Checking Into a Hotel in French: The Phrases You Actually Need
Vocalyra teaching team · Last updated:
Arriving at a hotel is one of the first real conversations many learners have in French. The good news: check-in follows a predictable script, and a small set of phrases covers almost all of it. This guide walks through that script step by step, using the same situation you can hear in the Vocalyra Français podcast episode about arriving at a hotel.
Announcing Your Reservation
The most useful sentence at the front desk is simple: state that you have a reservation and give your name.
- Bonjour, j'ai une réservation. (Hello, I have a reservation.)
- C'est au nom de... (It is under the name...)
- J'ai réservé une chambre pour deux nuits. (I booked a room for two nights.)
In the podcast episode, Emma arrives and says she has a reservation. Notice the word une réservation: it is feminine, so you say j'ai une réservation, never un réservation.
Understanding Your Room Number
The receptionist will give you a room number. French room numbers are said digit by digit or as a full number, so it helps to know your numbers well past one hundred.
- Votre chambre est le 212. (Your room is 212.)
- La chambre 212, au deuxième étage. (Room 212, on the second floor.)
- Voici votre clé. (Here is your key.)
In the episode, Emma's room is 212. If you did not catch the number, ask politely: Pardon, quel est le numéro de la chambre ? (Sorry, what is the room number?)
Asking About Breakfast
Breakfast information usually comes next. Two questions cover most situations: when it starts and where it is served.
- À quelle heure commence le petit déjeuner ? (What time does breakfast start?)
- Le petit déjeuner commence à 7 heures. (Breakfast starts at 7 o'clock.)
- Où est la salle de petit déjeuner ? (Where is the breakfast room?)
In the episode, breakfast starts at 7 o'clock. Times in French use the 24-hour clock in writing, but at reception you will usually hear simple hours: à 7 heures, à 8 heures.
Polite Extras That Make You Sound Natural
- S'il vous plaît (please, formal)
- Merci beaucoup (thank you very much)
- Pardon, je n'ai pas compris. (Sorry, I did not understand.)
- Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you repeat, please?)
Use vous, not tu, with hotel staff. It is the polite form and the default in every service situation in France.
Practice What You Heard
Read the dialogue below out loud, then listen to the hotel episode of the Vocalyra Français podcast and answer the three comprehension questions under the player.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour, j'ai une réservation. | Hello, I have a reservation. |
| Votre chambre est le 212. | Your room is 212. |
| À quelle heure commence le petit déjeuner ? | What time does breakfast start? |
| Le petit déjeuner commence à 7 heures. | Breakfast starts at 7 o'clock. |
Quick self-check
How do you say 'I have a reservation' in French?
Show answer
J'ai une réservation.
Emma's room number in the episode is 212. How do you ask what the room number is?
Show answer
Pardon, quel est le numéro de la chambre ?
Breakfast starts at 7. Which sentence says that?
Show answer
Le petit déjeuner commence à 7 heures.
Beginner Grammar Behind These Phrases
- J'ai (I have) comes from avoir. Je + ai becomes j'ai because French drops the e before a vowel.
- Une chambre, une réservation, une clé: all feminine, so use une and la.
- Le petit déjeuner is masculine: le petit déjeuner, au petit déjeuner (à + le = au).
- Questions with À quelle heure...? ask for a time; Où...? asks for a place.
Exercises
Try each one aloud before reading the answer.
Complete: Bonjour, j'ai ___ réservation.
Show answer
une (réservation is feminine)
Translate: What time does breakfast start?
Show answer
À quelle heure commence le petit déjeuner ?
Fix the mistake: Tu peux répéter ? (to a receptionist)
Show answer
Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (use vous with staff)
Say in French: Room 212, on the second floor.
Show answer
La chambre 212, au deuxième étage.
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