Chapter 16

Finding a Place to Stay

In This Chapter

Finding accommodations

Making reservations

Checking in and out of your hotel

Regardless of whether you’re traveling on business or taking a vacation, having a clean and comfortable place to spend the night is an important part of your trip. In this chapter, we help you with the vocabulary and phrases that you need to find accommodations, inquire about facilities, make reservations, and check in and out.

Finding a Hotel

If you’re one of those people who like the adventure of doing things on the spur of the moment or if you simply need assistance in finding a hotel, you can get reliable information about all types of accommodations through the tourist information center in any town, which is called das Fremdenverkehrsbüro or Fremdenverkehrsamt (dâs frêm-den-fêr-keyrs-bue-roh/frêm-den-fêr-keyrs-âmt). These places are often located conveniently in the center of town or next to the train station.

Perhaps you want to ask other people you know or meet whether they can recommend a hotel. In this case, ask

Können Sie mir ein Hotel in . . . empfehlen? (kern-en zee meer ayn hotel [as in English] in . . . êm-pfey-len?) (Can you recommend a hotel in. . . ?)

You can find a wide range of hotels and hotel-like accommodations in German-speaking countries. Outside urban areas, you’re especially likely to see different types of lodging, including the following:

die Ferienwohnung (dee feyr-ree-ên-vohn-oong): A furnished vacation apartment located in a popular tourist destination.

das Fremdenzimmer (dâs frêm-dên-tsi-mer): A bed and breakfast, often with shared bathroom facilities.

das Gasthaus/der Gasthof (dâs gâst-hous/dêr gâst-hohf): An inn providing food, drinks, and often lodging.

das Hotel garni (dâs hotel gâr-nee): A hotel that serves only breakfast.

die Jugendherberge (die yooh-gênt-hêr-bêr-ge): A youth hostel, but not only for the under-25 crowd. This is an inexpensive option, but you generally need a Youth Hostel ID, which you can get before you travel.

die Pension (dee pên-zee-ohn): A bed-and-breakfast type of place. In addition to breakfast, it may also serve lunch and dinner.

der Rasthof/das Motel (dêr râst-hohf/dâs motel [as in English]): A roadside lodge or motel located just off a highway.

Reserving Rooms

To avoid last-minute hassles, booking a hotel room in advance is best, especially during the peak season or when a special event in town may mean that hotels are booked solid for months in advance. If you’re having difficulty finding a room, you’re more likely to find a place outside of towns and city centers. Ask for some assistance at the Fremdenverkehrsamt (frêm-den-fêr-keyrs-âmt). (See the preceding section for more information on that helpful office with the long name.)

Of course, you can make reservations for hotel rooms online, but if you’re using the phone, you may want to read Chapter 11 beforehand. When you call, the following sentence can help you explain the purpose of your call:

Ich möchte gern ein Zimmer reservieren. (iH merH-te gêrn ayn tsi-mer rê-zêr-vee-ren.) (I would like to reserve a room.)

If you want to book more than one room, simply substitute the appropriate number — zwei (tsvay) (two), drei (dray) (three), and so on — in place of ein.

Saying when and how long you want to stay

The person taking your reservation is likely to ask you for some information. Among the first of these questions, you may hear something like

Von wann bis wann möchten Sie das Zimmer reservieren? (fon vân bis vân merH-ten zee dâs tsi-mer rê-zêr-vee-ren?) (For what dates would you like to reserve the room?)

To specify how many nights you want to stay or for what dates you want to reserve a room, you can say either of the following, depending on what suits your needs (Chapter 4 gives more details on how to specify the date):

Ich möchte gern ein Zimmer für . . . Nächte reservieren. (iH merH-te gêrn ayn tsi-mer fuer . . . naiHt-e rê-zêr-vee-ren.) (I would like to reserve a room for . . . nights.)

Ich möchte gern ein Zimmer vom 11. 3. bis zum 15. 3. reservieren. (iH merH-te gêrn ayn tsi-mer fom êlf-ten drit-en bis tsoom fuenf-tseyn-ten drit-en rê-zêr-vee-ren.) (I would like to reserve a room from the 11th to the 15th of March.)

