There is one blunder that guests repeatedly make - and it can seriously derail their holiday, as I've witnessed time and again.

As a hotel receptionist, you serve as the primary point of contact for guests, encountering virtually everything imaginable - from the moment a booking is made right through to check-out. During my years behind that front desk, I fielded a relentless stream of demanding requests, answered countless inquiries, and regularly stepped in as a housekeeper, porter, waitress, and even an event planner for marriage proposals.

Whatever guests asked for, no matter how peculiar or outlandish, we would go above and beyond to make it happen - even if that meant scattering heart confetti across a room at 11pm. Yet there was one matter entirely beyond our control, and it was a blunder guests made repeatedly, without fail.

The hotel boasted two dining options: a cosy on-site pub serving hearty, traditional fare and a more upmarket restaurant offering an à la carte menu. What guests consistently failed to grasp, despite receiving endless email reminders, was that reservations were absolutely essential.

The number of times guests would arrive without having booked a table for dinner was frankly staggering. I'd be left in the uncomfortable position of informing them that both restaurants were completely fully at the weekend. Inevitably, this left guests bitterly disappointed - and many would squarely lay the blame at our door for failing to accommodate them.

At this establishment, along with numerous others I've stayed at personally, dinner reservations aren't automatically secured for overnight guests. Simply having a room doesn't grant you priority access to restaurant tables. What catches many people off guard is that most hotel restaurants welcome non-residents too - they operate just like any standard restaurant booking system.

If you're hoping to dine during the prime 8pm slot on a Saturday evening, you'll need to reserve it well ahead of time, and if that Sunday roast at 1pm is what you're after, you'd better ensure you've arranged it simultaneously.

As previously noted, we would dispatch regular email prompts, encouraging guests to arrange their dining reservations throughout their visit to prevent any letdown. Nevertheless, they would still arrive expecting to have the pick of the brunch in either restaurant, and at any time suited them.

This would not only leave guests extremely frustrated, compelling them to settle for food service on Friday and Saturday evenings, but we receptionists would also face the brunt of the entire situation. Therefore, from a fellow receptionist, whatever you do, please organise ahead and secure any breakfast, lunch or dinner bookings you'll need.

This guidance extends to arranging spa treatments as well. Generally, guests don't have treatment slots automatically allocated - even when you've purchased a spa break package. You'll still need to organise ahead and reserve your treatment slots, especially if you're visiting over a weekend when demand is high. After all, there's nothing more disappointing than arranging a special weekend getaway, only to find you cannot dine at the on-site restaurant you'd been looking forward to, or enjoy that much-needed spa treatment.