How to check into a hotel in Japanese

A Japanese hotel check-in is a short ritual with a fixed order: greeting, name, passport, registration form, payment, key. The difficulty is not what you have to say, which is very little. It is that the receptionist speaks keigo, the honorific register reserved for customers, and it sounds nothing like a beginner textbook.

So this page works in two directions. Your own lines are in plain polite です/ます Japanese, which is exactly right for a guest. The staff lines are given as you will actually hear them, with a simple answer next to each. Japanese is written as it normally appears, with Hepburn romaji beside it; if you want to read the left-hand column yourself, start with hiragana and katakana.

How to say "check in" in Japanese

The word is チェックイン (chekkuin), borrowed from English, and the all-purpose request is をお願いします (o onegaishimasu), "please".

Japanese	Romaji	English
こんにちは。チェックインをお願いします。	Konnichiwa. Chekkuin o onegaishimasu.	Hello. I would like to check in.
予約しています。	Yoyaku shite imasu.	I have a reservation.
予約した…です。	Yoyaku shita … desu.	My name is…, I have a booking.
ネットで予約しました。	Netto de yoyaku shimashita.	I booked online.
二泊で予約しています。	Nihaku de yoyaku shite imasu.	I have booked two nights.
予約していないんですが、部屋は空いていますか。	Yoyaku shite inai n desu ga, heya wa aite imasu ka.	I have no reservation. Do you have a room free?
一泊いくらですか。	Ippaku ikura desu ka.	How much is it per night?
早めにチェックインできますか。	Hayame ni chekkuin dekimasu ka.	Can I check in early?
荷物を預かってもらえますか。	Nimotsu o azukatte moraemasu ka.	Could you look after my luggage?

Nights are counted with 泊, and the reading shifts: 一泊 (ippaku), 二泊 (nihaku), 三泊 (sanpaku), 四泊 (yonhaku). For people, say 一人 (hitori), 二人 (futari), 三人 (sannin). Staff will count you as 一名様 (ichimei-sama) or 二名様 (nimei-sama); do not use 様 about yourself.

What hotel staff say at check-in, and how to answer

Keigo wraps simple questions in long, soft packaging. Listen for the keyword in the middle: 名前 (namae, name), パスポート (pasupōto), 何泊 (nanpaku, how many nights), 支払い (shiharai, payment).

The receptionist says	Romaji	Meaning	You answer
いらっしゃいませ。	Irasshaimase.	Welcome.	こんにちは。Konnichiwa. (Hello.)
お名前をお伺いできますか。	O-namae o o-ukagai dekimasu ka.	May I ask your name?	…です。… desu. (It is…)
パスポートを拝見してもよろしいでしょうか。	Pasupōto o haiken shite mo yoroshii deshō ka.	May I see your passport?	はい、どうぞ。Hai, dōzo. (Yes, here you are.)
パスポートのコピーを取らせていただきます。	Pasupōto no kopī o torasete itadakimasu.	I will take a copy of your passport.	はい。Hai. (All right.)
何名様ですか。	Nanmei-sama desu ka.	How many guests?	二人です。Futari desu. (Two.)
何泊のご予定ですか。	Nanpaku no go-yotei desu ka.	How many nights will you stay?	二泊です。Nihaku desu. (Two nights.)
こちらにご記入をお願いいたします。	Kochira ni go-kinyū o onegai itashimasu.	Please fill in this form.	はい。Hai. (All right.)
お支払いはいかがなさいますか。	O-shiharai wa ikaga nasaimasu ka.	How would you like to pay?	カードでお願いします。Kādo de onegaishimasu. (By card, please.)
かしこまりました。	Kashikomarimashita.	Certainly.	No answer needed.
少々お待ちください。	Shōshō o-machi kudasai.	One moment, please.	はい。Hai.
お部屋は五階でございます。	O-heya wa gokai de gozaimasu.	Your room is on the fifth floor.	はい。Hai.
こちらがお部屋の鍵でございます。	Kochira ga o-heya no kagi de gozaimasu.	Here is your room key.	ありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu. (Thank you.)
朝食は七時から十時まででございます。	Chōshoku wa shichiji kara jūji made de gozaimasu.	Breakfast is from seven to ten.	わかりました。Wakarimashita. (Understood.)
ごゆっくりどうぞ。	Go-yukkuri dōzo.	Please enjoy your stay.	ありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.

