English for hotel and restaurant staff

In hospitality, English is service. Welcoming a guest, taking an order, explaining the menu, handling a special request or a complaint — warm, clear English is what turns a guest into a happy, returning one.

Airi plays the guest so you can rehearse every part of the shift: check-in and check-out, taking and confirming orders, upselling politely, and calming an unhappy guest. Practice the phrases hospitality runs on until they come easily, even on a busy night.

A quick example with Airi

I'm a guest arriving at your hotel. Hi, I have a reservation under Garcia.

Welcome sir. Can I have your passport please? I will check your reservation.

Small fix: "May I have your passport, please?" Sure, here you go.

Thank you. Your room is ready. You are in room 305, in third floor.

"On the third floor." Great, thank you!

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

Hotel English: a line for each moment of a guest's stay

Most stays pass through the same moments. Learn one dependable line for each.

Moment	Say
A guest arrives	Good afternoon, and welcome to the Harbor Hotel. Are you checking in?
The room isn't ready	I'm afraid your room isn't ready yet. May I store your bags for you?
Offering an upgrade	We have an ocean-view room available tonight. Would you like me to check the rate?
Handing over the key	Here's your key card. You're in room 412, and the elevators are on your left.
A call from a room	Front desk, this is Ana. How may I help you?
A request for extra towels	Certainly. I'll have housekeeping bring some up right away.
Housekeeping at the door	Housekeeping. May I clean your room now, or should I come back later?
Check-out	I hope you enjoyed your stay. Would you like me to charge the card on file?

Room numbers are read as labels, not quantities: 305 is "three oh five", and 412 is "four twelve" or "four one two". Many hotels ask front desk staff not to say the number out loud when other people are nearby. If yours does, point to the key sleeve and say: "Your room number is written here."

Restaurant service English, from the greeting to the check

Step	Say
Greeting and seating	Good evening. Do you have a reservation? Right this way, please.
Drinks	Can I get you something to drink while you look at the menu?
Taking the order	Are you ready to order, or would you like a few more minutes?
A steak order	How would you like your steak cooked?
Reading the order back	So that's one sea bass, and one steak, medium rare, with fries.
Checking back	How is everything? Can I get you anything else?
Clearing	May I take your plate?
Dessert	Would you like to see the dessert menu, or just some coffee?
The check	Here's your check. No rush, whenever you're ready.

Guests answer the steak question with rare, medium rare, medium, medium well or well done. In a restaurant, "the check" is American English and "the bill" is British; you will hear both.

How to describe a dish and answer allergy questions in English

Guests ask two things again and again: "What's in it?" and "What do you recommend?"

How it is cooked. "It's grilled chicken in a peanut sauce." Also: fried, roasted, steamed, baked.
What comes with it. "It comes with rice and a small salad."
How it tastes. "It's a creamy curry, and it's mild, not spicy." Also: sweet, sour, salty, rich, light.
What you recommend. "If you like fish, I'd recommend the sea bass."
When you don't know. "I'm not sure. Let me check with the chef."

Never guess about allergies. If you are not certain what is in a dish, say so and check with the kitchen before the guest orders. A question to ask when you take the order: "Does anyone have any food allergies?"

Learn the English names of the common allergens. The US Food and Drug Administration names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish (such as shrimp and crab), tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. The UK Food Standards Agency lists 14 that food businesses must tell customers about. Its list widens wheat to all cereals containing gluten, such as rye and barley, and adds celery, lupin, mollusks (such as mussels and oysters), mustard, and sulfur dioxide and sulfites.

What to say when a hotel or restaurant guest complains

Make three moves, in order: apologize, say what you will do, and give a time.

The guest says	You say
There's no hot water in my room.	I'm very sorry about that. I'll send someone up right away and call you in ten minutes to check.
We've been waiting forty minutes for our food.	I apologize for the wait. Let me check with the kitchen, and I'll be right back with an update.
There's a charge on my bill I don't recognize.	I'm sorry for the confusion. Let me look into it right now, and if it's our mistake, I'll take it off your bill.
I want to speak to the manager.	Of course. I'm sorry for the trouble. I'll get the manager on duty for you right now.

Then go back and check: "I just wanted to make sure everything is all right now."

English mistakes at the front desk and the table, and what to say instead

Instead of	Say	Why
Welcome in our hotel.	Welcome to our hotel.	"Welcome" takes "to" before a place.
Mr. David, your table is ready.	Mr. Garcia, your table is ready.	The guest is David Garcia. "Mr." and "Ms." go with the family name, not the first name.
Do you want I call a taxi?	Would you like me to call a taxi?	After "would you like", say "me to" plus the verb, not "I" plus the verb.
What do you want to drink?	What would you like to drink?	The grammar is fine, but "want" sounds blunt from staff. "Would like" is the polite form.
Sit down, please.	Please have a seat.	"Sit down" sounds like an order even with "please". "Have a seat" is an invitation.
Wait a moment.	One moment, please.	"Wait" on its own is a command. "One moment, please" asks for the same thing politely.
How many persons?	How many are in your party?	"Persons" belongs to legal texts and official notices; in conversation the plural is "people". Restaurants call a group of guests a "party".
Sorry, full.	I'm afraid we're fully booked tonight, but I could offer you a table at nine.	"I'm afraid" softens bad news, and an alternative keeps the conversation going.

Rehearse a shift with Airi as your hotel or restaurant guest

Airi plays the guest and answers out loud. The 600 free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, so keep each scene short: one at the front desk and one at the table.

Set the scene: "Be a guest checking in at my hotel. I'm the receptionist, and I speak first."
Give her the room number, the breakfast hours and directions to the elevators.
Add a problem: "Now call the front desk and complain that there's no hot water." Make your three moves.
Switch scenes: "Now you're a restaurant guest with a nut allergy. Ask me what's in three dishes."
Take her order and read it back.
When a small fix appears, say the corrected line as you would to a guest.

How to get the most from it

Keep one greeting ready

Choose one greeting for your desk or your section and say it out loud until you no longer have to think about it. Your attention is then free for the guest's answer.

Read it back

Repeat orders, dates, times and special requests back to the guest before you act on them. A misheard word is easy to fix at that point and hard to fix later.

Rehearse the complaint, not only the welcome

Ask Airi to be an unhappy guest and practice apologizing, saying what you will do, and giving a time.

Start speaking today

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Frequently asked questions

What hospitality situations can I practice?

Check-in and check-out, taking orders, explaining the menu, requests, upselling, and complaints. Airi plays the guest.

Can Airi play an angry guest?

Yes. Ask her to be upset and practice calming the situation in polite, clear English.

How do I greet a guest in English at a hotel or restaurant?

Use three parts: a greeting for the time of day, a welcome, and one question. At a hotel: "Good evening, and welcome to the Harbor Hotel. How may I help you?" At a restaurant: "Good evening, and welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

Should I call guests "sir" and "ma'am"?

You can, when you don't know the guest's name. "Sir" is for a man. For a woman, "ma'am" is the usual American English form and "madam" the usual British one. A warm greeting with no title is also polite. Once you know the name, use a title with the family name: "Mr. Garcia" or "Ms. Chen".

Can I practice English for housekeeping or room service?

Yes. Tell Airi your job and the scene, for example: "I work in housekeeping. You're a guest who wants extra pillows and a late check-out." She plays the guest, and you answer as you would at work.

Is it free to start?

Yes. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking. After that there are one-off credit packs from USD 5, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03