Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by I Love Spanish Club
Planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country? Whether you’re checking in at a hotel in Colombia, Mexico or Spain, knowing the right phrases will make your stay smoother and more enjoyable. This complete guide covers all the essential Spanish vocabulary and phrases for hotel stays — from making a reservation to checking out. ¡Bienvenidos! (Welcome!)
🌎 Hotel Spanish varies more by country than most vocabulary does. A single hotel stay can involve staff using different regional words for the exact same thing — piso vs. planta for floor, reserva vs. reservación for booking, habitación vs. cuarto for room. None of these differences will get you misunderstood, but recognizing them in advance means you won’t be thrown off if the receptionist’s wording doesn’t match exactly what you memorized. Hotels also tend to default to fairly formal, professional Spanish regardless of country — this is one context where sticking to usted and polite request forms (¿Podría…?, ¿Me puede…?) is almost always the safer choice.
🏨 Essential Hotel Vocabulary
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hotel | el hotel |
| Reception / Front desk | la recepción |
| Receptionist | el/la recepcionista |
| Room | la habitación |
| Single room | la habitación individual / sencilla |
| Double room | la habitación doble |
| Twin room | la habitación con dos camas |
| Suite | la suite |
| Reservation / Booking | la reserva / la reservación |
| Check-in | el check-in / el registro de entrada |
| Check-out | el check-out / el registro de salida |
| Key / Key card | la llave / la tarjeta llave |
| Floor | el piso / la planta |
| Elevator / Lift | el ascensor / el elevador |
| Stairs | las escaleras |
| Lobby | el lobby / el vestíbulo |
| Luggage / Baggage | el equipaje |
| Suitcase | la maleta |
| Bellhop / Porter | el maletero / el botones |
| Parking | el estacionamiento / el aparcamiento |
| Swimming pool | la piscina |
| Gym | el gimnasio |
| Restaurant | el restaurante |
| Bar | el bar |
| Room service | el servicio a la habitación / room service |
🛏️ Room Amenities Vocabulary
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | el baño |
| Shower | la ducha |
| Bathtub | la bañera |
| Towel | la toalla |
| Pillow | la almohada |
| Blanket | la manta / la cobija |
| Air conditioning | el aire acondicionado |
| Heating | la calefacción |
| TV | el televisor / la televisión |
| Wi-Fi | el wifi |
| Safe / Safety box | la caja fuerte |
| Minibar | el minibar |
| Balcony | el balcón |
| Window | la ventana |
| Wardrobe / Closet | el armario / el clóset |
| Iron | la plancha |
| Hairdryer | el secador de pelo |
| Soap | el jabón |
| Shampoo | el champú |
| Toilet paper | el papel higiénico |
🗣️ Making a Reservation — Phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Quisiera hacer una reserva, por favor. | I would like to make a reservation, please. |
| ¿Tienen habitaciones disponibles? | Do you have rooms available? |
| Necesito una habitación para dos personas. | I need a room for two people. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta la habitación por noche? | How much does the room cost per night? |
| ¿El desayuno está incluido? | Is breakfast included? |
| ¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito? | Do you accept credit cards? |
| Tengo una reserva a nombre de… | I have a reservation under the name of… |
| ¿Hasta qué hora es el check-out? | Until what time is check-out? |
| Llegaremos el día… | We will arrive on the… |
| Nos quedaremos durante… noches. | We will stay for… nights. |
🔑 Checking In — Phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Buenos días, tengo una reserva a mi nombre. | Good morning, I have a reservation under my name. |
| ¿Me puede dar su documento de identidad? | Can you give me your ID document? |
| ¿Podría llenar este formulario? | Could you fill out this form? |
| Su habitación está en el piso… | Your room is on the… floor. |
| Aquí tiene su llave / tarjeta. | Here is your key / card. |
| El desayuno se sirve de 7 a 10. | Breakfast is served from 7 to 10. |
| ¿Necesita ayuda con su equipaje? | Do you need help with your luggage? |
| ¿Tiene alguna pregunta? | Do you have any questions? |
🛎️ During Your Stay — Requesting Things
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Me puede traer toallas limpias? | Could you bring me clean towels? |
| El aire acondicionado no funciona. | The air conditioning is not working. |
| No hay agua caliente. | There is no hot water. |
| La habitación no está limpia. | The room is not clean. |
| ¿Puede cambiarme de habitación? | Can you change my room? |
| ¿Puede despertarme a las…? | Can you wake me up at…? |
| Necesito más almohadas, por favor. | I need more pillows, please. |
| ¿Tienen servicio a la habitación? | Do you have room service? |
| ¿Dónde está el restaurante del hotel? | Where is the hotel restaurant? |
| ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? | What is the wifi password? |
| ¿Pueden guardar mi equipaje? | Can you store my luggage? |
| ¿Pueden llamarme un taxi? | Can you call me a taxi? |
💬 Real Dialogue 1 — Checking In
📍 At the hotel reception in Cartagena, Colombia
Recepcionista: Buenas tardes, bienvenido al Hotel El Marqués. ¿En qué le puedo ayudar?
Good afternoon, welcome to Hotel El Marqués. How can I help you?
Huésped: Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva a nombre de Johnson, para dos noches.
Good afternoon. I have a reservation under the name Johnson, for two nights.
Recepcionista: Perfecto, señor Johnson. ¿Me permite su pasaporte, por favor?
Perfect, Mr. Johnson. May I have your passport, please?
Huésped: Aquí tiene. ¿El desayuno está incluido?
