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Japanese for the hotel

Checking in, asking about your room, and the few requests you'll actually make at the front desk - said politely enough that staff switch to helpful mode.

Hotel Japanese is very formulaic, which is good news: the same dozen phrases cover almost every stay, from a business hotel to a traditional ryokan.

Checking in

At the front desk (フロント, furonto):

チェックインおねがいします。

chekkuin onegaishimasu.

Check-in, please.

よやくがあります。＿＿です。

yoyaku ga arimasu. ___ desu.

I have a reservation. It's under ___.

にはくします。

nihaku shimasu.

I'm staying two nights.

Why it works

Nights use the counter はく/ぱく (haku/paku): いっぱく (ippaku, 1), にはく (nihaku, 2), さんぱく (sanpaku, 3). You booked online, so mostly you just give your name.

About the room

チェックアウトはなんじですか。

chekkuauto wa nanji desu ka.

What time is check-out?

Wi-Fiのパスワードはなんですか。

waifai no pasuwādo wa nan desu ka.

What's the Wi-Fi password?

あさごはんはつきますか。

asagohan wa tsukimasu ka.

Is breakfast included?

Why it works

なんじですか (“what time?”) reappears everywhere - check-out, breakfast, last entry to the baths. It's one of your highest-value phrases.

Small requests

タオルをもういちまいください。

taoru o mō ichimai kudasai.

One more towel, please.

にもつをあずかってもらえますか。

nimotsu o azukatte moraemasu ka.

Could you hold my luggage?

へやをかえてもらえますか。

heya o kaete moraemasu ka.

Could I change rooms?

Why it works

もらえますか (moraemasu ka, “could you…?”) is a soft, polite way to ask a favour. Keep it as a set ending you bolt onto a request - the grammar comes later.

These phrases get built into real conversation in the90 day course. The first week needs no account.