Travel & Hospitality Interview Questions & Answers

The screening interview prior to the assessment centre was 1 hour long with a Hilton General Manager in a nearby location.

The manager had paper handouts with structured competency questions that he had to fill in while you were answering. Quite weird as many times i had to stop talking so that he could manage to keep up with the notes. Made me lose my concentration a few times. The questions are typical competency ones adjusted to the hotel context.

e.g. Describe a situation where you had to deal with a difficult person.

Describe a situation where you had to take the initiative. What was the outcome? Would you change anything?

What does leadership mean to you?
Why would you be a successful Hilton Elevator Management Trainee?

Prepare as much as you can. You will be meeting with Hotel Managers from different brands so know what their brand is about and engage with them in conversation at every opportunity.

Network with as many other candidates as possible. The relationships that are developed during these 2 days are impressively strong. After all these are some of the top talent in the industry and you are likely to meet again/ do business with them at some point in the future

Following a One on One structured interview with a Hilton General Manager i was invited to attend the 2 day assessment center for the 2013 intake in Sofia, Bulgaria. Expenses were reimbursed a month after the assessment centre.

Split into groups of either 4 or 5 we first had to construct part of a joint project (paper bridge) with the other teams. Other tasks included a one on one role play where the candidate was covering for the F&B manager and the assessor was an unhappy F&B employee. Another group task was to solve a fictionary crime in teams of 3 where communication with other teams was vital. Finally another group task required to go through a VIP guest agenda and choose which of the requests should be accepted followed by one on one 10 minute negotiations with one of the assessors representing the guest. All candidates were also interviewed by the VP of Human Resources.

Dinner with the assessors was also part of the 2 day itinerary.

A competency based interview with two senior finance analysts. They asked the basic questions such as why do you want to work for BA and why do you want the role? They also explored areas of their competencies such asking that I provide an example of a time when I had to work with a dominating person and a time when I had missed a deadline. They also asked some non-scripted questions such as "if you were the CEO of BA for one day, what would you do?". At the end they also asked me some general questions about my CV. The interview lasted about 20-30 minutes.

When I discussed my interview with the other candidates, it seemed that each pair of interviewers like to ask slightly different questions.

If you were the CEO of BA for one day, what would you do?

Relax at the assessment centre. It's an extremely intense day so make sure you have breakfast and just take to catch a breath whilst you're waiting in between tasks.

Everyone at BA is very enthusiastic and this really shows. So just relax and enjoy the experience and try to let your enthusiasm shine across.

The candidates for the assessment centre was split into three groups of five. The day consists of a number of key areas. Firstly, the written tests: numerical and logical reasoning. Secondly, interviews and online verbal reasoning test. The last part consisted of a group exercise.

The interview is described as above.

The group exercise is like most typical group tasks. Everyone is given a similar brief, then each person is given a specific role and specific objectives. You have about 30-45 minutes to prepare your proposal, then you are given 30 minutes to discuss how the budget should be allocated across the different departments. Just as the group discussion starts, you will be informed that the overall budget is cut in half, which will create further discussions and compromises.

First of all i had a telephone interview with the H.R manager of the tour operator, we talked about my C.V. and my degree/time at uni by asking questions such as;
How will your degree help you with this job role?
What group work did you do and how has this helped you to become a great team member?

She also wanted to know how much information i knew about the company so previous research was vital. She also asked what destinations i had traveled to and what activities did i take part in there. She then asked questions such as what motivates me and why i should have the job.

The next step was the assessment centre and during that there was a face to face interview. The questions asked here was more to do with experience so i was asked about my customer service skills and examples i have had which has showed good customer service along with an example of how i have built up a good customer rapport.

Then there were a lot of scenario questions to do with sales such as how would i make a customer buy the holiday from me and not no-one else and i had to describe and sell my favorite holiday destination. After the assessment centre there was an additional interview with the manager of the branch this recapped the questions asked at the assessment centre.

What motivates you?
Tell me a time where you have experienced a difficult situation with a customer?
If a customer went on holiday and had a bad experience and complained to you what would you do to make them happy and want to book with you again?

For future candidates i would advise for you to have selling skills although it wasn't an essential in the job description the one to one interview definitely focused upon whether you have the experience or not regardless of having a degree. Make sure you know the company well because they like to ask questions on what the candidates know about Travelbag. It is also really helpful if you have traveled long haul as they like first hand knowledge from its staff.

