Guest relations, front office and concierge work is about how you meet people. A hospitality resume with a photo can show that first impression next to the evidence: the hotels you worked in, the guests you looked after and the problems you solved. This guide covers when a photo helps, how to fill the Lumen resume template, and when a plain file is the better choice.
What is the Lumen hospitality resume template?
Lumen is a two-column hotel resume template in which your photo fills the top corner of the page, out to the paper's edge. Your name sits beside the photo, under your job title, and your work history runs down the wide column beside a deep green side column.
The design fixes the photo's place, size and shape. You can add a photo, replace it or switch it off. With the photo off, the same frame shows your initials, so the page keeps its balance.
Should a hospitality resume include a photo?
It depends on the country, not the industry. Photo customs differ widely:
- Common: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy and Poland. A photo is a normal part of a CV there, though it stays your choice.
- Optional: the Netherlands, Sweden and India. Guul's country settings also list a photo as optional in Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, two large hotel markets.
- Usually left off: the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. A resume there normally has no photo, so choose a design without one.
If the job advert asks for a photo, include one. If it asks you not to, leave it out. The advert always wins over a general custom.
Which photo works in the corner frame?
A recent head-and-shoulders photo with a plain, light background works best. The frame is large, so start from the sharpest file you have.
- Face the camera, with even light and no strong shadows.
- Wear what you would wear to an interview at that hotel.
- Leave some room above your head and to each side; the frame crops to its own shape.
- Avoid group photos, sunglasses, filters and holiday backgrounds.
A friendly, natural expression suits guest-facing work. It should look like the person who will walk into the interview.
What goes in the side column?
The side column holds facts a reader checks quickly: phone, email, city, languages and the systems you use. For hospitality, that means the property management system, booking tools and point-of-sale software you know by name.
Languages matter in guest relations, so give each one a plain level, for example "English (fluent), Mandarin (native), Japanese (conversational)". If you hold a certificate, name it and the year.
Keep the main column for experience. For each role, give the job title and dates, then the property and city, then two to four lines on what you did:
- "Welcomed and checked in VIP guests for a 300-room hotel; arranged airport transfers and special requests."
- "Handled guest complaints at the front desk and followed up until each one was closed."
- "Trained four new guest service agents on check-in, upselling and the booking system."
Use numbers you can confirm, such as the hotel's room count or the size of the team you trained. Do not invent guest scores or percentages.
Same story. A little more breathing room.
Switch the layout. Watch how spacing and hierarchy change the way this sample reads.
Alex Morgan
Product designerProfile
Product designer focused on making complex workflows easier to understand.
Experience
Product Designer · Example Studio
- Mapped the onboarding journey with the support team.
- Designed and tested a clearer account setup flow.
- Documented reusable components for the engineering team.
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Interaction design · Prototyping · Design systems
Everything is asking for attention.
Closely packed headings and text leave fewer visual signposts. Try the other treatment.
When should you send the plain ATS PDF instead?
Send the plain version when you apply through a job portal or an online application form. Hiring software reads a single column with standard headings most reliably, and a photo gives it nothing to read.
In the editor's download menu, choose PDF — ATS Optimized. It prints the same words in one column, with standard headings and no photo. Keep the Lumen PDF for emails to a hiring manager, printed copies for an interview, and portals that ask for a designed CV.
Before sending either file, read how to check the extracted text so you know what a portal will see.
Your experience. A fresh canvas.
Try a different look. These are actual Guul template previews, with illustrative sample content.
Greet the reader first.
Your photo fills the top corner over a deep green side column for contact details, languages and skills. The design fixes the photo frame.
Make this layout yours ↗The builder opens with your selected template.Replace all sample details with your own experience.Explore the resume lookbook →
How do you make a hotel resume easy to scan?
Put the most relevant role first, keep each line short, and repeat the job title from the advert where it is true. A hiring manager may read a resume quickly the first time, so make the property names and dates easy to find. Make your resume easier to scan explains how to test this on your own page.
Frequently asked questions
Is a photo required on a hospitality resume?
No. A photo is never required by Guul, and customs depend on the country. Follow the job advert first, then the country's custom.
Can I move or resize the photo in Lumen?
No. The design fixes the photo's place, size and shape so every page looks as drawn. You can add, replace or switch off the photo.
What if I do not want a photo at all?
Switch it off. The frame then shows your initials. If you apply in the United States, the United Kingdom or Ireland, a design without a photo frame may suit you better.
Will hiring software read my Lumen resume?
The words are real text, not an image. For portals, still send the plain ATS PDF, because a single column is the safest layout for software.
Start your resume in Lumen and preview every page before you download.