With over 1,200 hotels globally, Holiday Inn is one of the most recognizable hotel chains. The brand is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts group and offers comfortable, family friendly accommodations for both business and leisure travelers.
Holiday Inn properties employ front desk staff, housekeepers, food service workers, maintenance crew, managers and more. Competition is often high for Holiday Inn jobs given the company’s strong reputation. If you have an upcoming Holiday Inn interview, being prepared can help you stand out.
Let’s look at some of the most frequently asked Holiday Inn interview questions along with examples of impressive responses
Tell me about yourself.
This open-ended prompt allows interviewers to learn about your background. Keep your answer targeted and concise.
- Focus on highlights relevant to the role – 1-2 minutes
- Emphasize key experiences, skills and achievements
- Explain what motivates you about hospitality and this opportunity
Strong response “I’m a hospitality professional with over 5 years of experience providing excellent customer service in hotel settings In my current role as front desk agent at the Marriott Courtyard Downtown, I’ve maintained satisfaction scores over 90% by delivering personalized, efficient service I’m known for quickly building rapport with guests and resolving any issues with patience and care. I’m now seeking to advance my hospitality career with Holiday Inn. The welcoming, family-friendly environment you provide aligns perfectly with my values and strengths.”
Why do you want to work for Holiday Inn?
Hiring managers want to assess your passion for their brand, Research their values and offerings
- Express enthusiasm for their focus on comfort, value and welcoming service
- Share specific aspects of their mission/culture that resonate with you
- Highlight your alignment with their service philosophy
Strong response: “I’m excited for the chance to be part of the Holiday Inn team. The brand has always stood out to me for providing dependable, family-friendly hotels. I really connect with your focus on delivering genuine service with a warm, welcoming environment. It’s clear your values around caring for guests align closely with my own. For example, initiatives like the KidSuites rooms show your commitment to making every family’s stay special. I’m inspired by Holiday Inn’s spirit of hospitality and would feel so proud to be able to provide that experience for guests myself.”
What hospitality experience do you have?
Use this opportunity to expand on your qualifications. Provide specific examples of your achievements.
- Connect your background directly to the role requirements
- Share related knowledge – hospitality terms, brand standards, regulations
- Demonstrate times you delivered great customer satisfaction
Strong response: “I bring over 2 years of experience in hotel reception roles. I’m highly familiar with all aspects of front desk operations – reservations, check ins/outs, resolving customer issues, auditing for accuracy. I maintain comprehensive brand knowledge on standards and offerings to inform guests. My specialized experience with rates and reservations enables me to optimize room utilization. For example, at my current hotel I increased booked occupancy by 5% within months by adjusting rate tiers and promotions. I have stellar feedback for providing personalized service, like surprising a guest with a complimentary fruit basket on their anniversary.”
How would you handle an angry guest complaining about their room?
Hospitality staff inevitably encounter disgruntled guests. Share your calm, empathetic approach.
- Emphasize listening without interrupting to fully understand their concerns
- Explain you would apologize for the unsatisfactory experience
- Discuss working urgently to find the best resolution for them
Strong response: “When handling complaints, I always start by listening carefully without interrupting the guest. I empathize and apologize sincerely that they’ve had a disappointing experience. From there, I ask questions to fully understand what went wrong and what the guest’s particular needs are. I let them know I will take personal responsibility for making this right. If it was a room issue, I would coordinate with housekeeping right away to resolve it, perhaps by upgrading their room if needed. I would also proactively check back with the guest to ensure they felt fully satisfied with the resolution.”
How do you prioritize when handling multiple tasks?
Juggling different duties is common in hospitality roles. Share how you stay organized when multi-tasking.
- Discuss creating task lists and checking in with your manager
- Explain how you assess urgency when schedules are disrupted
- Provide an example of smoothly handling multiple tasks
Strong response: “I’m comfortable taking on several tasks efficiently through prioritizing and planning. When my manager assigns me multiple duties for my shift, I create a checklist for myself and confirm priorities if anything is unclear. If an urgent issue later pops up, like an arriving VIP, I reassess what still needs to be done within the updated timeline. As an example, I once had to prepare 10 new room keys for arrivals while fielding guest questions at the front desk and coordinating a luggage issue with housekeeping. By staying focused, I completed everything smoothly and delivered excellent service.”