A few decoding hints. でございます (de gozaimasu) is only a very polite です. お伺いする (o-ukagai suru) is a humble "to ask", 拝見する (haiken suru) a humble "to look at". かしこまりました (kashikomarimashita) is the service-industry "certainly", and you never need to say it yourself.

When the packaging defeats you: もう一度お願いします (mō ichido onegaishimasu), "once more, please"; ゆっくりお願いします (yukkuri onegaishimasu), "slowly, please"; and 英語でもいいですか (eigo demo ii desu ka), "is English all right?".

Passport and payment

Japanese	Romaji	English
パスポート	pasupōto	passport
パスポートです。どうぞ。	Pasupōto desu. Dōzo.	Here is my passport.
支払いは今ですか。	Shiharai wa ima desu ka.	Do I pay now?
もう支払いは済んでいます。	Mō shiharai wa sunde imasu.	I have already paid.
クレジットカードは使えますか。	Kurejitto kādo wa tsukaemasu ka.	Can I use a credit card?
現金で払います。	Genkin de haraimasu.	I will pay cash.
領収書をお願いします。	Ryōshūsho o onegaishimasu.	A receipt, please.
宿泊税	shukuhakuzei	accommodation tax
前払い	maebarai	payment in advance

The passport question has a legal basis. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare requires hotels to record the nationality and passport number of foreign guests who have no address in Japan, and its notice to guests states that presenting the passport and having it photocopied is also required. Foreign residents of Japan have an address in the country and are not covered, though staff may still ask.

Cash deposits are unusual in Japan. Many hotels, and most business hotels, simply take full payment at check-in instead. Some cities and prefectures also charge an accommodation tax, 宿泊税, per person per night, which may be collected at the desk even when the room was prepaid.

During your stay: room requests, Wi-Fi and problems

Room requests

Japanese	Romaji	English
ダブルでお願いします。	Daburu de onegaishimasu.	A double, please.
ツインでお願いします。	Tsuin de onegaishimasu.	A twin, please.
禁煙の部屋をお願いします。	Kin'en no heya o onegaishimasu.	A non-smoking room, please.
静かな部屋をお願いします。	Shizuka na heya o onegaishimasu.	A quiet room, please.
上の階の部屋はありますか。	Ue no kai no heya wa arimasu ka.	Do you have a room on a higher floor?
部屋を替えてもらえますか。	Heya o kaete moraemasu ka.	Could I change rooms?
タオルをもう一枚もらえますか。	Taoru o mō ichimai moraemasu ka.	Could I have another towel?
枕をもう一つもらえますか。	Makura o mō hitotsu moraemasu ka.	Could I have another pillow?
毛布をもう一枚もらえますか。	Mōfu o mō ichimai moraemasu ka.	Could I have another blanket?
エレベーターはどこですか。	Erebētā wa doko desu ka.	Where is the lift?
大浴場はどこですか。	Daiyokujō wa doko desu ka.	Where is the communal bath?

The useful pattern is …もらえますか (… moraemasu ka), "could I have…" or "could you…". It is polite without being keigo, which makes it the guest's best friend.

How to ask for the Wi-Fi password and breakfast

Japanese	Romaji	English
Wi-Fi はありますか。	Waifai wa arimasu ka.	Is there Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi のパスワードを教えてください。	Waifai no pasuwādo o oshiete kudasai.	Please tell me the Wi-Fi password.
Wi-Fi がつながりません。	Waifai ga tsunagarimasen.	I cannot connect to the Wi-Fi.
朝食は付いていますか。	Chōshoku wa tsuite imasu ka.	Is breakfast included?
朝食は何時からですか。	Chōshoku wa nanji kara desu ka.	What time does breakfast start?
朝食はどこですか。	Chōshoku wa doko desu ka.	Where is breakfast served?
夕食は何時ですか。	Yūshoku wa nanji desu ka.	What time is dinner?
ベジタリアンの料理はありますか。	Bejitarian no ryōri wa arimasu ka.	Is there vegetarian food?