Specifying the kind of room you want

The person taking your reservation is certain to ask you something like the following in order to find out what kind of room you want:

Was für ein Zimmer möchten Sie gern? (vâs fuer ayn tsi-mer merH-ten zee gêrn?) (What kind of room would you like?)

Or you can take the initiative and state what kind of room you want with the phrase

Ich hätte gern. . . . (iH hêt-e gêrn. . . .) (I would like. . . .)

At the end of the phrase, add any of the following (or a combination of them) to specify exactly what kind of room you want to rest your weary bones in:

ein Doppelzimmer (ayn dôp-el-tsi-mer) (a double room)

ein Einzelzimmer (ayn ayn-tsêl-tsi-mer) (a single room)

ein Zimmer mit . . . (ayn tsi-mer mit . . .) (a room with . . .) and then choose from the following features:

• Bad (baht) (bathtub)

• Dusche (dooh-she) (shower)

• einem Doppelbett (ayn-êm dôp-el-bêt) (one double bed)

• zwei Einzelbetten (tsvay ayn-tsêl-bêt-en) (two twin beds)

Asking about the price

Even if your last name is Moneybags, you probably want to find out what the hotel room costs. Look at the following variations on the question, depending on whether you want to know the basic price or the price with other features included:

Was kostet das Zimmer pro Nacht? (vâs kos-tet dâs tsi-mer proh nâHt?) (What does the room cost per night?)

Was kostet eine Übernachtung mit Frühstück? (vâs kos-tet ayn-e ue-ber-nâHt-oong mit frue-shtuek?) (What does accommodation including breakfast cost?)

Was kostet ein Zimmer mit Halbpension/Vollpension? (vâs kos-tet ayn tsi-mer mit hâlp-pân-zee-ohn/fol-pân-zee-ohn?) (What does a room with half board/full board cost?)

Finalizing the reservation

If the room is available and the price doesn’t cause you to faint, you can seal the deal by saying

Können Sie das Zimmer bitte reservieren? (kern-en zee dâs tsi-mer bi-te rê-zêr-vee-ren?) (Could you reserve that room, please?)

Talkin’ the Talk

Klaus und Ulrike Huber want to take a vacation in Österreich (erst-êr-ayH) (Austria), and they’ve found a hotel on Lake Mondsee where they’d like to stay. Klaus calls the Hotel Alpenhof and talks to the receptionist. (Track 31)
Rezeption:	Hotel Alpenhof, guten Tag. hotel [as in English] âlp-en-hohf, gooh-ten tahk. Hello, Hotel Alpenhof.
Klaus:	Guten Tag. Ich möchte ein Zimmer vom 15. bis zum 23. Juni reservieren. gooh-ten tahk. iH merH-te ayn tsi-mer fom fuenf-tseyn-ten bis tsoom dray-oont-tsvân-tsiH-sten yooh-nee rê-zêr-vee-ren. Hello. I’d like to book a room from the 15th to the 23rd of June.
Rezeption:	Ja, das geht. Was für ein Zimmer möchten Sie? yah, dâs geyt. vâs fuer ayn tsi-mer merH-ten zee? Yes, that’s fine. What kind of room would you like?
Klaus:	Ein Doppelzimmer mit Bad, bitte. Was kostet das Zimmer pro Nacht? ayn dôp-el-tsi-mer mit baht bi-te. vâs kôs-tet dâs tsi-mer proh nâHt? A double room with bathroom, please. What does the room cost per night?
Rezeption:	129 Euro für die Übernachtung mit Frühstück. ayn-hoon-dert-noyn-oont-tsvân-tsiH oy-roh fuer dee ue-ber-nâHt-oong mit frue-shtuek. 129 euros for accommodation including breakfast.
Klaus:	Sehr gut. Können Sie es bitte reservieren? Mein Name ist Huber. zeyr gooht. kern-en zee ês bi-te rê-zêr-vee-ren? mayn nah-me ist hooh-ber. That’s very good. Could you please reserve it? My name is Huber.
Rezeption:	Geht in Ordnung, Herr Huber. geyt in ort-noong, hêr hooh-ber. Okay, Mr. Huber.
Klaus:	Vielen Dank! fee-len dânk Thank you very much!

