Guest relations refer to guest-oriented services in the hospitality industry. When one is working in a hotel or cruise ship for example, he/she may be tasked to serve guests with their various needs including room reservations, travel and tour arrangements among others. Guest relations staff and officers are typically part of a company’s front-office personnel because they are literally the ones that face the company’s customers upfront and serve their needs.

In the case of hotels and cruise ships, people that are under the guest relations group are those that take care of their guests bookings and other needs within the hotel or even outside. For people who need advise on where to shop and dine for example, they may get some options through the in-house guest relations services. For those who wish to avail of the hotel’s or cruise ship’s facilities like spa services, meeting rooms, and function halls, they may also coordinate with guest relations officers. Visitors from other places may also coordinate with guest relations staff in terms of places to go, tourist hotspots, shops for souvenirs, and other tour-related activities. For big hotels, guest relations staff act like personal assistants to their guests and supervise the itinerary and schedule for them. Assistance is given for various needs with some companies offering local language tutorials and culture immersion activities.

Aside from hotels and cruise ships though, guest relations staff may also be employed by other companies who are part of the service industry. Some hospitals and medical clinics for example provide similar guest relations services to patients and their families and address their needs during their entire stay in the medical facility. A typical guest relations staff in medical facilities may help their guests or patients with their needs such as doctors’ appointments, laboratory scheduling and concerns, acquisition of prescribed medicines, and even simple directions to various medical facilities.