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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Booking Coordinator

💰 $35,000 - $55,000

OperationsHospitalityTravelAdministrationEvent Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Booking Coordinator is responsible for managing and executing the full lifecycle of reservations and bookings across channels—ensuring accuracy, timely communication with clients and partners, optimal resource allocation, smooth event or travel logistics, and accurate financial and reporting processes. This role combines operational precision, excellent customer service, and the ability to use booking and CRM systems to support teams in hospitality, travel, events, or corporate resource scheduling.

Core keywords: Booking Coordinator, Reservations Coordinator, Scheduling Coordinator, Reservation Systems, Calendar Management, CRM, Event Logistics, Travel Bookings, Client Communication.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Front Desk Agent / Receptionist with strong scheduling responsibilities
  • Administrative Assistant or Office Coordinator handling calendar and bookings
  • Sales Support or Customer Service Representative in hospitality, travel, or events

Advancement To:

  • Senior Booking Coordinator / Lead Reservations Specialist
  • Reservations Manager / Booking Manager
  • Operations Manager or Event Operations Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Event Planner / Event Coordinator
  • Sales Coordinator or Account Coordinator
  • Guest Services Manager or Travel Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage the end-to-end booking lifecycle for clients, guests, vendors, and internal stakeholders, including intake, confirmation, modification, and cancellation of reservations while maintaining high accuracy and attention to detail.
  • Operate and maintain booking and reservation systems (PMS, CRS, or specialized booking platforms) to input, update, and verify reservations, room allotments, resource allocations, and availability in real time.
  • Coordinate complex multi-vendor bookings and itineraries—synchronizing accommodations, transportation, equipment, staffing, and venue setup—ensuring all components meet client requirements and company policies.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for clients and partners for booking-related inquiries, providing timely, professional responses via phone, email, chat, and CRM while escalating issues when necessary.
  • Prepare and send clear booking confirmations, contracts, addenda, and detailed itinerary documents to clients and internal teams; ensure all contractual terms, special requests, and payment schedules are documented and acknowledged.
  • Reconcile bookings with billing and accounting teams: verify rates, apply discounts/promotions, enter billing codes, manage deposits and refunds, and support invoice generation and dispute resolution.
  • Monitor daily booking activity and availability dashboards to identify conflicts, overbookings, or gaps in coverage and proactively adjust allocations or work with sales and operations to find solutions.
  • Maintain and update client and supplier records in CRM and booking systems, ensuring data integrity, tagging, segmentation, and accurate historical booking information for reporting and follow-up.
  • Schedule and coordinate client site visits, pre-event walkthroughs, vendor deliveries, and on-site setup logistics; prepare and distribute detailed run-of-show documents to internal staff and external partners.
  • Implement and maintain booking policies and standard operating procedures; train new hires on booking systems, confirmation processes, and escalation pathways to ensure consistent service levels.
  • Negotiate rates, block space, or service terms with vendors and venues on behalf of clients, securing best-value options while maintaining margin and compliance with procurement guidelines.
  • Track and manage group, block, and master reservations, ensuring accurate rooming lists, pick-up reporting, and coordinated communication with sales and revenue teams.
  • Handle cancellations and changes sensitively and efficiently; apply cancellation policies, process credits or refunds, and offer alternative solutions to preserve revenue and client satisfaction.
  • Compile daily and weekly booking reports for operations, sales, and finance leadership—highlighting occupancy, revenue per booking, upcoming high-impact events, and potential operational risks.
  • Validate and audit bookings prior to high-volume periods (holidays, conferences, peak travel times) to minimize no-shows, double-bookings, and service failures.
  • Coordinate with marketing and revenue management to support promotional bookings, group offers, and special packages—ensuring promotions are applied correctly and tracked for performance.
  • Manage waitlists, priority lists, and allocation strategies for high-demand dates or limited inventory; communicate waitlist status and alternatives proactively to clients.
  • Administer multi-location booking coordination across properties or offices—ensuring consistent policies, visibility of availability, and smooth transfers between sites.