There were ten of us and we were split into two rooms so five in each room. We started off with the group exercise it was a survival game in which the group, crew and the pilot had crashed in the amazon rain forest we needed to get away from the aircraft as it risked setting on fire and there were a list of 15 items we could take with us out of the plane but we had to choose just 6 items. Whilst the group was discussing the HR manager and her assistant were observing our team work skills.

We then had an exam which lasted 30 minutes there were 3 different sections a maths section, grammar and spelling section and a travel section. The maths section was questions working out how much a holiday would cost, the grammar and spelling were simple i.e. circle the correct spelling, and the travel section asked questions such as name a resort in Vietnam, list 3 things you would advise a customer to do in New York.

After the exam we had to present a one on one presentation of two resorts in Phuket. Before the assessment day we was given an email to prepare a presentation for pretend customers in which there were a family of four and a group of 20-25's we had to chose two separate resorts, a hotel and give information on beaches, activities, tours, nightlife and restaurants. This was to mainly show our selling skills. Then the one on one interview was conducted.

Having completed the tough online tests and hearing about getting a one-to-one interview with the head of technology solutions at PwC, I was obviously thrilled to have got this far.
The interview itself was an absolute grilling. The initial outset seemed friendly enough explaining my CV, my reasons for applying, my experiences and my goal of working in the sector. This lasted about 20 minutes where I also heard about the interviewer's experiences and history within the sector at PwC.

The next 40 minutes included a various number competency based questions and also a number of mathematical questions regarding statistics and statistical distributions (due to my degree being in Maths and the Mathematical content of the programme). This part was very difficult to work on the spot and remember everything I had studied over the past 3 years of my degree seemingly tested. This section also went further into detail about my education and thus the testing of certain areas of mathematics ensued.

At the end, I was given the opportunity to describe why I should be chosen over other candidates and what makes me stand out.

Describe a situation where you have failed and had to complete a compromise within a strict deadline?

Where would you use a Beta Distribution (Statistcs-based question)?

When was the last time you had to lead a team and came across an annoying or unhelpful individual? What did you do to rectify the situation? How did the team's project or work conclude? Was it a success?

If you were the leader of a team, what would be the 3 things you would look for in your employees beneath you?

Explain a time when you were put into a new situation with no prior knowledge of the industry or project you were put in? How did you react? What would you change if you were to do it again? What recommendations would you give an individual in your shoes for this sort of scenario?

Go into detail of your degree and modules chosen. Learn up on little tips that could be tested in the interview.

Read up on all your personal experiences.

Go through a vast number of possible interview questions.

Expect the unexpected! (as regards interview questions)

Unfortunately, didn't get as far as the assessment centres for PwC.

My interview was a day long assessment centre with 12 other candidates. This was one assessment centre of around 15 in total, in different locations around the country.
There were 2 group exercises and 2 individual exercises which we were rotated through during the day.
The group interviews were tasks where we had to choose items which we would like to have with us if we were stranded, and another where we were given a charity to propose to the rest of the group.

Explain a time where you have thought of a new method to be used, and how it has been implemented.

Be confident, and not afraid to speak up. The assessors were all very lovely and approachable people.
Also, do not be afraid to approach the previous recruited graduates, they provided some really helpful information, not just about the application and interview process but also the job itself.

First task: Individual interview which was competency based. Around 45 - 50 minutes long covering different sectors, such as honesty and approachability.
Second task: Group task in which each person was given a different charity, and the opportunity to win £1 million for the charity. Each candidate had to read through the information then create a small proposition to be chosen between the group.
Third task: Individual task, in which a ten minute one-on-one presentation had to be given on how to improve customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and profit margins.

The initial telephone interview was with YummyJobs' team members, who would then forward on a selection of Candidates to the Walt Disney company. The phone call was quite relaxed and lasted about 30 minutes, where I was asked if I'd visited the parks before, why I wanted the role and how well I thought I'd adapt to living in Florida. I received an e-mail inviting me to attend a Face to face interview in Liverpool, upon arrival there was a presentation that details the Program more and information about how the interview would go.The interview was tough but fun, as we were paired up with another and so we had to make sure that you shined. I was lucky in that my partner was really nice and we worked well together. We were asked again why we wanted to work at Disney World, to give an example of when we had to deal with a difficult customer, and they would give us an example of a situation and we explained how we would deal with it. Then they asked question about what we are passionate about and how we would apply it to our roles.

The most difficult question was the role-play one, as I had to think on my feet. However, after relaxing and thinking for a second before answering, I was able to give a good answer, that my interviewer seemed happy with.

