How to call a hotel in Spanish
By the Travel's Calling team · Updated October 30, 2026
Calling a hotel in Spain or Latin America usually comes down to three things: confirming your booking, telling them when you'll arrive, and asking a question or two. Here's the Spanish for each, plus what the receptionist will ask back.
Opening the call
Hotels usually answer with their name and a greeting. Reply with "Buenas tardes, tengo una reserva" (good afternoon, I have a reservation). In Latin America you'll also hear reservación; both are understood everywhere. Then give your name: "A nombre de Smith."
What they'll ask
Expect "¿Su apellido?" (your last name?), "¿Para qué fechas?" (for which dates?), "¿Cuántas noches?" (how many nights?) and "¿Me lo puede deletrear?" (can you spell it for me?). Spelling in Spanish is easier than in French because letters mostly sound like they look, but practice the vowels: A is "ah", E is "eh", I is "ee".
Arriving late or early
Late: "Voy a llegar tarde, sobre las once de la noche. ¿Me pueden guardar la habitación?" Early: "¿Es posible hacer el check-in temprano?" or ask to leave your bags: "¿Puedo dejar las maletas?" If the front desk isn't staffed at night, they may give you a code; ask them to repeat it.
Common extras
- Breakfast: "¿El desayuno está incluido?"
- Parking: "¿Tienen estacionamiento?" (Latin America) or "¿Tienen parking?" (Spain)
- Airport transfer: "¿Tienen traslado al aeropuerto?"
- Some Spanish regions, such as Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, charge a tourist tax: "¿La tasa turística está incluida?"
Tips
- Use usted forms (puede, tiene) on the phone with staff.
- Write the dates in Spanish beforehand: del cinco al ocho de mayo.
- Say your phone number in pairs if you're asked for it; practice it out loud.
- Rehearse the whole call, not just the phrases.
Phrase table
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Buenas tardes, tengo una reserva. | BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs, TEN-goh OO-nah reh-SEHR-bah | Good afternoon, I have a reservation. |
| A nombre de Smith. | ah NOM-breh deh Smith | Under the name Smith. |
| Del cinco al ocho de mayo. | del SEEN-koh al OH-choh deh MAH-yoh | From May 5th to 8th. |
| Voy a llegar tarde. | boy ah yeh-GAR TAR-deh | I'm going to arrive late. |
| ¿Me pueden guardar la habitación? | meh PWEH-den gwar-DAR lah ah-bee-tah-SYOHN | Can you hold the room for me? |
| ¿Es posible hacer el check-in temprano? | es poh-SEE-bleh ah-SEHR el check-in tem-PRAH-noh | Is early check-in possible? |
| ¿Puedo dejar las maletas? | PWEH-doh deh-HAR lahs mah-LEH-tahs | Can I leave my bags? |
| ¿El desayuno está incluido? | el deh-sah-YOO-noh es-TAH een-kloo-EE-doh | Is breakfast included? |
| Perdón, ¿puede repetir? | pehr-DOHN, PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER | Sorry, can you repeat? |
Practice this call before you go
Travel's Calling turns your own trip into practice phone calls. Pick your destination, upload your itinerary or type a few plans, choose your level, and take a voice call in your browser with an AI character who answers in the local language. After each call you get a short trip report. It works for destinations around the world, so you can rehearse this call in Spanish.
Start practicing on Travel's Calling →Quick answers
- How do you say I have a reservation in Spanish?
- "Tengo una reserva" (Spain and most places) or "Tengo una reservación" (common in Mexico).
- How do I ask to hold my room if I arrive late?
- "Voy a llegar tarde. ¿Me pueden guardar la habitación?"