  • Support emergency scheduling and last-minute booking requests by mobilizing internal resources, prioritizing client needs, and documenting exceptions in the booking system.
  • Ensure compliance with legal, safety, and privacy requirements when handling booking data—protecting sensitive client information and adhering to company data retention policies.
  • Facilitate post-booking follow-up: collect client feedback, confirm satisfaction, capture upsell/cross-sell opportunities, and ensure any service recovery actions are completed and documented.
  • Collaborate with technology and product teams to suggest improvements to booking flows, automate repetitive tasks, and test new features to increase booking accuracy and efficiency.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with periodic audits of booking records, financial reconciliations, and inventory accuracy; propose corrective actions for recurring discrepancies.
  • Produce ad-hoc analytics and insights on booking trends, occupancy patterns, and customer behaviors to inform capacity planning and commercial strategies.
  • Support integration projects with third-party suppliers, channel managers, or OTAs by validating data flows and resolving mapping issues.
  • Participate in cross-functional meetings with sales, operations, marketing, and finance to align priorities, share booking forecasts, and communicate system changes.
  • Train colleagues on booking best practices and provide documentation and job aids to reduce errors and onboarding time.
  • Maintain physical and digital filing of booking contracts, deposit receipts, and amendment logs for audit readiness.
  • Assist with special projects such as seasonal scheduling, launch of new services, or pilot programs that affect booking workflows.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficiency with reservation and property management systems (examples: Opera PMS, SynXis, Cloudbeds, Rezly, Hotello, ResNexus).
  • Experience using CRMs and booking platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, or industry-specific CRMs) to manage client records and communications.
  • Strong Excel and Google Sheets skills: VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and data validation for reporting and reconciliation.
  • Familiarity with online travel agency (OTA) channel managers, global distribution systems (GDS) such as Amadeus or Sabre, and third-party booking APIs.
  • Knowledge of invoicing and basic accounting processes related to bookings—deposit handling, refunds, revenue tracking, and billing reconciliation.
  • Scheduling and calendar tools proficiency: Outlook, Google Calendar, Calendly, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms for coordinating meetings and confirmations.
  • Ability to operate ticketing, event-management, or scheduling software (examples: Cvent, Eventbrite, Booqable, Float) as applicable to organization.
  • Experience with document management and electronic signature tools (DocuSign, Adobe Sign) to manage contracts and amendments.
  • Basic HTML/email formatting and CRM templating skills for preparing standardized confirmations, notifications, and marketing-triggered messages.
  • Comfortable using business intelligence dashboards and reporting tools (Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio) to produce booking performance metrics.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication: clear confirmations, polite client interactions, and concise internal updates.
  • Strong attention to detail and accuracy to prevent double-bookings, incorrect billing, and service lapses.
  • Excellent time management and prioritization skills to juggle high volumes of simultaneous booking requests and deadlines.
  • Customer-focused attitude with professional problem-solving and conflict-resolution capabilities.
  • Ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure—especially during peak periods, emergencies, or last-minute changes.
  • Negotiation and vendor-management skills to secure favorable terms and maintain strong supplier relationships.
  • High degree of confidentiality and integrity when handling personal and payment information.
  • Team-oriented mindset with the ability to collaborate cross-functionally and support shared objectives.
  • Adaptability and willingness to learn new systems and processes as booking technology evolves.
  • Proactive mindset: anticipates issues, suggests process improvements, and follows through on action items.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; demonstrated experience in booking, scheduling, or administrative roles.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Event Management, Tourism, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Hospitality Management
  • Business Administration
  • Event Management
  • Tourism & Travel Services
  • Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–4 years of direct booking, reservations, or scheduling experience in hospitality, events, travel, or corporate services.

Preferred: 2–5 years experience with reservation systems, CRM workflow management, and cross-functional coordination in medium to high-volume environments. Experience in group bookings, event logistics, or travel itinerary management is a strong plus.

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