You can check into any Finnish hotel in English without difficulty. The reason to learn these phrases is the reaction — reception staff hear Finnish from foreigners rarely enough that a hei, minulla on varaus visibly changes the temperature of the conversation.
There's also one thing worth knowing before you arrive: your hotel almost certainly has a sauna, it's almost certainly included in the room price, and there will be separate hours for men and women unless it's mixed. That's not a luxury add-on in Finland. It's plumbing.
Booking a Room
Do you have any rooms free?
Onko teillä vapaita huoneita?
I'd like to book a room.
Haluaisin varata huoneen.
a single room
yhden hengen huone
a double room
kahden hengen huone
for two nights
kahdeksi yöksi
How much per night?
Paljonko yö maksaa?
Is breakfast included?
Kuuluuko aamiainen hintaan?
I have a reservation.
Minulla on varaus.
Practice these words
Onko teillä vapaita huoneita?
Quick notes:
- Onko teillä…? is the all-purpose "do you have…?" — the same phrase that works in shops and cafés. It comes from the minulla on construction, which is how Finnish handles having anything.
- Counting nights and people means numbers, and they change shape here: kaksi becomes kahden and kahdeksi. Learn these phrases whole rather than assembling them.
- Haluaisin ("I'd like") is the polite request form covered in the kiitos lesson — Finnish has no word for "please," so this verb does that job.
Checking In
Hello, I have a booking.
Hei, minulla on varaus.
My name is…
Nimeni on…
Here's my passport.
Tässä on passini.
What's the room number?
Mikä on huoneen numero?
Which floor?
Mikä kerros?
Where's the lift?
Missä on hissi?
Is there wifi?
Onko täällä wifiä?
What's the wifi password?
Mikä on wifin salasana?
Practice these words
Hei, minulla on varaus.
Quick note: giving your name and a few details is the same routine as introducing yourself, minus the small talk. Reception won't ask where you're from.
Breakfast and the Sauna
What time is breakfast?
Mihin aikaan on aamiainen?
Where is breakfast served?
Missä aamiainen tarjoillaan?
Is there a sauna?
Onko täällä saunaa?
When is the sauna open?
Milloin sauna on auki?
men's / women's hours
miesten / naisten vuoro
Is it included?
Kuuluuko se hintaan?
Is there a gym?
Onko täällä kuntosalia?
Practice these words
Mihin aikaan on aamiainen?
Quick notes:
- Reading the answer means handling times and clock hours — breakfast is usually 06:30–10:00 and Finns eat it early.
- Hotel breakfasts are large and include rye bread, porridge and cold fish. The food and drink lesson covers what's on the table.
- Before you use the hotel sauna, the sauna etiquette lesson is worth five minutes — the shower-first rule is not optional and nobody will tell you.
Problems
The key doesn't work.
Avain ei toimi.
There's no hot water.
Ei ole lämmintä vettä.
The room is too cold.
Huone on liian kylmä.
It's too noisy.
Täällä on liian meluisaa.
Could I change rooms?
Voisinko vaihtaa huonetta?
Could I have more towels?
Saisinko lisää pyyhkeitä?
The wifi isn't working.
Wifi ei toimi.
Practice these words
Avain ei toimi.
Quick note: ei toimi ("doesn't work") is worth memorising on its own — it applies to keys, lifts, taps, wifi and card readers. It's built from the negative verb, which changes shape depending on who or what is failing.
Checking Out
I'd like to check out.
Haluaisin kirjautua ulos.
Can I pay by card?
Voinko maksaa kortilla?
Could I have a receipt?
Saisinko kuitin?
Can I leave my bags here?
Voinko jättää laukut tänne?
What time is checkout?
Mihin aikaan on uloskirjautuminen?
Thank you, it was lovely.
Kiitos, oli mukavaa.
Practice these words
Haluaisin kirjautua ulos.
Quick note: paying works exactly as it does everywhere else in Finland — card, contactless, no tipping. The money lesson has the rest of it.
What to Know About Finnish Hotels
The sauna is the thing visitors most often miss. Nearly every Finnish hotel has one, it's usually free for guests, and it usually runs on a schedule posted by the lift — often separate men's and women's hours in the evening. Guests who don't know to look never find it, which is a shame, because it's the best thing about the building.
Second, Finnish service is efficient rather than effusive. Reception won't ask about your journey, won't offer to carry your bag unless it's that kind of hotel, and won't fill the check-in with conversation. This is not coldness — it's the same directness you'll meet everywhere, and the same reason Finnish small talk is short. Ask a question and you'll get a full, helpful answer.
Third, everything runs on time and mostly on screens. Checkout is usually 12:00, breakfast stops when it says it stops, and card payment is universal — many hotels no longer take cash at all. If you're arriving late, tell them: Finnish reception desks are often unstaffed after a certain hour, with a code sent by message instead.