How do you keep up-to-date on industry trends and best practices?
Demonstrate you take initiative to stay current in the evolving hospitality landscape.
- Share examples such as reading industry publications, taking e-learning courses, networking with peers
- Discuss applying your learning at work to improve operations and guest satisfaction
- Convey passion for continuously enhancing your expertise over your career
Strong response: “I regularly make time to enrich my hospitality knowledge through activities like reading Hotel Management magazine, taking online Cornell hospitality courses and attending local industry meetups to exchange knowledge with other professionals. For example, by taking a recent class on hospitality revenue management, I gained insight into updating room pricing tiers which led to increased bookings. I’m genuinely excited by all the innovations and evolutions occurring in this industry. Being proactive about continuous learning enables me to apply the latest best practices to benefit both our guests and our hotel’s performance.”
What are your career goals for the next 5 years?
Demonstrate this role aligns with your long-term aspirations within the company.
- Share your vision to take on more responsibilities and develop expertise in hospitality
- If suitable, convey aspirations for leadership roles to advance the brand’s success
- Emphasize your commitment to growing your career with Holiday Inn
Strong response: “My goal is to develop into an hospitality expert, mastering all aspects of hotel operations and service delivery. In the next 5 years, I hope to take on additional duties and gain experience across departments like reservations, sales, revenue management, and more. Longer term, after developing well-rounded expertise, I aspire to advance into a hotel leadership role like General Manager where I can help ensure Holiday Inn’s success on a broader scale. This position is an exciting first step on that path within the brand. I’m committed to continuing to learn and contribute for years to come at Holiday Inn.”
What else should I know when considering you for this role?
This closing question provides one more chance to highlight your relevant strengths and passion.
- Summarize why your experience, skills and values make you an excellent match
- Convey genuine enthusiasm for the role and fitting with the culture
- Reiterate your commitment to deliver outstanding service and grow
Strong response: “I want you to know that I’m truly excited for the chance to launch my career with Holiday Inn. Your mission to provide an inviting, reliable hotel experience completely aligns with my own values of delivering outstanding hospitality service. My experience achieving high satisfaction scores roles proves I have the right blend of customer care mindset and operational expertise to excel here. If you give me this opportunity, I can promise you I’ll work tirelessly to build rapport with guests, resolve any issues, and help create the welcoming experience Holiday Inn is known for. I’m excited to bring my skills and passion to your team.”
Asking thoughtful questions and crafting strong responses can help you stand apart during your Holiday Inn interview process. With the right enthusiasm and preparation, you can showcase yourself as the ideal hospitality professional to join their team.
Top 5 Holiday Inn Interview Questions and Answers
FAQ
Why do you want to work at Holiday Inn Express?
What are your three weaknesses?
Why do you want to work for IHG?
How do you prepare for a Holiday Inn job interview?
To help you prepare for a Holiday Inn job interview, here are 32 interview questions and answer examples. Who would you say inspires you? Your life’s inspiration can come from a book, a mentor, your family, a celebrity, author – literally anyone! Talk to the interviewer about who has inspired your life and why. 1. Who would you say inspires you? 2.
What is it like to stay at the Holiday Inn?
Beds were large and very comfortable and most rooms had their own bathroom which was perfect for a large group. Kitchen was well equipped and big enough that we weren’t getting in each others way whilst cooking Christmas lunch. The grounds are lovely with views across the country side and the hot tub is fabulous.
What is Holiday Inn’s philosophy?
At Holiday Inn, our desire is to be socially responsible by supporting causes that matter to our world. What charities or causes are you supporting and why. 28. At Holiday Inn we put our customers needs first. What is your customer service philosophy? 29. Are you currently interviewing with any direct competitors of Holiday Inn? 30.
What education do you need to work at Holiday Inn?
31. At Holiday Inn we prefer to hire those with a business, hospitality, or tourism related diploma or degree. Walk me through your post-secondary education. How has it prepared you for this role?
