Today's words · 🏨 At the hotel
Check in with confidence: 10 German hotel words
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After a long train ride, the last thing you want is to freeze at the front desk.
You arrive in Munich late at night and wheel your suitcase into the hotel. The receptionist smiles: "Haben Sie reserviert?" You did book — but as soon as room types and breakfast come up, your mind goes blank.
Here are ten words you'll use at any hotel. With them you can book a room, check in, get your key and understand straight away when they say they're full. 🛎️
📋 The ten words at a glance
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
das Hotel
[ho-TEL]hotel(Pl. die Hotels)
📌 Das Hotel liegt direkt am Bahnhof.
→ The hotel is right by the station.
💡 Same spelling as English, stress on the second syllable 🏨 It came from French hôtel.
Bonus a small family-run guesthouse = die Pension · youth hostel = die Jugendherberge
das Zimmer
[TSIM-er]room(Pl. die Zimmer)
📌 Mein Zimmer ist klein, aber hell.
→ My room is small but bright.
💡 It originally meant timber 🪵 Picture a little wooden room.
Bonus Do you have a room free? = Haben Sie ein Zimmer frei?
die Rezeption
[ray-tsep-TSYOHN]reception (desk)(Pl. die Rezeptionen · = die Reception)
📌 Den Schlüssel bekommen Sie an der Rezeption.
→ You get the key at reception.
💡 The same word as reception 🛎️ German just swaps the c for a z.
Bonus You get your key at the desk = an der Rezeption
das Einzelzimmer
[INE-tsel-tsim-er]single room(Pl. die Einzelzimmer)
📌 Ein Einzelzimmer kostet 80 Euro pro Nacht.
→ A single room costs 80 euros a night.
💡 einzel (single) + Zimmer = single room 🧍 Spot the ein (one)?
Bonus I'd like a single room = Ich hätte gern ein Einzelzimmer.
das Doppelzimmer
[DOP-el-tsim-er]double room(Pl. die Doppelzimmer)
📌 Ich möchte ein Doppelzimmer für zwei Nächte.
→ I'd like a double room for two nights.
💡 doppel = double 👫 See Doppel, think two.
⚠ The plural looks the same: die Doppelzimmer.
die Halbpension
[HALP-pahng-zyohn]half board((no pl.))
📌 Das Hotel bietet Halbpension an.
→ The hotel offers half board.
💡 halb (half) + Pension (board) = half board 🍽️ Breakfast and dinner.
Bonus full board = die Vollpension · breakfast only = mit Frühstück
einchecken
[INE-chek-en]to check in(checkt ein – hat eingecheckt)
📌 Wir können ab 15 Uhr im Hotel einchecken.
→ We can check in at the hotel from 3 pm.
💡 ein (in) + English check = check in 🧳 An English word in German clothes.
⚠ Separable: Ich checke um 15 Uhr ein. / hat eingecheckt
übernachten
[ue-ber-NAKH-ten]to stay overnight, spend the night(übernachtet – hat übernachtet)
📌 Wir übernachten in einer Jugendherberge.
→ We're staying at a youth hostel.
💡 über (over) + Nacht (night) = to stay over the night 🌙 Easy to picture.
⚠ Not separable: Wir übernachten im Hotel. / hat übernachtet
der Schlüssel
[SHLUE-sel]key(Pl. die Schlüssel)
📌 Ich finde meinen Schlüssel nicht.
→ I can't find my key.
💡 From schließen (to lock) 🔑 The thing that locks = Schlüssel.
Bonus Many hotels give you a key card instead: die Schlüsselkarte
ausgebucht
[OWS-guh-bookht]fully booked📌 Das Hotel ist am Wochenende leider ausgebucht.
→ Unfortunately the hotel is fully booked at the weekend.
💡 aus (completely) + gebucht (booked) = booked out 📵 Just like English!
⚠ For concerts and tickets it's ausverkauft (sold out).
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
In a German Doppelzimmer you'll often find one big bed with two separate duvets. It's also common for the bed to be two mattresses pushed together, which surprises some visitors at first.
In small towns and the countryside, try a family-run Pension or Gasthof instead of a hotel. Many serve a generous breakfast and have a cosy, personal feel.
Some cities also charge a small tax per night (called Kurtaxe, City Tax or something similar). So don't be surprised if there's an extra line on your bill when you check out. 🧾
✅ Quick quiz
Q. You phone a hotel about the weekend. Which answer means they have no rooms left?
- ① Wir haben noch ein Doppelzimmer frei.
- ② Wir sind leider ausgebucht.
- ③ Sie können ab 15 Uhr einchecken.
Show the answer
② Wir sind leider ausgebucht.
ausgebucht = fully booked, so Wir sind leider ausgebucht means ‘Sorry, we're full’.
Practise a hotel booking call out loud with today's words. Ich möchte ein Doppelzimmer für zwei Nächte! 🏨
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 🧭 Asking directions