English phrases for a hotel: from booking to check-out

28 phrases · 6 min read

Booking a room, checking in, reporting a broken air conditioner, keeping the room an extra hour: a whole hotel stay runs on a handful of set phrases. The five most useful ones, worth knowing before you even leave home:

• I have a reservation under the name Dupont. — The first sentence at any front desk.
• Is breakfast included? — Ask it before you book, not at the table.
• What time is check-out? — The hour your last morning depends on.
• The air conditioning doesn't work. — How you report almost any problem.
• Could I have a late check-out? — The kindest sentence on departure day.

Here are all 28 phrases for the full stay, from the online booking to the taxi to the airport, plus the front-desk dialogue to rehearse.

Booking

• I'd like to book a double room for three nights. — "To book" is the verb hotels use, for rooms as for flights.
• Do you have any rooms available this weekend? — "Available" means free, not yet taken.
• How much is it per night? — The price question, short and standard.
• Is breakfast included? — "Included" means it's part of the price.
• Does the room have a private bathroom? — Worth asking in small hotels and hostels.
• Could I have a quiet room on a high floor? — High floors are usually quieter, away from the street.
• I'll confirm the booking by email. — "Booking" is the noun for your reservation.

Checking in

• Hello, I have a reservation under the name Dupont. — Give the name the booking was made under.
• Here is my passport and my credit card. — Most front desks ask for both at check-in.
• What time is check-in and check-out? — Ask it on arrival, not on the last morning.
• Could I check in early? — Sometimes free if your room is already ready.
• Where can I park my car? — Hotel parking is rarely free in city centers.
• What is the Wi-Fi password? — Often printed on your key card sleeve.
• Could you call me a taxi for tomorrow at 7? — Reception can book it for any hour, even early morning.

During your stay

• The air conditioning doesn't work. — The universal template: the thing + "doesn't work".
• There are no towels in the bathroom. — "There are no…" reports anything missing.
• Could I have an extra blanket, please? — "An extra + item" brings more of anything.
• The room next door is very noisy. — Report it before midnight, not after a sleepless night.
• Could you wake me up at six? — Many hotels still offer a human wake-up call.
• Is there a safe in the room? — For passports, laptops and anything you'd hate to lose.
• The shower water is cold. — A frequent issue; report it and ask for another room if it lasts.

Checking out

• I'd like to check out, please. — Starts the departure process at the desk.
• Could I have a late check-out? — Ask the night before for the best chance.
• I think there's a mistake on the bill. — "I think" keeps it polite while you dispute a charge.
• Can I leave my luggage here until my flight? — Almost always free, and it frees your last day.
• Could you print my invoice? — For expense reports and your records.
• We really enjoyed our stay, thank you. — The goodbye that makes staff smile.
• Is there a shuttle to the airport? — Cheaper than a taxi when the hotel offers one.

Mini-dialogue: at the front desk

Guest: Hello, I have a reservation under the name Dupont.

Receptionist: Welcome! May I see your passport, please?

Guest: Here you go. What time is breakfast?

Receptionist: From 7 to 10, on the ground floor. Your room is 412.

Guest: Thank you. What is the Wi-Fi password?

Receptionist: It's written on your key card. Enjoy your stay!

Guest: Excuse me, the air conditioning doesn't work in our room.

Receptionist: I'm so sorry. I'll send someone right away.

Common mistakes

• Asking for a "chamber". A hotel room is a room — double room, twin room, single room. "Chamber" sounds like a castle or a parliament; several languages push learners toward it, and receptionists will understand you, but "room" is the word.
• Putting your room on the "third stage". Floors are floors: "Our room is on the third floor." A "stage" is where actors perform. (And remember: the ground floor is the first floor in the US.)
• Mixing up check-in and check-out. You check in when you arrive and register; you check out when you leave and settle the bill. Confusing them at the desk creates real misunderstandings about days and money.

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