Top 15 Extended Stay America Interview Questions and Answers

Extended Stay America is one of the largest hospitality chains providing affordable long-term lodging across the United States With over 600 hotel locations, it has redefined the concept of comfortable living away from home for travelers.

As a prominent employer in the hospitality sector getting hired at Extended Stay America is highly competitive. You can expect a rigorous recruitment process designed to assess your skills, mindset and alignment with their service philosophy.

In this article, I will share the top 15 commonly asked Extended Stay America interview questions along with sample answers to help you prepare effectively.

1. Why do you want to work for Extended Stay America?

This is often the very first question to expect. It evaluates your motivations and shows whether you’ve done adequate research about the company. The interviewers want to see if you truly wish to build a career here or are just casually exploring options.

Sample Answer: I am extremely interested in building my hospitality career with Extended Stay America for several reasons. Firstly, I am highly impressed with your unique long-stay model and how you’ve made temporary living efficient yet comfortable for travelers. Secondly, your commitment to service excellence resonates with my own work ethic and people-centric approach. Your values of humility, innovation and hospitality mirror my own. Finally, the sheer scale and reach of your rapidly growing company presents exciting growth opportunities for motivated individuals like myself. I am eager to be a part of the Extended Stay America family and contribute wholeheartedly towards enhancing the guest experience.

2. What do you know about our company and how we are different from traditional hotels?

The aim here is to evaluate your knowledge about Extended Stay America’s offerings, target audience, and differentiators versus regular hotels. It demonstrates your level of interest and preparation for the interview.

Sample Answer From my research, I understand that Extended Stay America provides affordable temporary furnished suites for travelers who need accommodations for over a week You cater predominantly to three segments – business travelers on temporary work assignments, people relocating between homes, and those undergoing medical treatment

Your key differentiators are the in-room kitchens that allow home-style living and cost savings on meals, weekly housekeeping, on-site laundry facilities, and other amenities suited for long stays. Unlike regular hotels optimized for shorter vacations, your model offers practical comfort for guests who essentially “live” at your properties for weeks or months. This requires a deep understanding of their unique needs and building personal connections over time.

3. How would you handle an unhappy or difficult guest?

With its focus on extended stays, Extended Stay America employees often interact regularly with the same guests over a long duration. This increases the chances of encountering unhappy or dissatisfied guests. With this question, interviewers want to gauge your patience, empathy and problem-solving abilities when dealing with such situations.

Sample Answer: When facing an unhappy or difficult guest, I would first listen attentively to understand the root cause of their dissatisfaction without getting defensive. After they have expressed their grievance, I would apologize sincerely for the inconvenience and assure them that we will do our utmost to resolve the issue. If it is within my abilities, I would take immediate steps to mitigate the problem. For instance, if they have issues with housekeeping, I would arrange for a room refresh.

If the matter requires intervention of other departments or management, I would swiftly get the right people involved while keeping the guest informed of timelines and progress. Throughout the process, I would maintain a helpful, understanding attitude and follow up persistently until the guest’s satisfaction is restored. Handled correctly, these difficult situations present opportunities to deepen our relationship with the guest by regaining their trust.

4. This role requires interacting with guests daily. How would you ensure you always provide excellent customer service?

The ability to consistently deliver exceptional service is paramount at Extended Stay America. This question tests your understanding of what drives great service and how you personally ensure top-notch experiences for guests. It provides insight into your work ethic, attitude and commitment to the company’s service philosophy.

Sample Answer: I recognize that providing excellent customer service requires both the right skills and the right mindset. On the skills side, I will brush up on all necessary procedures and protocols at Extended Stay America to be able to address guest needs promptly and accurately.

Equally important is having genuine care and respect for each guest. I would achieve this by reminding myself that behind each request is a fellow human being, potentially far away from the comforts of home. With empathy and active listening, I will aim to build personal connections with guests to understand their unique needs.

