Japanese for hotels and ryokan: check-in, onsen and luggage
A business hotel asks you almost nothing. A ryokan asks about dinner time, bath time and breakfast, all before you reach your room. Here is what gets asked, what to answer, and the English-looking words that mean something else entirely.
You are the guest, talking to ryokan staff. Plain polite desu/masu is enough. The staff will be markedly more formal with you than you need to be with them, which is hospitality, not a cue to match it.
Checking in
スミスで予約しています。
Sumisu de yoyaku shite imasu.
I have a reservation under Smith.
チェックインをお願いします。
Chekkuin o onegaishimasu.
Check-in, please.
二泊二名です。
Nihaku nimei desu.
Two nights, two people.
チェックインまで荷物を預かってもらえますか？
Chekkuin made nimotsu o azukatte moraemasu ka?
Could you hold my luggage until check-in?
チェックアウトは何時ですか？
Chekkuauto wa nanji desu ka?
What time is check-out?
朝食は付いていますか？
Choushoku wa tsuite imasu ka?
Is breakfast included?
部屋にWi-Fiはありますか？
Heya ni waifai wa arimasu ka?
Is there Wi-Fi in the room?
The room and the bath
お風呂は何時から入れますか？
Ofuro wa nanji kara hairemasu ka?
What time can I use the bath?
温泉は夜通し入れますか？
Onsen wa yodooshi hairemasu ka?
Is the onsen open all night?
タトゥーが入っているのですが、大丈夫ですか？
Tatuu ga haitte iru no desu ga, daijoubu desu ka?
I have a tattoo. Is that a problem?
Worth asking first. Many onsen still refuse tattoos.
大きいサイズの浴衣はありますか？
Ookii saizu no yukata wa arimasu ka?
Do you have a bigger yukata?
夕食は何時ですか？
Yuushoku wa nanji desu ka?
What time is dinner?
エアコンが効きません。
Eakon ga kikimasen.
The air conditioning isn't working.
タオルをもう一枚ください。
Taoru o mou ichimai kudasai.
Could I have one more towel?
Checking out and moving on
レイトチェックアウトはできますか？
Reito chekkuauto wa dekimasu ka?
Could I have a late check-out?
このスーツケースを次のホテルに送りたいです。
Kono suutsukeesu o tsugi no hoteru ni okuritai desu.
I'd like to send this suitcase to my next hotel.
The service is 宅配便 (takuhaibin), and most hotels arrange it.
タクシーを呼んでもらえますか？
Takushii o yonde moraemasu ka?
Could you call a taxi for me?
駅までどう行きますか？
Eki made dou ikimasu ka?
How do I get to the station?
お世話になりました。
Osewa ni narimashita.
Thank you for everything.
The natural thing to say on the way out, not ありがとう alone.
とても快適でした。
Totemo kaiteki deshita.
It was a wonderful stay.
Japanese does not translate stay directly. 快適 covers the room and the service together, and it pairs naturally with the お世話になりました above.
Wasei-eigo traps
マンション (manshon) looks like mansion, but means a modern apartment building, or a flat in one
マンションを買う is buying a flat, not a mansion. The word marks a sturdier building than an アパート, and a real mansion is 豪邸 (goutei).
バイキング (baikingu) looks like Viking, but means buffet
朝食バイキング is a breakfast buffet, named after a Tokyo hotel restaurant from the 1950s. Nothing to do with Norsemen.
フロント (furonto) looks like front, but means reception desk
Ask for フロント and you will be pointed at the reception desk. The front of the building is 正面 (shoumen).
サービス (saabisu) looks like service, but means service, but often something included at no charge
朝食はサービスです means breakfast is complimentary, though サービス on its own is the ordinary word for service. Room service is ルームサービス, which does cost.
クレーム (kureemu) looks like claim, but means complaint
クレーム means a complaint about service. An insurance claim is 請求 (seikyuu).
ビジネスホテル (bijinesu hoteru) looks like business hotel, for business travel, but means an affordable no-frills hotel category
The name comes from business travellers, but anyone stays in one. Expect a small, functional room at a modest price.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
What is the difference between a ryokan and a hotel?
A ryokan is a traditional inn: tatami floors, futon bedding laid out for you, and usually dinner and breakfast served at fixed times. Prices are quoted per person, not per room, and the meals are a large part of what you are paying for.
Can I go in an onsen with a tattoo?
Sometimes. Many onsen still refuse tattoos because of their association with organised crime, though rules are loosening. Ask タトゥーが入っているのですが、大丈夫ですか before undressing, look for tattoo-friendly places, or book a private bath, called 貸切風呂 (kashikiri buro).
Do I wear the yukata outside the room?
In a ryokan, yes. The yukata is normal dress inside the building, and often around the town in onsen resorts. Fold the left side over the right, never the other way round, which is how the dead are dressed.
How does sending luggage ahead work?
Ask the front desk for 宅配便 (takuhaibin). You fill in the next hotel's address, pay a couple of thousand yen per bag, and it arrives the next day. It is the standard way to travel on the shinkansen without a large suitcase.