How to check into a hotel in Brazilian Portuguese
Introduction
Checking into a hotel in Brazil requires only a handful of Portuguese phrases. Most hotel staff at tourist destinations speak some English, but knowing basic Portuguese phrases helps the process go smoothly and shows respect for the local culture. The check-in process itself follows a familiar pattern: you approach the front desk, provide your name and booking information, show your documents, and receive your room key. The main difference is doing this in Portuguese rather than English.
What happens when you arrive at a Brazilian hotel
When you walk into a Brazilian hotel, you will see a reception desk (usually labeled "Recepção"). You walk up to this desk and wait for a staff member to greet you. The receptionist will typically say hello and may ask how they can help you.
In Brazil, hotel interactions are polite and somewhat formal. You do not need to worry about cheek kisses at a hotel reception desk. A smile and a verbal greeting are appropriate. The receptionist will remain behind the desk and will not expect physical contact beyond possibly a handshake if you extend your hand first.
Documents you need for hotel check-in
Brazilian hotels require your passport for check-in. This is a legal requirement in Brazil. The hotel staff will either photocopy your passport or scan it into their system. They will return your passport to you.
Most hotels also require a credit card for incidentals (extra charges during your stay) even if you already paid for your room. Some hotels place a hold on your card, which is refunded when you check out.
Have these items ready before you approach the reception desk:
- Your passport
- A credit card
- Your booking confirmation (either printed or on your phone)
How to greet the receptionist
The receptionist will usually greet you first. You will hear one of these greetings:
- Bom dia (good morning, used until about noon)
- Boa tarde (good afternoon, used from noon until evening)
- Boa noite (good evening/good night, used after dark)
Respond with the same greeting. If the receptionist says "Bom dia," you say "Bom dia" back.
After the greeting, the receptionist might say "Como posso ajudar?" or "Pois não?" Both of these mean "How can I help you?" The phrase "Pois não" is uniquely Brazilian and literally translates to "well, no," but it actually means "yes, how can I help you?" This confuses many beginners, but just know that it is an invitation for you to explain what you need.
How to say you want to check in
After greeting the receptionist, state that you want to check in. The simplest and most useful phrase is:
Eu tenho uma reserva.
This means "I have a reservation." Let's break down how this phrase works:
- Eu means "I"
- tenho means "have" (when talking about yourself)
- uma means "a" (used before singular, feminine words)
- reserva means "reservation"
In Portuguese, you say "I have a reservation" rather than "I want to check in." This phrase communicates your purpose clearly.
Pronounce this phrase as: "EH-oo TEN-yo OO-mah heh-ZEHR-vah." The "r" in reserva has a sound similar to an English "h" at the beginning of syllables.
How to give your name
The receptionist will ask for your name. You will hear:
Qual é o seu nome? (What is your name?)
Or they might simply say:
Seu nome? (Your name?)
Respond with:
Meu nome é [your name].
This means "My name is [your name]."
- Meu means "my"
- nome means "name"
- é means "is"
Then say your first and last name clearly. You can say just "Meu nome é John Smith" or you can say your full name as you would in English.
An alternative phrase is:
Eu sou [your name].
This means "I am [your name]."
- Eu means "I"
- sou means "am" (when talking about yourself)
Both phrases work equally well. Use whichever feels more comfortable.
What the receptionist will say during check-in
After you provide your name, the receptionist will look up your reservation in the computer system. You will hear them say:
Um momento, por favor. (One moment, please.)
The receptionist will then ask for your documents. Common phrases include:
- Seu passaporte, por favor. (Your passport, please.)
- Preciso do seu passaporte. (I need your passport.)
Hand over your passport. The receptionist may also say:
E um cartão de crédito. (And a credit card.)
The word "e" (pronounced "ee") means "and."
The receptionist will process your documents and may ask you to sign a registration form. They might say:
Assine aqui, por favor. (Sign here, please.)
They may point to where you need to sign.
Common questions receptionists ask
The receptionist might ask you a few standard questions. You do not need to answer in complete sentences. Short, simple answers work fine.
Quantas noites? (How many nights?)
The receptionist is confirming how many nights you will stay. You can simply say the number in Portuguese:
- Uma (one)
- Duas (two)
- Três (three)
- Quatro (four)
- Cinco (five)
Or you can respond in English with the number. Most receptionists understand numbers in English.
Você tem bagagem? (Do you have luggage?)
Answer "Sim" (yes) or "Não" (no). If you have luggage and need help, you can point to your bags. Some hotels have bellhops who can help with luggage.
How to ask questions at check-in
You may want to ask about hotel amenities or services. Here are useful questions:
Onde é o café da manhã? (Where is breakfast?)
- Onde é means "where is"
- o means "the"
- café da manhã means "breakfast"
A que horas é o café da manhã? (What time is breakfast?)
- A que horas means "at what time"
Qual é a senha do wifi? (What is the wifi password?)
- Qual é means "what is"
- a senha means "the password"
- do wifi means "of the wifi"
You can also ask:
Tem wifi no quarto? (Is there wifi in the room?)
- Tem means "is there" or "does it have"
- no quarto means "in the room"
A que horas é o checkout? (What time is checkout?)
The word "checkout" is understood in Brazil. You can use the English word.
