, and the close/night audit. Together they add up to 29 well-defined tasks—from counting the till float to updating the handover book—each one contributing to a smooth guest stay and accurate financial reporting.
These routines produce a wealth of verifiable data: a till float reconciliation first thing, a completed guest registration card with ID checked (under the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 for foreign guests), card pre-authorisations taken at check-in (usually from 2pm/3pm), and a final invoice settled on departure (by 11am/12pm). All must be handled with care—one missed pre-auth or an incorrect folio charge can cost the property both revenue and reputation.
With Timlup, every one of those tasks becomes a line on a tablet or PC screen. The receptionist ticks it, signs with a personal PIN, and the system logs the exact time and the employee. There is no certification—Timlup does not issue compliance certificates—but the manager can see, in real time, what has been done and what is still outstanding. It's about documenting the routine, not replacing the PMS, and it works without any shift-rota management.
The hotel front desk, in pictures
From check-in to cash-up: every shift task signed from reception.
The 31 reception tasks, ordered by block
A complete routine that takes around 2.5 hours across the full day, split across the shift.
Front desk opening
approx. 35–40 min- 1 Read the night audit handover and the incident logbook 3 min
- 2 Cash count and balancing for the incoming shift 5 min
- 3 Review today's arrivals and departures in the PMS 2 min
- 4 Room planning with housekeeping: block and assign status 2 min
- 5 Prepare key cards and welcome documentation 3 min
- 6 Check VIP reservations and special requests 2 min
- 7 Check POS terminal, card machine, and reception printer 1 min
- 8 Power up equipment, tidy the front desk, and check corporate materials 2 min
Check-in
approx. 10 min per guest (from 2pm/3pm)- 1 Find the booking in the PMS 1 min
- 2 Have the registration card completed & signed 2 min
- 3 Request ID / passport, photocopy where needed (Immigration Order 1972) 2 min
- 4 Assign the room 1 min
- 5 Take card pre-authorisation or deposit 2 min
- 6 Hand over key card, brief on facilities & wifi 2 min
During the shift
ongoing (approx. 30 min of focused blocks)- 1 Respond to phone & walk-in enquiries 10 min
- 2 Manage bookings & amendments 5 min
- 3 Take payments & post charges to folios 5 min
- 4 Log incidents & maintenance jobs 5 min
- 5 Liaise with housekeeping on room status 5 min
Check-out
approx. 10 min per guest (by 11am/12pm)- 1 Retrieve the guest folio 1 min
- 2 Review charges & mini-bar consumption 2 min
- 3 Produce final invoice & take payment 2 min
- 4 Collect the key card 1 min
- 5 Ask for guest feedback / survey 2 min
- 6 Mark room as vacated for cleaning in the PMS 1 min
Close and night audit
approx. 35–40 min (overnight)- 1 Final cash reconciliation 5 min
- 2 Reconcile all charges & open folios 10 min
- 3 Run the end-of-day in the PMS 5 min
- 4 Back up / day-end posting 2 min
- 5 Update the handover & incident book 5 min
- 6 Final security round of public areas 10 min
This simple on their front desk screen
The receptionist signs in with a PIN, sees only the tasks for their shift and signs at close. The manager tracks compliance from their panel.
The Granville Hotel · Reception
Opening — Front desk
due 08:00- Read night audit report & handover notes
- Read shift log / incident book
- Count & reconcile the till float
- Review arrivals, departures & room plan
- Prepare key cards & check VIPs
Turn the reception checklist into signed proof
Three levers that change the reception routine.
Every task signed and timed
The receptionist selects their name, enters a personal PIN and ticks the task. The system records the exact moment and the employee, removing any doubt about compliance.
Real-time management oversight
From a live dashboard, the manager sees which blocks are open, how many tasks are completed, and which ones are still pending—without calling the front desk.
Works with your PMS, not against it
Timlup is not a property management system. It does not handle bookings or folios, but it does make sure the checklist that surrounds them is documented, signed and auditable.
Common hotel reception questions
Straight answers from UK front-desk practice, without the fluff.
What time is hotel check-in and check-out in the UK?
What is the night audit?
What is a till float / cash reconciliation at reception?
Do UK hotels need to keep a guest register?
What is a card pre-authorisation?
How long does a hotel check-in take?
What guest details can a hotel ask for under GDPR?
Does this checklist work without a PMS / how does Timlup fit?
John Guerrero
Founder of Timlup · Founder of ChefBusiness
15+ years working on business operations and process digitisation. Behind Timlup, ChefBusiness and AI Chef Pro. These guides capture the daily-control procedures I see working in operations-heavy businesses across Spain.
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