Spanish Hotel Check-In Dialogue and Practice
Situation Overview
You have arrived at a hotel in Spain or Latin America and need to check in at reception. You will confirm your reservation, give your passport or ID, ask about breakfast and Wi-Fi, understand the room number, and request help politely if something is missing.
Simple Dialogue
| Speaker | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Huésped | Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva. | Good afternoon. I have a reservation. |
| Recepcionista | Buenas tardes. ¿A nombre de quién? | Good afternoon. Under whose name? |
| Huésped | A nombre de Laura Smith. | Under the name Laura Smith. |
| Recepcionista | ¿Me deja su pasaporte, por favor? | Could you give me your passport, please? |
| Huésped | Sí, aquí tiene. | Yes, here you are. |
| Recepcionista | Su habitación es la 214. | Your room is 214. |
| Huésped | ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? | What time is breakfast? |
| Recepcionista | De siete a diez. | From seven to ten. |
Natural Dialogue
| Speaker | Spanish | English | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huésped | Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva para dos noches. | Good afternoon. I have a reservation for two nights. | A clear opening line at the front desk. |
| Recepcionista | Buenas tardes. ¿A nombre de quién está la reserva? | Good afternoon. Whose name is the reservation under? | A nombre de... is the normal phrase for reservation names. |
| Huésped | Está a nombre de Laura Smith. | It is under the name Laura Smith. | You can answer with the same phrase from the question. |
| Recepcionista | Perfecto, aquí la tengo. ¿Me puede mostrar su pasaporte? | Perfect, I have it here. Could you show me your passport? | A polite hotel request using me puede. |
| Huésped | Claro, aquí tiene. ¿Necesita también mi tarjeta? | Of course, here you are. Do you also need my card? | Aquí tiene is useful whenever you hand something over. |
| Recepcionista | Sí, por favor, solo para garantizar la reserva. | Yes, please, just to guarantee the reservation. | The hotel may ask for a card even if the room is prepaid. |
| Huésped | Está bien. ¿El desayuno está incluido? | That is fine. Is breakfast included? | A common question before going to the room. |
| Recepcionista | Sí, está incluido y se sirve de siete a diez en el comedor. | Yes, it is included and is served from seven to ten in the dining room. | Se sirve is an impersonal service phrase. |
| Huésped | Gracias. ¿Cuál es la contraseña del Wi-Fi? | Thank you. What is the Wi-Fi password? | Use cuál es for asking for a specific password or number. |
| Recepcionista | Está escrita en la tarjeta de la habitación. | It is written on the room card holder. | Hotels often point to printed information instead of saying it aloud. |
| Recepcionista | Su habitación es la 214, en la segunda planta. El ascensor está a la derecha. | Your room is 214, on the second floor. The elevator is on the right. | In Spain, segunda planta usually means the floor above the first floor. |
| Huésped | Una última pregunta: ¿podría pedir una almohada extra? | One last question: could I ask for an extra pillow? | ¿Podría...? makes the request more formal and polite. |
| Recepcionista | Por supuesto. Se la subimos a la habitación en unos minutos. | Of course. We will bring it up to your room in a few minutes. | Se la subimos means the staff will bring it to you. |
Key Phrases
| Phrase | Meaning | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo una reserva. | I have a reservation. | Starting the check-in conversation. |
| ¿A nombre de quién? | Under whose name? | Understanding the receptionist's reservation question. |
| A nombre de... | Under the name... | Giving the name attached to a booking. |
| Aquí tiene. | Here you are. | Handing over a passport, card, form, or key. |
| ¿El desayuno está incluido? | Is breakfast included? | Asking what your booking includes. |
| ¿Cuál es la contraseña del Wi-Fi? | What is the Wi-Fi password? | Asking for hotel internet details. |
| ¿Dónde está el ascensor? | Where is the elevator? | Asking for a practical direction inside the hotel. |
| ¿Podría pedir una almohada extra? | Could I ask for an extra pillow? | Making a polite request for something you need. |
Grammar in Context
The dialogue uses polite hotel requests with ¿Me puede...? and ¿Podría...?. In ¿Me puede mostrar su pasaporte?, the receptionist is asking politely, Could you show me your passport?
¿Podría...? is even softer and more formal. As a guest, you can use it for requests: ¿Podría pedir una almohada extra?, ¿Podría cambiar de habitación?, or ¿Podría llamar a un taxi?
Notice that hotel staff often use su and usted forms because the situation is polite and professional: su habitación, su pasaporte, and ¿Necesita...?
Speaking Practice
| Goal | Model | Your turn |
|---|---|---|
| Start check-in | Tengo una reserva para dos noches. | Change it to one night, three nights, and one week. |
| Give the booking name | Está a nombre de Laura Smith. | Say the line with your own name or a practice name. |
| Hand over a document | Sí, aquí tiene mi pasaporte. | Replace passport with ID card, credit card, and form. |
| Ask about breakfast | ¿El desayuno está incluido? | Ask whether parking, dinner, and airport transfer are included. |
| Ask for Wi-Fi | ¿Cuál es la contraseña del Wi-Fi? | Ask for the room number, phone number, and address using cuál es. |
| Understand the room | Su habitación es la 214. | Practice saying room numbers 108, 326, and 512. |
| Ask where something is | ¿Dónde está el ascensor? | Replace elevator with reception, dining room, and parking garage. |
| Make an extra request | ¿Podría pedir una almohada extra? | Ask for towels, soap, a quiet room, and a taxi. |