Checking In

After you arrive at your hotel, you have to check in at the Rezeption (rê-tsêp-tsee-ohn)/Empfang (êm-pfâng) (reception desk). To let the receptionist know that you have made reservations, say

Ich habe ein Zimmer reserviert. (iH hah-be ayn tsi-mer rê-zêr-veert.) (I have reserved a room.)

Of course, you also have to let the receptionist know what your name is:

Mein Name ist. . . . (mayn nah-me ist. . . .) (My name is. . . .)

Stating how long you’re staying

If you haven’t made a reservation or the receptionist wants to double-check the length of your stay, you may hear the question

Wie lange bleiben Sie? (vee lâng-e blay-ben zee?) (How long are you going to stay?)

To the question about how long you want to stay, you can reply with the phrase

Ich bleibe/Wir bleiben. . . . (iH blay-be/veer blay-ben. . . .) (I’m going to stay/We’re going to stay. . . .)

Then end the phrase with any of the appropriate lengths of time:

nur eine Nacht (noohr ayn-e nâHt) (only one night)

bis zum elften (bis tsoom êlf-ten) (until the 11th)

eine Woche (ayn-e vôH-e) (one week)

Filling out the registration form

At most hotels, you have to fill out der Meldeschein (dêr mêl-de-shayn) (reservation form), commonly referred to as das Formular (dâs for-mooh-lahr) (the form) as part of the check-in process. The receptionist will hand you the form, saying something like the following:

Bitte füllen Sie dieses Formular aus. (bi-te fuel-en zee deez-ês for-mooh-lahr ous.) (Please fill out this form.)

The registration form asks you for all or most of the following information:

Tag der Ankunft (tahk dêr ân-koonft ) (Date of arrival)

Name/Vorname (nah-me/fohr-nah-me) (Surname/First name)

Straße/Nummer (Nr.) (shtrah-se/noom-er) (Street/Number)

Postleitzahl (PLZ)/Wohnort (post-layt-tsahl/vohn-ort) (Zip code/Town)

Geburtsdatum/Geburtsort (gê-boorts-dah-toohm/gê-boorts-ort) (Birth date/Place of birth)

Staatsangehörigkeit/Nationalität (stahts-ân-ge-herr-iH-kayt/nâ-tsee-oh-nahl-i-tait) (Nationality)

Beruf (bê-roohf) (Occupation)

Passnummer (pâs-noom-er) (Passport number)

Ort/Datum (ort/dah-toohm) (Place/Date)

Unterschrift (oon-ter-shrift) (Signature)

Getting keyed in

After you check in, the receptionist hands you your room key and says something like

Sie haben Zimmer Nummer 203. (zee hah-ben tsi-mer noom-er tsvay-hoon-dert-dray.) (You have room number 203.)

In some hotels, usually the more tradition-bound, your room key is on a massive, metal key holder. You may be asked to leave your heavy metal key at the reception desk when you go out. When you arrive back at the hotel and need the key to your room, you can use the following phrase:

Können Sie mir bitte den Schlüssel für Zimmer Nummer . . . geben? (kern-nen zee meer bi-te deyn shlues-êl fuer tsi-mer noom-er . . . gey-ben?) (Could you give me the key for room number. . . ?)

Asking about amenities and facilities

You may want to find out what kind of services and facilities the hotel offers — does your room have Wi-Fi or a minibar? Does the hotel have a laundry service?

Your room

When you want to ask about specific features of your room, start with the phrase

Hat das Zimmer. . . ? (hât dâs tsi-mer. . . ?) (Does the room have. . . ?)