Here you go. Is breakfast included?
Recepcionista: Sí, el desayuno buffet se sirve de 7 a 10 de la mañana en el restaurante del tercer piso. Su habitación es la 412, en el cuarto piso. Aquí tiene su tarjeta llave. El check-out es a las 12 del mediodía.
Yes, the buffet breakfast is served from 7 to 10 in the morning at the third floor restaurant. Your room is 412, on the fourth floor. Here is your key card. Check-out is at noon.
Huésped: Muchas gracias. ¿Dónde está el ascensor?
Thank you very much. Where is the elevator?
Recepcionista: Al fondo del pasillo a la derecha. ¡Que disfrute su estadía!
At the end of the hallway on the right. Enjoy your stay!
Notice that the guest addresses the receptionist with usted throughout, and the receptionist responds in kind, adding the formal title “señor Johnson” — this level of formality is standard in hotel Spanish across virtually every Spanish-speaking country, unlike some other everyday contexts where tú might feel more natural. Also worth noticing: the receptionist gives the floor twice using piso (“tercer piso,” “cuarto piso”) — in Cartagena and most of Latin America this is the default word; a hotel in Spain would more likely use planta in the exact same sentences.
💬 Real Dialogue 2 — Reporting a Problem
📍 Calling reception from the room
Huésped: Buenas noches, llamo de la habitación 412. Tengo un problema — el aire acondicionado no funciona y hace mucho calor.
Good evening, I’m calling from room 412. I have a problem — the air conditioning is not working and it’s very hot.
Recepcionista: Le pido disculpas por el inconveniente. Voy a enviar a alguien de mantenimiento enseguida. ¿Hay algo más en que pueda ayudarle?
I apologize for the inconvenience. I’ll send someone from maintenance right away. Is there anything else I can help you with?
Huésped: Sí, también necesito toallas limpias y más papel higiénico, por favor.
Yes, I also need clean towels and more toilet paper, please.
Recepcionista: Por supuesto, se los enviamos de inmediato. Disculpe las molestias.
Of course, we’ll send them right away. Sorry for the inconvenience.
This short exchange is a good real-world example of the polite complaint structure covered elsewhere on this site — the guest states the problem directly but calmly (“Tengo un problema…”), and the receptionist apologizes immediately before offering a solution, rather than asking clarifying questions first. That order — acknowledge, then solve — is the expected pattern in Spanish-language customer service, and it’s worth mirroring back when you’re the one raising an issue.
Want to practice these hotel conversations before your trip? A native Spanish tutor on Italki can role-play real hotel scenarios with you so you feel confident when you arrive.
💳 Checking Out — Phrases
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Quisiera hacer el check-out, por favor. | I would like to check out, please. |
| ¿Me puede preparar la cuenta? | Could you prepare my bill? |
| ¿Están incluidos los cargos extras? | Are the extra charges included? |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? |
| ¿Me puede dar una factura, por favor? | Could you give me a receipt/invoice, please? |
| Mi estadía fue excelente, gracias. | My stay was excellent, thank you. |
| ¿Pueden llamarme un taxi al aeropuerto? | Can you call me a taxi to the airport? |
| ¿Pueden guardar mi maleta hasta las 3? | Can you store my suitcase until 3? |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Saying “habitación” when you mean “room” in general
✅ Habitación is specifically a bedroom/hotel room. For a room in general, use sala or cuarto. In hotel contexts, habitación is always correct.
❌ Confusing “piso” and “planta”
✅ Both mean “floor” in a building. In Spain, planta is more common. In Latin America, piso is used. The ground floor is planta baja (Spain) or planta baja / primer piso (Latin America). As you saw in the first dialogue, don’t be surprised if a Colombian or Mexican hotel uses piso exclusively — it doesn’t mean planta is wrong, just that it’s the less common regional choice there.
❌ “¿Tiene un cuarto libre?” vs “¿Tiene habitaciones disponibles?”
✅ Both work, but ¿Tienen habitaciones disponibles? is the most natural and professional way to ask for available rooms at a hotel.
❌ Forgetting “usted” in formal hotel interactions
✅ In hotel and professional settings, always use usted with staff: ¿Me puede ayudar usted? — not ¿Me puedes ayudar tú?
🎯 Practice Quiz
How would you say these in Spanish?
- “I have a reservation under the name Smith.”
- “The air conditioning is not working.”
- “Is breakfast included?”
- “What is the wifi password?”
- “I would like to check out, please.”
- “Can you call me a taxi?”
👁️ Show Answers
- Tengo una reserva a nombre de Smith.
- El aire acondicionado no funciona.
- ¿El desayuno está incluido?
- ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi?
- Quisiera hacer el check-out, por favor.
- ¿Pueden llamarme un taxi?
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between “reserva” and “reservación”?
Both mean “reservation” — reserva is more common in Spain and some Latin American countries, while reservación is widely used in Mexico and Central America. Both are understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world, so either is fine to use.
How do I ask for a wake-up call in Spanish?
The most natural way is: “¿Puede despertarme a las [time], por favor?” (Can you wake me up at [time], please?) Some hotels also have an automated wake-up call system that you can set directly from your room phone.
What’s the best way to practice hotel Spanish before my trip?
Role-playing real hotel scenarios with a native speaker is the most effective method. A tutor on Italki can simulate check-in, problem-solving and check-out conversations so you arrive at your hotel ready for anything. You can also watch Spanish hotel and travel shows on LingoPie to hear this vocabulary in natural context.