From the reception desk to a problem with your room: learn what to say at a hotel, how to complain politely and how adjectives change after der, die and das.
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| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| die Rezeption, -en | reception |
| das Einzelzimmer, - | single room |
| das Doppelzimmer, - | double room |
| die Übernachtung mit Frühstück | bed and breakfast |
| die Halbpension | half board |
| reservieren | to reserve, to book |
| einchecken / auschecken | to check in / to check out |
| die Schlüsselkarte, -n | key card |
| der Ausweis, -e | ID card |
| der Reisepass, -pässe | passport |
| der Aufzug, Aufzüge | lift |
| der Flur, -e | corridor |
| das Handtuch, Handtücher | towel |
| die Bettwäsche | bed linen |
| das WLAN | Wi-Fi |
| kostenlos | free of charge |
| der Aufpreis, -e | extra charge |
| die Beschwerde, -n | complaint |
| sich beschweren über + Akk. | to complain about |
| schmutzig / sauber | dirty / clean |
| laut / ruhig | noisy / quiet |
| zugehen (geht zu, ist zugegangen) | to close |
| Was ist denn los? | What's the matter? |
| Das tut mir leid. | I'm sorry. |
When an adjective stands before a noun, it needs an ending. After the definite article (der, die, das) there are only two endings: -e and -en. After dieser, jeder and welcher the endings are the same.
| masculine | feminine | neuter | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nom. | der alte Fernseher | die laute Heizung | das große Fenster | die neuen Handtücher |
| Acc. | den alten Fernseher | die laute Heizung | das große Fenster | die neuen Handtücher |
| Dat. | dem alten Fernseher | der lauten Heizung | dem großen Fenster | den neuen Handtüchern |
The rule of thumb: -e in the five places where the article still looks like the nominative singular (all three nominatives, and the accusative of feminine and neuter); -en everywhere else. Adjectives after the verb have no ending: Das Zimmer ist ruhig. But: das ruhige Zimmer.
Germans expect complaints to be clear, factual and polite. A good complaint has three steps:
If the problem is solved, thank the person: Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe! If you want to complain after your stay, write a short email with the dates, your room number and what went wrong.
Tap the words in the right order.
After a hotel stay, write a polite email of complaint to the hotel (60–80 words): when you stayed and in which room, two problems, one positive thing, and what you would like now.
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, vom 3. bis 5. Oktober war ich Gast in Ihrem Hotel, Zimmer 108. Leider war ich mit dem Zimmer nicht zufrieden. Die alte Heizung war sehr laut, und das große Fenster ging nicht richtig zu. Deshalb konnte ich nachts kaum schlafen. Das Personal an der Rezeption war aber sehr freundlich. Könnten Sie mir bitte sagen, ob Sie mir einen Teil des Preises erstatten können? Mit freundlichen Grüßen Sneha Kapoor
In German hotels, check-in often starts in the afternoon (around 2 or 3 pm) and check-out is usually in the late morning. Breakfast is not always included, so check your booking. Many cities charge a small tourist or city tax per night, which is sometimes paid at the hotel. You usually show an ID card or passport at check-in.
If something is wrong with your room, say so at reception straight away: German hotels generally prefer to fix a problem at once rather than read about it in a review later. A kettle in the room is not standard everywhere, so if you can't live without your morning chai, ask at reception. In double rooms you will often find two separate duvets instead of one big one.
Related: Road trips in Germany · German phrases you need · German A2 lessons
