French Phrase
Demande à la réception de l'hôtel.
Meaning
Literally, ‘Ask at the hotel reception.’ It is a short, direct way to tell someone to go to the front desk and request something, such as a key, a taxi, or extra towels.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are giving a friend or a travel companion a quick instruction about where to go for a service inside a hotel. It works well in informal spoken French, especially among peers.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Demandeàlaréceptiondel'hôtel
Imperative Mood
‘Demande’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *demander* (to ask), used for giving a direct command or suggestion.
Preposition à + article
‘à la’ introduces the place where the action should happen – here, the hotel reception.
Partitive article de + l'
‘de l’hôtel’ means ‘of the hotel’; the elided article *le* becomes *l’* before a vowel.
Politeness in French
Even in an imperative, French speakers often add *s’il vous plaît* or a softening phrase to keep the tone courteous.
🗨In Conversation
Je ne trouve pas le Wi‑Fi de ma chambre.
I can’t find the Wi‑Fi in my room.
Demande à la réception de l'hôtel, ils pourront t’aider.
Ask at the hotel reception, they’ll be able to help you.
✕Common Mistakes
Demande au réception de l'hôtel.
‘Réception’ is feminine, so the correct preposition is *à la*, not *au* (which contracts *à le*).
Demande à la réception de le hôtel.
When *le* precedes a vowel, it contracts to *l'*; the correct form is *de l'hôtel*.
Demande le réception de l'hôtel.
‘Réception’ is feminine, so the article must be *la* (or *la réception*).
↔Alternatives
Rendez‑vous à la réception de l'hôtel.
Meet at the hotel reception.
Va à la réception de l'hôtel.
Go to the hotel reception.
Demande à la réception.
Ask at the reception.
Cultural Tip
In French hotels the front desk is always called *la réception*. Staff usually address guests with *vous* even in casual conversation, so adding *s’il vous plaît* after the imperative (e.g., *Demande à la réception de l'hôtel, s’il vous plaît*) sounds more polite. Also, many hotels have a small sign that reads *Réception* near the lobby, making it easy to locate.