Hotel English Phrases: From Check-In to Checkout

A hotel stay runs in the same order almost everywhere: you check in, you ask for a few things during your stay, and you check out. Each step has a small set of phrases you say and a small set you hear. This guide walks through one stay, from the lobby to the taxi, so you know both sides of the conversation.

Prefer to hear it first? The podcast episode 12 Phrases for Your Hotel Stay uses many of these phrases in one conversation.

Hotel words to know first

A few words come up at every hotel. Knowing them makes the rest of the conversation easier to follow.

Spelling: the verbs are two words: check in, check out. The nouns are check-in and checkout (also check-out): What time is checkout? Room labels can vary by hotel: check the bed arrangement before booking.

Checking in

Start with your name. The clerk needs to find your booking, so give the name it was made under.

What you may hear. These are useful lines to recognize. The documents and payment details requested vary by hotel:

Questions worth asking before you walk away from the desk:

If you arrive early and the room isn't ready, two questions are useful:

Put together, the desk conversation is short:

Floors: in the US, the first floor is usually the one at street level. In the UK and many other countries, that level is the ground floor, and the first floor is one level up. “Fourth floor” in the dialogue is the American count.

In your room: asking for things

Call the front desk and say your room number first. Then ask with Could I have…? or Could I get…? — polite, short, and it works for almost anything.

When something is wrong, describe the problem in one plain sentence. Two patterns cover most cases: … isn't working and There's no …

Then add a request, so the clerk knows what you'd like to happen:

A calm description plus a clear request is usually enough. For a longer or more difficult problem, use the steps in our guide to making a complaint politely.

Checking out

The day before, confirm the checkout time — and ask for more if you need it. Hotels can't always say yes, but it's a normal request.

At the desk, say you are leaving and give your room number. Staff may ask about any extra charges and whether you want a printed or emailed receipt.

If the bill looks wrong, say so politely and name the item:

After checkout, the question you use when you arrive early works again:

For the taxi, the airport, and the rest of the trip, the phrases are in our travel English guide. If you need to phone the desk from outside, see phone calls in English.

Common mistakes

“On the name.” A booking is filed under a name. In the name of Lee is also correct and a little more formal.

“Is breakfast including?” Use the past participle: breakfast is included in the price.

“The room has not hot water.” To say that something is missing, start with There's no…

Check out, with or without a place. You can simply say check out. To name the place, learn check out of the hotel. On arrival, use check into a hotel or check in at a hotel.

“On the reception.” You wait, ask, and pay at the front desk.

Asking to be woken up. Could you call me at seven to wake me up? is understandable and grammatical. The usual hotel expression is a wake-up call.

Quick exercise

Complete each sentence with one word from this list, using each once: call, included, late, leave, of, There's, under, working.

1. Hi, I have a reservation ___ Garcia.
2. Is breakfast ___ in the price?
3. My key card isn't ___. Could you check it?
4. Could I get a wake-up ___ at 6:30, please?
5. We need to check out ___ the hotel by 11.
6. My room isn't ready yet. Can I ___ my bags here?
7. ___ no hot water in my room.
8. Our flight is in the evening. Could we get a ___ checkout?

Frequently asked questions

What do you say when you check in at a hotel in English?

Give the name on the booking: “Hi, I have a reservation under Lee.” Staff may ask for identification and a payment card before giving you your key and room number.

Is it “front desk” or “reception”?

Both are correct. “The front desk” is the usual name in American hotels, and “reception” is more common in British English. In both cases the preposition is at: “I'll ask at the front desk.”

How do you ask for a late checkout in English?

Ask “Could I get a late checkout?” the day before or early in the morning. Hotels cannot always agree, but it is a normal request. If it is not possible, ask “Can I leave my bags here?”