Then end the phrase with any of the following items:

einen Balkon (ayn-en bâl-kohn) (a balcony)

Satellitenfernsehen/Kabelfernsehen (zâ-tê-lee-ten-fêrn-zey-en/kah-bel-fêrn-zey-en) (satellite TV/cable TV)

ein Telefon (ayn tê-le-fohn) (a phone)

Wi-Fi (wee-fee) (Wi-Fi)

eine Minibar (ayn-e minibar [as in English]) (a minibar)

The hotel

The hotel may offer a number of services that are outlined in a brochure you find in your room. However, if you need to ask about the hotel’s amenities before you arrive or because you misplaced your reading glasses, just ask

Hat das Hotel. . . ? (hât dâs hotel. . . ?) (Does the hotel have. . . ?)

You can then ask about any of the following services by ending the preceding phrase with

eine Sauna (ayn-e zou-nâ) (a sauna)

ein Schwimmbad (ayn shvim-baht) (a swimming pool)

einen Fitnessraum (ayn-en fit-nes-roum) (a fitness room)

einen Wäschedienst (ayn-en vêsh-e-deenst) (laundry service)

eine Klimaanlage (ayn-e klee-mah-ân-lah-ge) (air-conditioning)

eine Hotelgarage (ayn-e hoh-têl-gâ-rah-ge [second g pronounced as g in genre]) (a hotel garage)

einen Parkplatz (ayn-en pârk-plâts) (a parking lot)

Here are the questions that allow you to inquire about breakfast and room service:

Wann wird das Frühstück serviert? (vân virt dâs frue-shtuek zêr-veert?) (At what time is breakfast served?)

Gibt es Zimmerservice? (gipt ês tsi-mer-ser-vis?) (Is there room service?)

Talkin’ the Talk

Klaus und Ulrike Huber arrive at the Hotel Alpenhof. They park their car at the entrance and go to the reception desk to check in. (Track 32)
Klaus:	Guten Abend! Mein Name ist Huber. Wir haben ein Zimmer reserviert. gooht-en ah-bent! mayn nah-me ist hooh-ber. veer hah-ben ayn tsi-mer rê-zêr-veert. Good evening! My name is Huber. We’ve reserved a room.
Rezeption:	Ja richtig, ein Doppelzimmer mit Bad. Bitte füllen Sie dieses Formular aus. yah riH-tiH, ayn dôp-el-tsi-mer mit baht. bi-te fuel-en zee deez-es for-mooh-lahr ous. Yes right, a double room with bath. Please fill out this form.
Klaus:	Haben Sie eine Garage oder einen Parkplatz? hah-ben zee ayn-e gâ-rah-ge oh-der ayn-en pârk-plâts? Do you have a garage or a parking lot?
Rezeption:	Jawohl. Der Parkplatz ist hinter dem Hotel. Und hier ist Ihr Zimmerschlüssel, Nummer 203. yah-vohl. dêr pârk-plâts ist hin-ter deym hotel [as in English]. oont heer ist eer tsi-mer-shlues-êl, noom-er tsavy-hoon-dert-dray. Yes, indeed. The parking lot is behind the hotel. And here is your key, number 203.
Ulrike:	Wann servieren Sie Frühstück? vân zêr-vee-ren zee frue-shtuek? When do you serve breakfast?
Rezeption:	Von sieben bis zehn Uhr. fon zee-ben bis tseyn oohr. From 7 to 10 o’clock.
Ulrike:	Vielen Dank. fee-len dânk Thank you very much.

Checking Out and Paying the Bill

The German language has no exact equivalent for the convenient English term “to check out.” The German term you use for checking out of your room is das Zimmer räumen (dâs tsi-mêr roy-men), which literally translates into to clear out the room. If you want to ask what time you have to vacate your room, inquire

Bis wann müssen wir/muss ich das Zimmer räumen? (bis vân mues-en veer/moos iH dâs tsi-mêr roy-men?) (At what time do we/I have to check out of the room?)

