Check In Champion: 20 Essential English Phrases for Hotel Receptionists

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kitlum December 27, 2017

Imagine yourself going on vacation in some faraway land.

You get off the plane at the airport and find your way to a hotel.

You walk in the door, and who’s the first person to greet and welcome you with a friendly smile?

Yes, that would be the hotel receptionist, one of the first people you’ll meet when you land in another country or city.This is why a hotel receptionist
has such an important job.

The role of a hotel receptionist involves communicating with people from different countries and cultures, who often speak very different languages. So
how do you help them and prepare them for a wonderful trip?

Today we’re going to start by looking at why learning English is so important for hotel receptionists.

Later on in the post, I’ll discuss 20 English expressions that all hotel receptionists must know to be able tocommunicate with every international visitor
that walks in the door.

Why Should Hotel Receptionists Learn English?

In fact, according to Statisca.com, the international travel industry has grown from 528 million tourist arrivals in 2005 to 1.19 billion in 2015. It’s expected
to hit 1.8 billion by 2030.

Now that’s a lot of international visitors you’ll be welcoming to your city if you’re a hotel receptionist.

And as a receptionist, you need to be able to communicate with all of these travelers. You’ll be checking them in and out of the hotel and answering
questions about your local area.

Does that mean you need to speak every language on the planet? Fortunately, no. But you do have to befluent in English because English is the lingua
franca—the common language people all over the world use to communicate with each other.

Learning English is an efficient way to be prepared for any conversation with almost any guest at your hotel. This won’t just make your day-to-day life
easier—it’ll also make you more valuable as a hotel employee.

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20 English Expressions Every Hotel Receptionist Should Know
For all you hotel receptionists, here are the most commonly used expressions you’ll need to communicate with your international guests.

Welcoming Guests
As a hotel receptionist, your job isn’t only to greet guests but also to make them feel welcome. A friendly smile and awarm greeting make a great start.

Hello, welcome to [name of your hotel].

Here’s a standard greeting you could use. Instead of a simplehello, you could also say good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on the
time of day the guest walks in.

How can I help you today?

You can ask your guest this simple question at the beginning of their visit, or at any time during their stay.

For a guest who’s new to your city, knowing that you’re there and ready to help will make them feel right at home.

Taking Reservations
Most guests make their reservations online. However, if they’re unable or unwilling to do that, they may make their reservations by phone. If that’s the
case, here are some standard questions you might ask:

What’s the date of your arrival?

Ask your guest when they’re planning to arrive and check into the hotel.
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When are you planning to check out?

You’ll also need to ask when they’re planning to leave or check out of the hotel.

How many people is this reservation for?

You’ll need to know the size of the group or number of people to reserve rooms for.

What type of room would you prefer?

Some guests may have a preference for a certain type of room. Ask if they’d like a room for one person single)
( or two people (double).

Some hotels offer different types of rooms for guests who don’t smoke (non-smoking rooms) and rooms with views (for example, ocean view/sea view,
mountain view or lake view).

Checking Guests In
Do you have a reservation?

This is one of the first things you will ask a guest when they walk up to the reception desk. Not all guests have reservations. Some simply walk in and ask
for a room.

What name is the reservation under?

If the guest has a reservation, find out the name of the person it’s under (associated with). That way you can pull up their information on your computer
screen.

Could I have your ID and credit card, please?

When checking in, hotels usually require the credit card of the guest and some form of identification (ID) like their passport or driver’s license.

Using the modal verb could will make you sound more polite and professional.

Your room is on the [number] floor, room number [number].

Tell the guest which room they’ve been assigned (given). For instance, you might say:

Your room is on the 9th floor, room number 925.

Breakfast is served from [time] to [time] every morning at/in [location/room].

Many hotels provide a free breakfast to guests every morning as part of their stay. If this is the case at your hotel, inform your guest about the time and
place where they can enjoy the breakfast.

So you might say:

Breakfast is served from 6 to 9 a.m. every morning in the dining area.

Is there anything else I can help you with?

This is a customer-friendly question you could ask after assisting a guest. In case they need more information or assistance, let them know that you’re
always there to help. This is a good question to keep in mind.

Enjoy your stay.

Be sure to wish your guest a pleasant stay after you check them in.

Giving Information, Offering Assistance and Handling Complaints

We have [scheduled services] that run to/from [location]. You’ll find [information] in/at/by [location].

Hotels often offer arranged transportation services like buses and tours that guests can use freely to travel to locations like the airport, local tourist
attractions and shopping areas. These two statements are useful for informing your guests about these services. Feel free to adapt them to suit different
situations:

We have a shuttle bus service that runs to the airport from here. You’ll find the shuttle schedule by the front door.

We have city tours that run between here, Disneyland and Universal Studios. You’ll find brochures of all our city tours to the left of this lobby.

To get to [location], just…

Guests often ask for directions on how to get to a certain location either within the hotel or outside. This statement can easily be adapted to suit different
situations.

To get to the gym, just go down this hallway and turn left. It’s the second door on your right.

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To get to the nearest McDonald’s, just cross the street outside the hotel and walk straight.

I’m sorry about that. Let me see how we can fix that right away.

Your guest might mention (…or, yell) something they’re unhappy about. Maybe their towels need changing or their TV isn’t working.

With the polite expressions above, you can apologize to the guest (even if it’s not your fault) and offer to fix the problem.

If you need anything else, please let us know.

Here’s another customer-friendly expression to let your guests know they can always contact you if they need help with anything else.

Checking Guests Out

When your guest is ready to check out, start by asking for their room number and key. Here again, use the modal verbcould to sound more polite.

Your total is [amount]. How will you be paying for this, please?

Let them know the total amount for their stay and ask them how they prefer to pay. Some guests may prefer to pay by credit card, others may pay with
cash, etc.

Your total is $243. How will you be paying for this, please?

Thank you and hope to see you again soon.

This is a great way to say goodbye, thank your guest and send them off on a happy note. If they’re continuing their vacation to another location, you could
add: Enjoy the rest of your vacation. If they’re leaving for home, you could add: Have a pleasant trip home.

If you’re a hotel receptionist or hoping to become one, you’ll find this list of expressions useful as you set out to welcome visitors who’ve come from all
over the world to visit your country.

Remember, practice makes perfect and the more you practice using these expressions, the more confident you’ll become.

Good luck!

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