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Chapter 7 of 8

Travel Essentials: Hotels, Emergencies, and Practical Needs

Prepare for travel-related situations such as checking into a hotel, handling basic problems, and asking for help in simple Spanish.

15 min readen

New Words and Phrases (in English)

In this step, you will learn key words and phrases to use in hotels and simple emergency situations: checking in, asking for services, and asking for help when there is a problem.

WordPronunciationTranslationExample
Tengo una reservaTEN-goh oo-nah reh-SER-vahI have a reservationHola, tengo una reserva a nombre de Smith.(Hello, I have a reservation under the name Smith.)
¿Incluye desayuno?een-KLOO-yeh deh-sah-YOO-nohDoes it include breakfast?Perdón, ¿incluye desayuno la habitación?(Excuse me, does the room include breakfast?)
La llave no funcionalah YAH-veh noh foon-SYOH-nahThe key does not workPerdón, la llave no funciona. No puedo abrir la puerta.(Excuse me, the key does not work. I cannot open the door.)
Me siento malmeh SYEN-toh mahlI feel unwell / I feel sickLo siento, me siento mal. ¿Hay una farmacia cerca?(Sorry, I feel unwell. Is there a pharmacy nearby?)
He perdido mi pasaporteeh pehr-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POR-tehI have lost my passportCreo que he perdido mi pasaporte en el hotel.(I think I have lost my passport in the hotel.)
¿Me puede ayudar?meh PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DARCan you help me?Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar? No encuentro mi habitación.(Excuse me, can you help me? I cannot find my room.)
No entiendonoh en-TYEN-dohI do not understandLo siento, no entiendo. ¿Lo puede repetir, por favor?(Sorry, I do not understand. Can you repeat it, please?)
¿Puede hablar más despacio?PWEH-deh ah-BLAR mahs dehs-PAH-syohCan you speak more slowly?Por favor, ¿puede hablar más despacio? Estoy aprendiendo español.(Please, can you speak more slowly? I am learning Spanish.)

Language Pattern (in English)

1. Using "puede" and "me puede" to make polite requests

In hotels and emergencies, you often need to ask people to do something for you. In Spanish, a very common and polite way is to use:

  • ¿Puede + infinitive...? = Can you + verb...?
  • ¿Me puede + infinitive...? = Can you + verb + me...? (Can you help me, show me, call me, etc.)

Structure:

  • ¿Puede + hablar más despacio?
  • Spanish: "¿Puede hablar más despacio?"
  • English: "Can you speak more slowly?"
  • ¿Me puede ayudar?
  • Spanish: "¿Me puede ayudar?"
  • English: "Can you help me?"

Notice:

  • puede = "you can" (formal, talking to a receptionist, stranger, etc.)
  • The verb after puede stays in the infinitive form (hablar, ayudar, repetir, etc.).

You can combine this with other useful verbs:

  • ¿Me puede ayudar? – Can you help me?
  • ¿Puede repetir, por favor? – Can you repeat, please?
  • ¿Puede llamar a un taxi? – Can you call a taxi?

2. Talking about how you feel: "Me siento..."

To say how you feel physically or emotionally, you can use:

  • Me siento + adjective = I feel + adjective

From the vocabulary:

  • Me siento mal.
  • Spanish: "Me siento mal."
  • English: "I feel unwell / I feel sick."

You can change mal to other adjectives you may know:

  • "Me siento cansado / cansada." – I feel tired.
  • "Me siento mejor." – I feel better.

3. Saying you do not understand

In travel situations, it is very useful to control the speed and clarity of the conversation.

Key phrases:

  • No entiendo.
  • Spanish: "No entiendo."
  • English: "I do not understand."
  • ¿Puede hablar más despacio?
  • Spanish: "¿Puede hablar más despacio?"
  • English: "Can you speak more slowly?"

You can combine them:

  • "Lo siento, no entiendo. ¿Puede hablar más despacio?"
  • English: "Sorry, I do not understand. Can you speak more slowly?"

These patterns help you stay calm and get help even when your Spanish is limited.

Practice Dialogue (in English)

You arrive at a hotel, check in, and later have a small problem with your room key. You also feel a bit unwell and need help. Practice this realistic conversation using the new phrases.

At a hotel reception: checking in, reporting a problem, and asking for help when feeling unwell.

Guest

Hola, buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva a nombre de Taylor.

Hello, good afternoon. I have a reservation under the name Taylor.

Receptionist

Buenas tardes, señor Taylor. Bienvenido. ¿Su reserva es por tres noches?

Good afternoon, Mr. Taylor. Welcome. Is your reservation for three nights?

Guest

Sí, por tres noches. Disculpe, ¿incluye desayuno la habitación?

Yes, for three nights. Excuse me, does the room include breakfast?

Receptionist

Sí, incluye desayuno. Es de siete a diez de la mañana.

Yes, it includes breakfast. It is from seven to ten in the morning.

Guest

Gracias. Pero creo que hay un problema. La llave no funciona.

Thank you. But I think there is a problem. The key does not work.

Receptionist

Lo siento. ¿Me puede mostrar la llave, por favor?

I am sorry. Can you show me the key, please?

Guest

Aquí está. Y otra cosa, me siento mal. ¿Me puede ayudar? Necesito una farmacia.

Here it is. And another thing, I feel unwell. Can you help me? I need a pharmacy.

Receptionist

Claro, hay una farmacia cerca del hotel. Pero primero, ¿puede sentarse un momento?

Of course, there is a pharmacy near the hotel. But first, can you sit down for a moment?

Guest

Sí, gracias. Lo siento, no entiendo todo. ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?

Yes, thank you. Sorry, I do not understand everything. Can you speak more slowly, please?

Receptionist

Por supuesto. Ahora arreglo la llave y después le explico cómo ir a la farmacia.

Of course. Now I will fix the key and then I will explain to you how to go to the pharmacy.

Check Your Understanding (in English)

Answer this question to check your understanding of a key phrase from the module.

You are at the hotel reception and you do not understand the receptionist. Which Spanish sentence is the best way to ask them to speak more slowly?

  1. ¿Puede hablar más despacio?
  2. He perdido mi pasaporte.
  3. La llave no funciona.
  4. Tengo una reserva.
Show Answer

Answer: A) ¿Puede hablar más despacio?

The correct answer is "¿Puede hablar más despacio?" which means "Can you speak more slowly?" The other options mean "I have lost my passport," "The key does not work," and "I have a reservation," so they do not ask the person to slow down.

Key Terms

No entiendo
I do not understand – say this when you do not understand what someone said.
Me siento mal
I feel unwell / I feel sick – general way to say you are not feeling well.
Tengo una reserva
I have a reservation – useful for checking into a hotel.
¿Me puede ayudar?
Can you help me? – polite way to ask for help from staff or strangers.
¿Incluye desayuno?
Does it include breakfast? – ask if breakfast is part of the room price.
La llave no funciona
The key does not work – to report a problem with your room key or card.
He perdido mi pasaporte
I have lost my passport – important phrase for a common travel emergency.
¿Puede hablar más despacio?
Can you speak more slowly? – very useful to control the speed of conversation when you are learning.