Be enthusiastic but also demonstrate a smart head and common sense. The Disney Company has extremely high expectations of their staff, and so as a candidate you need to understand the level to which you must perform. Most importantly, demonstrate that you love the company and would really love the role. Enjoy it!

We were taken into a room in the Liverpool University, where we were given a Presentation about the Job/Program, and then we were all allocated a time to return for our interviews. When it was our time we went into another corridor where our papers were checked and were introduced to the person we were paired with for the interview. This helped greatly to get us at least comfortable with our pair before the interview!

I had a chat on the phone with the HR department about my experiences in customer service and my interest in the tourism industry, following this, I was invited to the assessment day.
The assessment day was enjoyable as senior management made us feel at ease; it involved group activities such as group role-play style tasks such as creating persuasive adverts for a company product and presenting these to senior management.
In groups, we also had to come up with unique marketing techniques which would help us to gain customers in the on-site catering outlets; we presented these ideas to a 'dragons den' style judging panel.

Individually (and in a separate room) we then presented to 2 staff members; having planned presentations prior to the interview day, we put forward potential revenue streams which might help maximise company revenue.

What are some original revenue streams to maximise profit for Parkdean resorts?

Friendly confidence goes a long way in a business customer-facing environment.
Make sure you are heard but also ensure you value other peoples opinions and ideas; teamwork is key at Parkdean Resorts.

The assessment day was undertaken at Newcastle Football Stadium. The venue was smart, easy to locate and access via public transport. It was an all-together well organised venue. The venue catered for interviewees as were all given a complimentary buffet lunch.

I contacted the agency via email after knowing about them by Googling :luxury PR agency within London

after sending email twice, I had an answer and a request for an interview.

I got there a bit earlier than supposed to and they asked me to wait until the right time!

Once I got inside, we sat into the conference room with the team manager and one senior account executive. They were both very nice and friendly.

- How many times a week would you like to work with us?
- How much would you expect as a salary?
- When can you start?
- How long would be your internship?
- What have you studied?
- What were your most challenging project? Why?
- tell us about you!

The question about the salary. I am not British and have no idea what are the average salary as being a graduate in the UK. Therefore to not seem too greedy, I answered that I had never been paid before for an internship, and that it was up to them to pay me or not. In the end I got £100 a week which I am not unsatisfied with, but maybe if I would have known a bot more about the subject I could have earned a bit more!

Be yourself
Do go dress to formal (I wore black trousers, flat leather boots, a shirt and a blazer)
Be sure you speak and write perfect English as it is a PR company and you will be asked to write a lot!!

As an intern at the Massey Partnership I gained vital experience within the PR industry. I worked on various PR projects for Grand Velas Resort Hotel in Mexico, The Shangri-La hotel at the Shard in London, and the W Hotels in Maldives, Thailand and Bali, all of which were a phenomenal success.

Administration support,
Press cuttings,
Writing press releases,
Assisting team with managing events,
Social media assistance for clients,
General PR support for team,
Office duties.

The interview started with a two page personality test in which I had to rank 4 words in each box in relation to how I perceive myself as well as how I believe others perceive me. This test lasted for 15 minutes.

The second test was a three page numerical and literacy test. It had basic arithmetic questions as well as questions that involve creating sentences from a list of words and choosing the correct synonym for a word. This test lasted 20 mins.

The third test involved spelling and general knowledge. I was asked directly where the Elgin Marbles are located, which ocean the island of Mauritius lies in and I had to name a Caribbean country. This test lasted for about 10 minutes.

After these tests, I had a more formal interview which lasted for about an hour and a half. I was asked about why I applied for the role. I said that I personally enjoy travelling and it is something that I am very enthusiastic about. I also said that I enjoy roles that involve meeting and talking with clients, which is something that I have a wealth of experience in carrying out. Marcelle, my interviewer, then proceeded to ask me about my experience in working in sales and target-driven environments. An answer to the initial question that focused on my ability to sell seemed to be preferred.

What are the factors which influence our business? Who are our competitors? Describe our typical client.

Based on my experience, I would say that Expressions Holidays is a very profit-driven business. Hence I would recommend providing answers that focus on your sales experience as opposed to your ability to interact and develop working relationships with clients.

Furthermore, I would recommend getting to know the holiday destinations that are offered by the travel business and research the news and current affairs in those respective countries. At the time of my interview, one of their destinations was Sri Lanka and the president had just replaced the prime minister with a controversial figure, Mahinda Rajipaksa. This was a situation being monitored by Expressions Holidays because political turmoil can be detrimental to their business.

There was no assessment centre. All the tests were conducted individually before the one-to-one interview.