Lastly, I plan to continuously self-evaluate and request guest feedback on my service. This will help me identify areas for improvement and also recognize what aspects delight our guests so I can replicate those experiences. I intend to make guest satisfaction my top priority in this role.

5. Tell us about a time you successfully handled a high-pressure situation at work.

The fast-paced hospitality environment often involves handling stressful, high-pressure situations. With this behavioral interview question, the recruiter wants to know if you can demonstrate grace under such pressure. Your example and analysis can reveal your problem-solving skills, adaptability and composure when the stakes are high.

Sample Answer: One instance that comes to mind is the time when a national conference was being hosted at a previous hotel I worked at, and we were handling room reservations for hundreds of attendees. Just days before the event, there was a major plumbing failure that affected half our inventory of guest rooms. It was a high-pressure situation with the reputational and financial stakes very high.

I immediately contacted the event organizers, explained the situation transparently, and proposed alternative accommodation plans to minimize inconvenience. Simultaneously, our maintenance team worked round the clock to restore the broken plumbing. We also upgraded any retained reservations to our premium rooms at no extra charge.

Despite the last-minute changes, the event was not derailed, and the guests remained satisfied with our communication and solution. The high-pressure situation reinforced the importance of having contingencies in place and responding swiftly yet thoughtfully.

6. How do you ensure attention to detail in your daily work?

Attention to detail is paramount in hospitality where guests expect everything from their rooms to their requests to be handled with utmost care. This question tests whether you understand the significance of getting the little things right. Your examples should demonstrate your diligence, organizational skills and consistency in achieving high standards.

Sample Answer: Throughout my career, I’ve placed immense value on attention to detail, be it housekeeping, front desk operations or guest interactions. I maintain detailed checklists for repetitive tasks and cross-verify my work. When responding to a guest request, I carefully note down all their specifications to ensure accuracy. If I encounter a process that’s prone to errors, I create step-by-step guidelines.

These habits not only ingrain attention to detail in my own work but also helps me train fellow team members. I believe details are powerful because they can make or break a guest’s first impression and overall experience with us. Getting them right consistently enhances both customer satisfaction and our reputation.

7. How would you contribute to our team’s success if hired for this role?

With this question, the interviewer wants to understand what you can uniquely contribute based on your skills, experience and work-style. It’s a chance for you to highlight your most relevant strengths and achievements that would add value to their specific team. Keep your answer focused and realistic.

Sample Answer: As a hospitality professional with 5+ years of guest services experience, I can contribute in several ways. Firstly, my proven ability to cultivate long-term guest relationships can be an asset in strengthening guest loyalty for your extended stay properties.

Secondly, my knack for resolving complaints promptly and turning dissatisfied guests into delighted ones can boost customer satisfaction. Thirdly, I possess great communication skills that can foster collaboration within our team. For instance, I have experience coordinating across multiple departments – from maintenance to housekeeping – to enhance operational efficiency. If hired, I’m fully confident I can become an integral team member that helps drive performance and growth.

8. Describe a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How was it resolved?

This is a common behavioral question aimed at uncovering your conflict management abilities. Recruiters want to see if you can maintain composure and take constructive steps to resolve interpersonal conflicts. It also shows your communication skills and accountability.

Sample Answer: I recall an incident where a coworker and I had a disagreement about the right way to process guest refunds. While I wanted to follow protocol, my coworker insisted on taking shortcuts. Initially, we were stuck in an unproductive debate. Realizing this, I requested a private meeting to clear this issue professionally.

In this meeting, I actively listened to their rationale and then explained my perspective. I appreciated their input but reiterated the importance of doing refunds per company policy to avoid errors. My colleague realized my point, and together we decided on the best way forward. This experience taught me that often a calm discussion away from work pressures can dissolve tensions. I also learned to value my colleagues’ opinions while still upholding policies that protect the company.

9. How do you stay motivated on difficult work days?

Working in hospitality can be demanding with long hours, strenuous shifts and occasionally difficult guests