Wi-Fi is pronounced ワイファイ (waifai) and the password is パスワード (pasuwādo). It is often printed on the key-card holder or on a card in the room, so look before you queue.

When something goes wrong

Japanese	Romaji	English
エアコンが動きません。	Eakon ga ugokimasen.	The air conditioning does not work.
お湯が出ません。	Oyu ga demasen.	There is no hot water.
電気がつきません。	Denki ga tsukimasen.	The light does not come on.
トイレが詰まりました。	Toire ga tsumarimashita.	The toilet is blocked.
カードキーでドアが開きません。	Kādo kī de doa ga akimasen.	The key card will not open the door.
鍵を部屋に忘れました。	Kagi o heya ni wasuremashita.	I left the key in the room.
隣の部屋がうるさいです。	Tonari no heya ga urusai desu.	The next room is noisy.
部屋がまだ掃除されていません。	Heya ga mada sōji sarete imasen.	The room has not been cleaned yet.
見に来てもらえますか。	Mi ni kite moraemasu ka.	Could someone come and have a look?

Open any complaint with すみません (sumimasen), "excuse me". Staff will reply with 申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen), a deep apology, often several times. Kungfucius has found that the apology usually arrives faster than the towel, but the towel does arrive.

Checking out

Japanese	Romaji	English
チェックアウトをお願いします。	Chekkuauto o onegaishimasu.	I would like to check out.
チェックアウトは何時ですか。	Chekkuauto wa nanji desu ka.	What time is checkout?
チェックアウトを遅くできますか。	Chekkuauto o osoku dekimasu ka.	Can I check out later?
もう一泊できますか。	Mō ippaku dekimasu ka.	Can I stay one more night?
請求が間違っているようです。	Seikyū ga machigatte iru yō desu.	There seems to be a mistake on the bill.
午後まで荷物を預かってもらえますか。	Gogo made nimotsu o azukatte moraemasu ka.	Could you keep my luggage until the afternoon?
タクシーを呼んでもらえますか。	Takushī o yonde moraemasu ka.	Could you call me a taxi?
お世話になりました。	Osewa ni narimashita.	Thank you for looking after me.

Business hotels and ryokan: what is different

Japanese	Romaji	English
ホテル	hoteru	hotel
ビジネスホテル	bijinesu hoteru	business hotel: small, efficient, inexpensive
旅館	ryokan	traditional inn
民宿	minshuku	family-run guesthouse
フロント	furonto	front desk
洋室	yōshitsu	Western-style room with beds
和室	washitsu	Japanese-style room with tatami and futon
一泊二食	ippaku nishoku	one night with two meals (dinner and breakfast)
素泊まり	sudomari	room only, no meals
浴衣	yukata	light cotton robe provided by the inn

Check-in at Japanese hotels commonly starts at 3 p.m., and checkout is early, often 10 or 11 a.m. Times are kept precisely. Arrive before check-in time and you will usually be offered luggage storage, not a room.

Business hotels keep the script to a minimum. You pay at check-in, in many chains at a machine beside the desk, and collect extras such as toothbrushes and razors from a shelf in the lobby. The rooms are compact enough that unpacking is a strategic decision.

Ryokan add three things. Most stays are booked as 一泊二食, with dinner at a fixed hour, so the inn wants to know your arrival time; if you will be late, call and say 遅くなります (osoku narimasu), "I will be late". Shoes come off at the entrance. And in a 和室 the futon is not on the floor when you arrive: staff usually lay it out in the evening.

What to do before you arrive

1. Save your booking confirmation with the hotel name and address in Japanese. It settles most questions before they are asked.
2. Practise four lines aloud: チェックインをお願いします, 予約しています, パスポートです and Wi-Fi のパスワードを教えてください.
3. Rehearse hearing, not saying, the staff lines above. Recognising お名前 and パスポート inside a long polite sentence is the real skill.
4. Travelling on? The Chinese hotel check-in phrases and the Korean hotel check-in phrases follow the same order, and more situations are collected under Japanese phrases.