A family from Brazil is arriving at your hotel next week. Before they travel, they have questions: how do we get from the airport, can we check in at 10am after an overnight flight, can we store luggage, do you accept our cards, is there a pharmacy nearby? They could ask in English, but they would feel more confident in Portuguese.
Multilingual hotel guests often have more questions than domestic guests, because everything is less familiar. Answering them in their own language, before they arrive, makes the whole stay start better.
What international guests ask
- How do I get from the airport or station?
- Can I check in early after a long flight?
- Can I leave luggage before check-in or after check-out?
- Which currency will I be charged in?
- Do you accept my card?
- Is there a safe in the room?
- What is nearby: pharmacy, supermarket, restaurants?
- Do staff speak my language?
Why language matters
Misunderstanding a check-in time or a payment policy causes real problems for international guests: waiting hours in a lobby after a night flight, or being surprised by a currency conversion. Answering in their language reduces those risks. Estate agents working with overseas buyers see the same benefit, as described in foreign buyers and multilingual property enquiries.
Answering in their language
Guest (in Portuguese): Can we check in early? We land at 7am. Assistant (in Portuguese): Standard check-in is from 3pm. You can request early check-in when booking, and if a room is ready we'll let you in early. You're welcome to leave your luggage with reception from the moment you arrive.
SpideyChat for hotels replies in the guest's language using your existing website content, at any hour. Guests often ask these questions late at night in their own time zone, as covered in late-night hotel enquiries from other time zones.
Pre-arrival information
A "getting here" and "before you arrive" section on your website answers most of these questions:
- Directions from airports and stations.
- Check-in, check-out and luggage storage.
- Payment, currency and accepted cards.
- In-room facilities.
- Local amenities.
Cultural expectations
Guests from different countries arrive with different expectations about breakfast times, tipping, room sizes and service. Short, friendly explanations on your website, such as what breakfast includes or how late the restaurant serves, prevent small surprises that can colour a stay.
Families and groups from abroad
International families often travel with young children and large amounts of luggage, and ask about cots, connecting rooms, family rooms and child-friendly food. Answering these in the guest's language, with specific details, reassures parents planning a long journey. Groups of friends travelling together ask about adjoining rooms and group rates. Both deserve clear, specific answers before they book.
Last-minute questions
Many questions arrive in the final days before travel, much like the last-minute doubts shoppers feel, described in the questions visitors ask right before they buy. Instant answers at that moment reassure guests just before they set off. The broader pre-booking list is in what guests ask before they book a hotel room.
A welcome that starts before arrival
International guests who get clear answers before they travel arrive calmer, check in faster and often leave better reviews. To see how their questions would be answered, try an assistant on your hotel website, or see the features.