Make Hotel Requests and Report Problems
Hotel stays sometimes require extra towels, a later checkout, or help with a room problem. Describe the need precisely and ask when a solution will be available.
Learning objective
Make a courteous hotel request and report a practical room problem clearly.
A hotel request is easiest to solve when it names the room and the needed item. Soy de la habitación 214 identifies the guest, and Necesito dos toallas más states the request. Más means additional here, not larger towels.
For a problem, describe the affected item and observable result: El aire acondicionado no funciona or No hay agua caliente. These sentences give staff something concrete to check. Avoid a long story before the key noun, especially during a phone call.
Use ¿Puede ayudarnos, por favor? or ¿Puede enviar a alguien? for a respectful request to one staff member. Formality depends on the relationship and local service style, but a greeting, clear wording, por favor, and gracias travel well across settings.
Ask for a realistic next step rather than demanding an exact outcome: ¿Cuándo puede venir alguien? or ¿Hay otra habitación disponible? Repeat the agreed action before ending. Entonces, traen las toallas esta tarde confirms both the item and time.
Examples
Necesitamos dos toallas más, por favor.
Could we have two more towels, please?
The contextual translation makes the request courteous in English.
El aire acondicionado no funciona.
The air conditioning isn't working.
The sentence reports an observable room problem.
¿Puede enviar a alguien a la habitación 214?
Could you send someone to room 214?
The room number directs the response.
Entonces, el técnico viene a las cuatro, ¿verdad?
So the technician is coming at four, is that right?
The guest confirms the promised action and time.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- El aire acondicionado no trabaja en mi habitación.
- Try
- El aire acondicionado no funciona en mi habitación.
Trabajar normally describes people working, although it has broader uses in some regions. Funcionar is widely understood for equipment that is not operating, so staff immediately know that the appliance needs attention.
Practice
Try it yourself
Leave a concise hotel message. Identify room 308, report that there is no hot water, ask staff to send someone, and ask when help can arrive. End by confirming a promised visit at eleven.