Hotel Porter Kaikawe Tueke

Hotel porters meet and greet guests, answer enquiries, assist with luggage and park guests' vehicles.

Hotel porters may provide some or all of the following services to guests:

  • greet and take them to rooms
  • move luggage
  • run errands
  • deliver mail, newspapers and messages
  • deliver meals and drinks to rooms
  • answer enquiries about local attractions and booking tours
  • book taxis and restaurants
  • park cars
  • take and collect guests to and from airports and other locations.

Hotel porters may also cover for reception desk staff when needed.

Physical Requirements

Hotel porters should be fit, healthy and reasonably strong, as they may do some heavy lifting and spend long hours on their feet. They should also have a tidy appearance.

Useful Experience

Useful experience for hotel porters includes:

  • any hospitality experience, such as working as a waiter/waitress or bartender
  • work in the tourism industry, such as being a tour guide
  • customer service experience, such as retail work.

Personal Qualities

Hotel porters need to be:

  • friendly and helpful
  • polite and tactful
  • resourceful and reliable
  • organised
  • good at listening and communicating
  • able to work well as part of a team.

As porters deal with a wide range of people, they should also have an understanding and awareness of other cultures.

Skills

Hotel porters need to have knowledge of:

  • hotel services and safety regulations
  • the local area and tourist attractions
  • local restaurants and transport services.

Conditions

Hotel porters:

  • work part-time or full-time hours, including on weekends. Some hotels have night porters, who work from 11pm to 7am
  • work in the public areas of hotels
  • spend much of the day on their feet, and some of the day lifting and moving guests' luggage.

Subject Recommendations

There are no specific secondary educational requirements to become a hotel porter. However, NCEA Level 1 English and maths are preferred.

Hotel Porters can earn around $21-$22 per hour.

Hotel porters usually earn between minimum wage and $22 per hour.

Sources: Hospitality New Zealand, 'Annual Wage Survey 2015', 2015; Tourism Industry Association New Zealand, '2015 Salary Survey', 2015.

Hotel porters may move into other jobs in the hotel such as hotel receptionist or waiter/waitress.

Years Of Training

There are no specific requirements for becoming a hotel porter, but a full driver's licence is an advantage.

Hotel porters gain their skills on the job, and can study towards a New Zealand Certificate in Accommodation (Level 3) while working.

Hotel Porter