Understanding room numbers in Portuguese
The receptionist will tell you your room number. Room numbers in Portuguese use the same digits as English, but the pronunciation is different. Here are the Portuguese numbers zero through ten:
- 0: zero (ZEH-roo)
- 1: um (OOM)
- 2: dois (DOYSH)
- 3: três (TREHSH)
- 4: quatro (KWAH-troo)
- 5: cinco (SEEN-koo)
- 6: seis (SAYSH)
- 7: sete (SEH-chee)
- 8: oito (OY-too)
- 9: nove (NAW-vee)
- 10: dez (DESH)
For larger numbers like room 205, the receptionist will usually show you the number written down or on the key card envelope. You do not need to understand the spoken number perfectly because you will see it written.
The receptionist will say something like:
Seu quarto é o [number]. (Your room is [number].)
Or simply:
Quarto [number]. (Room [number].)
They will hand you a key card or physical key. The key card envelope will have your room number printed on it.
Getting directions to your room
The receptionist might give you directions to your room. You will hear:
O elevador é ali. (The elevator is over there.)
- O elevador means "the elevator"
- é means "is"
- ali means "over there"
They will usually point in the direction of the elevator.
- Segundo andar. (Second floor.)
- Terceiro andar. (Third floor.)
The word "andar" means "floor" in the context of a building. In Brazil, the ground floor is often called "térreo" and the numbering starts from there. So "primeiro andar" (first floor) is actually one floor up from the ground level, like the second floor in American buildings.
If you do not understand the directions, it is perfectly acceptable to follow the signs or ask someone else for help once you leave the reception desk.
What to do when you do not understand
If you do not understand something the receptionist says, use these phrases:
Desculpa, não entendi. (Sorry, I didn't understand.)
- Desculpa means "sorry" or "excuse me"
- não means "no" or "not"
- entendi means "I understood"
Together, "não entendi" means "I didn't understand."
Pode repetir, por favor? (Can you repeat, please?)
- Pode means "can you"
- repetir means "repeat"
- por favor means "please"
Você fala inglês? (Do you speak English?)
- Você means "you"
- fala means "speak" (when talking about someone else)
- inglês means "English"
Most hotel receptionists in tourist areas speak at least some English and will switch to English if you ask. There is no shame in asking. The goal is successful communication, not perfect Portuguese.
A sample check-in conversation
Here is what a typical check-in conversation might sound like:
- Receptionist: Boa tarde.
- You: Boa tarde. Eu tenho uma reserva.
- Receptionist: Qual é o seu nome?
- You: Meu nome é Sarah Johnson.
- Receptionist: Um momento, por favor. (types on computer) Seu passaporte, por favor?
- You: (hand over passport)
- Receptionist: E um cartão de crédito?
- You: (hand over credit card)
- Receptionist: Assine aqui, por favor. (points to form)
- You: (sign form)
- Receptionist: Seu quarto é o 312. O elevador é ali. (points)
- You: A que horas é o café da manhã?
- Receptionist: Das sete às dez.
- You: Obrigada. (if you're female) / Obrigado. (if you're male)
- Receptionist: De nada. Boa estadia!
"Boa estadia" means "good stay." You will hear this phrase at the end of check-in.
Key vocabulary for hotel check-in
These words appear frequently during the check-in process:
- reserva: reservation
- quarto: room
- chave: key
- passaporte: passport
- cartão: card
- nome: name
- noite: night
- elevador: elevator
- andar: floor (of a building)
- café da manhã: breakfast
- wifi: wifi (same as English)
- senha: password
Notice that several words look similar to English (reserva/reservation, passaporte/passport, cartão/card). These are called cognates, and they make Portuguese easier to learn for English speakers. When you see or hear a word that looks like an English word, there is a good chance it has the same or similar meaning.
Additional useful phrases
- Tem uma piscina? (Is there a pool?)
- Tem academia? (Is there a gym?)
- Onde fica [place]? (Where is [place]?)
You can use "Onde fica" to ask where anything is located. This phrase works for asking about restaurants, the gym, the pool, or any other location.
- Preciso de toalhas. (I need towels.)
- Preciso de travesseiros. (I need pillows.)
The word "preciso" means "I need." You can use this word followed by "de" (of) and the item you need.
Using polite words
Adding "por favor" (please) and "obrigado/obrigada" (thank you) to your sentences makes your Portuguese more polite.
Por favor can go at the beginning or end of a request:
- Por favor, qual é a senha do wifi?
- Qual é a senha do wifi, por favor?
Both word orders are correct and polite.
Obrigado (if you're male) or obrigada (if you're female) means "thank you." In Portuguese, the word for "thank you" changes based on the gender of the person speaking. If you are male, say "obrigado." If you are female, say "obrigada." The receptionist will say "de nada" (you're welcome) in response.
Checking in is simpler than it seems
Checking into a Brazilian hotel requires only a few phrases. The process follows a predictable pattern. You greet the staff member, state that you have a reservation, give your name, hand over your documents, and receive your key. Most of the interaction happens in this same order every time.
You do not need to speak perfect Portuguese. Hotel staff are accustomed to working with international guests. They will help you complete the process even if your Portuguese is very basic. The phrases in this guide give you enough language to handle a standard check-in confidently.