Whats?
¿Cuál es la dirección del hotel?Whats the address of the hotel?¿Cuál es el número de la agencia que la alquila?Whats the number for the letting agency?¿Puede decirme cuál es la página web?Can you tell me what the web address is?How?
¿Cómo funciona?How does it work?¿Cómo se llega al hotel?How do I get to the hotel?¿Cómo se llama al exterior?How do I get an outside line?¿Cómo se baja la calefacción?How do I turn the heating down?To find out what time services are available where youre staying, the phrase you need is ¿A qué hora? meaning At what time?.
What time?
¿A qué hora es la cena?What times dinner?¿A qué hora cierran las puertas?What time do you lock the doors?¿A qué hora tenemos que dejar la habitación?What time do we have to be out by?¿Hasta qué hora sirven el desayuno?What time do you serve breakfast till?To find out whether you can do something, use ¿Puedo? or ¿Se puede? (Can I?). They are both from the verb poder. For more information on poder, see here.
Can I?
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?Can I pay by credit card?¿Puedo dejar la mochila en recepción?Can I leave my rucksack at reception?¿Se puede aparcar en la calle?Can I park in the street?TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF
Wherever you stay youll probably need to give some basic information about yourself, such as your name and nationality.
My names
Soy la señora Smith. He reservado una habitación doble para esta noche.My name is Mrs Smith. Ive booked a double room for tonight.Mi marido se llama Peter.My husbands name is Peter.Me llamo Gary Morris.My names Gary Morris.Mi apellido es Morris y mi nombre de pila es Gary. Se escribe M-O-R-R-I-S, con dos erres.My surnames Morris, and my first name is Gary. Its spelt M-O-R-R-I-S, with two rs.Im
Soy británico.Im British.Mi mujer y yo somos de Portsmouth.My wife and I are from Portsmouth.Mi novia y yo somos británicos.My girlfriend and I are British.Estoy aquí de vacaciones.Im on holiday here.Estamos aquí en viaje de negocios.Were here on a business trip.¿LO SABÍAS?
As youll see from the last two examples, when talking about your reasons for being in Spain, you use estoy rather than soy.
Iming
Estoy en el Hotel Principal.Im staying at the Hotel Principal.Estamos estudiando español.Were studying Spanish.Estamos viajando por el país.Were travelling round the country.ASKING FOR THINGS
¿Tienen? (Have you got?) is the right verb form to use whenever asking if something is available in hotels, guesthouses, hostels, tourist offices, and so on. It is from the verb tener. For more information on tener, see here.
Have you got?
¿Tienen habitaciones libres?Have you got any rooms available?¿Tienen información sobre alojamiento?Have you got any information about accommodation?¿Tienen acceso a Internet?Do you have internet access?Use ¿Puede? and ¿Podría? (Can you? and Could you?) when asking someone to do something. They are both from poder. For more information on poder, see here.
Can you?
¿Puede enviarme un e-mail para confirmar la reserva?Can you email me to confirm the booking?¿Puede despertarme a las siete, por favor?Can you give me an alarm call at seven oclock, please?¿Puede cambiar las toallas, por favor?Can you change the towels, please?¿Me puede dar el número de la persona a quien hay que llamar si hay algún problema?Can you give me the number I should call if there are any problems?Could you?
¿Podría enseñarme la habitación?Could you show me the room?¿Podría darnos una habitación de no fumadores?Could you give us a non-smoking room?¿Podría enseñarme cómo funciona la cocina?Could you show me how the cooker works?Would you mind?
Would you mind?
¿Le importaría pedirme un taxi?Would you mind calling a taxi for me?¿Le importaría subirme las maletas a mi habitación?Would you mind taking my suitcases up to my room?When asking for things in Spanish, very often all you need to do is use the present tense and make it a question: ¿Me da? (Can I have?).
Can I have?
¿Me da la llave del apartamento, por favor?Can I have the key to my apartment, please?¿Me da un recibo, por favor?Can I have a receipt, please?¿Nos da dos toallas más?Can we have two more towels?¿Me puede dar una cuna para el niño?Can I have a cot for the baby, please?¿LO SABÍAS?
When you ask for something extra in Spanish, such as two more towels más (more) comes after what youre asking for.
SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO
Youll often need to let the people where youre staying know about things you have to do, so that they can help you. To say what you have or need to do, use tengo que (I have to) and the infinitive. tengo is from the verb tener. For more information on tener, see here.
I have to
Tengo que irme temprano para coger el vuelo.I have to leave early to catch my flight.Tengo que enviar un e-mail.Ive got to send an email.Tenemos que estar en Málaga para las ocho.We have to be in Málaga by eight oclock.Tenemos que hacer una llamada al extranjero.We need to make an international call.ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Wherever you stay youll need to find out whats allowed and what isnt, such as where you can park, where you can camp and so on. Use ¿Puedo? (Can I?) and ¿Podemos? (Can we?) to ask if you can do something. Theyre both from the verb poder. For more information on poder, see here.
Can I?
¿Puedo ver la habitación primero?Can I see the room first?¿Puedo dejar aquí las maletas cinco minutos?Can I leave my suitcases here for five minutes?¿Puedo fumar aquí?Can I smoke in here?¿Podemos acampar aquí?Can we camp here?¿Podemos bañarnos en la piscina?Can we use the pool?Do you mind if?
¿Le importa que aparque el coche fuera un momento?Do you mind if I park my car outside for a moment?¿Le importa que pague con tarjeta de crédito?Do you mind if I pay by credit card?¿Le importa que lleguemos tarde?Is it ok if we arrive slightly late?SAYING WHAT YOU LIKE, DISLIKE, PREFER
When talking about what kind of accommodation you like, remember that the Spanish for I like works rather differently from English. You use me gusta with singular words and me gustan with plural ones.
I like
Me gusta quedarme en hoteles pequeños.I like staying in small hotels.Me gustan las casas antiguas de estilo español.I like old Spanish houses.Me encanta esta pensión.I love this guest house.Nos encantan los campings de montaña.We love campsites in the mountains.And to say what you dont like, you simply put the word no in front of me gusta or me gustan.
I dont like
No me gusta esta habitación, es muy oscura.I dont like this room, its too dark.No me gusta cenar en el hotel.I dont like having dinner at the hotel.No me gustan los hoteles modernos de la costa.I dont like the modern hotels on the coast.No nos gusta alojarnos en apartamentos.We dont like staying in apartments.To say what you prefer, you can use prefiero (Id prefer).
Id prefer
Prefiero una habitación en la planta baja.Id prefer a room on the ground floor.Prefiero quedarme sólo una noche.Id rather stay for just one night.Prefiero la media pensión a la pensión completa.Id rather have half board than full board.Preferimos un hotel céntrico.Wed prefer a hotel in the centre.MAKING SUGGESTIONS
If youre with Spanish-speaking friends or colleagues when looking for somewhere to stay, youll need to be able to suggest things. One way of doing this is to use ¿Qué te parece si? ¿ or ¿Y si? (How about?) followed by a verb in the present tense. For more on the present tense, see here.