Asking for your bill

When it comes to checking out of the hotel, the word commonly used is abreisen (âp-ray-zen) (to leave, literally, to travel on). When you want to leave, tell the receptionist

Ich reise ab./Wir reisen ab. (iH ray-ze âp./veer ray-zen âp.) (I’m leaving./We’re leaving.)

The preceding phrase will probably be enough to get the receptionist busy preparing your bill. However, if you need to drive home the point that you’d like to have your bill, you can say

Kann ich bitte die Rechnung haben? (kân iH bi-te dee rêH-noong hah-ben?) (Could I have the bill, please?)

Chapter 14 tells you all about dealing with bills, paying with a credit card, and asking for a receipt.

Asking small favors

If you have to check out of the hotel before you’re actually ready to continue on your trip, you may want to leave your luggage for a couple of hours (most hotels allow you to do this). Simply ask

Können wir unser/Kann ich mein Gepäck bis . . . Uhr hier lassen? (kern-en veer oon-zer/kân iH mayn ge-pêk bis . . . oohr heer lâs-en?) (Could we leave our/Could I leave my luggage here until . . . o’clock?)

When you return to pick up your luggage, you can say

Können wir/Kann ich bitte unser/mein Gepäck haben? (kern-en veer/kân iH bi-te oon-zer/mayn ge-pêk hah-ben?) (Could we/Could I get our/my luggage, please?)

Ready to go to the airport or train station? If you want the receptionist to call you a cab, ask

Können Sie mir bitte ein Taxi bestellen? (kern-en zee meer bi-te ayn tâx-ee be-shtêl-en?) (Could you call a cab for me?)

The receptionist will need to know where you intend to go before calling for your taxi. The receptionist may ask you

Wo möchten Sie hin? (voh merH-ten zee hin?) (Where would you like to go?)

Make sure you know the name of the place you want to go to before you approach the receptionist.

Talkin’ the Talk

Klaus and Ulrike Huber are ready to move on and explore other parts of the country. They go to the reception desk to check out.
Klaus:	Guten Morgen! Wir reisen heute ab. Kann ich bitte die Rechnung haben? gooh-ten môr-gen! veer ray-zen hoy-te âp. kân iH bi-te dee rêH-noong hah-ben? Good morning! We’re leaving today. May I have the bill, please?
Rezeption:	Sicher, einen Moment bitte. Haben Sie gestern abend noch etwas aus der Minibar genommen? ziH-er, ayn-en moh-mênt bi-te. hah-ben zee gês-tern ah-bent nôH êt-vâs ous dêr minibar gê-nôm-en? Sure, one moment please. Did you take anything from the minibar last night?
Klaus:	Ja, zwei Bier. yah, tsvay beer. Yes, two beers.
Rezeption:	Danke. Also, hier ist ihre Rechnung. dân-ke. al-zoh, heer ist eer-e rêH-noong. Thank you. So, here is your bill.
Klaus:	Kann ich mit Kreditkarte bezahlen? kân iH mit krê-dit-kâr-te be-tsahl-en? Can I pay with a credit card?
Rezeption:	Selbstverständlich. Unterschreiben Sie hier, bitte. zêlpst-fêr-shtênt-liH. oon-ter-shray-ben zee heer bi-te. Of course. Please sign here.
Klaus:	Vielen Dank und auf Wiedersehen. fee-len dânk oont ouf vee-der-zey-en. Thank you very much and good-bye.
Rezeption:	Gute Reise! gooh-te ray-ze! Have a good trip!

Fun & Games

Use the correct words to complete the questions:

Wo Was für Wie Wann Was

1. kostet das Zimmer ? (How much is the room?)

2. lange bleiben Sie? (How long are you going to stay?)

3. wird das Frühstück serviert? (At what time is breakfast served?)

4. möchten Sie hin? (Where would you like to go?)

5. ein Zimmer möchten Sie? (What kind of room would you like?)

You’re checking into the Hotel Schlumberger and you need to fill out the following registration form — Meldeschein (mêl-de-shayn). In the blanks provided, write the English equivalents for the requested information showin in German.