Hello, guys! How are you today?
It's time to check in, are you ready?
So, first things first.
Once you get to the hotel,
you should proceed to the reception or front desk.
That's where you'll check in.
In general, here's what will probably happen:
Just like any other situation, we should start with the greetings,
and only then you will talk about your reservation.
You will tell the clerk your reservation code and name,
and present your documents.
After that, the clerk will probably ask for a credit card number for incidentals.
And then you'll be informed about parking, wi-fi access and breakfast.
Finally, after everything has been set up,
and you have your room key, close it with the farewells.
Now, let's go over each of these interactions,
and the first is:
Informal greetings like "hi" or "hello"
are common when dealing with services,
and you don't have to worry about being too formal.
You can also go for a more neutral register and just say:
You may be wondering, but what about "good night"?
When do I use it?
"Good night" and "good evening", are both used at night,
but "good night" is only used as a farewell.
Let's say you're going to bed and you're saying goodbye,
then you have to say:
The person working at the front desk is usually called the "front desk clerk",
and here's what you'll probably hear from them:
If you're ready to talk about your reservation,
you can say, for example:
If you feel like it, you can also inform your name right after.
That is, of course, if the reservation is under your name.
If you don't inform the name on the reservation right away,
the clerk will probably ask you:
Or still:
The name might be a little different from what Americans are used to hearing,
so they may ask:
Or just:
And then you won't have to spell anything!
As soon as the clerk finds you reservation,
either by your name or by the reservation code,
they will check the information and confirm it with you:
And then they'll ask you for your identification document:
So far, so good, right?
But what if something unexpected happens?
Like the number of nights in the hotel system
is different from what you've booked, or the type of room is different.
Well, guys, the best thing is to always have your proof of reservation with you.
There, you'll find the check-in and checkout dates,
the type of room, the number of guests per room,
and the final cost.
So, you should always have it with you
either printed or saved on your phone.
That way, if there's any mistake,
you won't have to worry and should be able to solve it quickly.
Now, I'll tell you about a check-in step that usually concerns foreigners in the US:
incidentals.
In some hotel chains in the US and around the world,
the clerk will ask for a credit card number upon check-in for incidentals.
But what exactly are incidentals?
They're just additional expenses you might have during your stay,
like pay-per-view movies or room service.
It works as a guarantee to cover extra services
or even damage in the property.
For that reason, after informing your credit card number,
The hotel holds a certain amount of money, which isn't really charged
but blocked during your stay.
Upon checkout, the money is promptly unblocked,
and you are charged for your actual expenses only.
So, there's no need to worry,
even if you've already paid for your reservation,
this is a standard check-in procedure,
and the clerk will probably tell you something like this:
Or:
Lastly, the clerk will hand you the key and tell your room number.
Something like:
If the clerk doesn't tell you the wi-fi network and password,
you can ask by saying:
To which you might hear back:
They will tell you which network you should use,
then the username and finally the password.
For example:
Or:
Another topic that might come up during check-in
concerns the use of the parking lot.
If you plan to rent a car, you will need a parking lot.
Some hotels offer free parking to their guests,
others don't.
So, it's advisable to check it whilst you're making your reservation.
You can also ask during the check-in. You can say:
Or the question could come from the clerk:
Or:
You should also ask about breakfast. If you're not sure,
ask about the time and place where breakfast is served.
For the time you can ask:
And you'll hear something like this:
To ask about the place you can say:
And the clerk might reply:
Depending on the facilities available at the hotel,
there are all kinds of questions you could ask the clerk during the check-in
or in any other moment, such as:
Oh, and if you're lucky, you could also get some upgrades for your stay.
Upgrades are a benefit sometimes offered by reward or loyalty programs,
and even through credit cards rewards programs.
It's something you can request upon check-in,
but how do you do it?
First, you should check the hotel website for the possible upgrades.
Then you can ask the clerk:
Or:
Of course, upgrades won't always be possible,
so be ready to get a negative answer, such as:
Well, after all that information,
you might be a little worried thinking
"what if I don't understand something they say?"
"What if I get nervous and confused?"
Hey, don't worry!
We know that some accents can be different,
and that people might speak quietly or faster than you're used to hearing,
which can compromise your comprehension.
For that reason, I'll show you some sentences
in case you need to ask someone to repeat something you couldn't understand.
The simplest ones are:
Or:
Or you can ask:
Or just say:
And that's it, guys!
Now that you're done with check-in,
there's only one sentence left to learn before going to your room.
So, this is what you might hear if the hotel has a bellboy service:
Now, just enjoy your hotel and your trip!
But, before that,
don't forget about doing the follow-up activities!
Bye for now, guys! See you on our next videos!