Phrasal verbs · Free lesson
Check out of a hotel: finish your stay
It is your final morning at the hotel. Your bags are ready and you need to complete the departure process. This is more than stepping outside for a coffee.
Professor Scott MendozaMeaning in this lesson
check out
Complete the departure process at the end of a hotel stay.
Example
“We checked out of the hotel at ten.”
We completed our hotel stay at ten.
The short answer
To check out is to complete the hotel’s departure process at the end of your stay. Say “We need to check out” or “We need to check out of the hotel.” Use of before the hotel in this departure pattern.
Checking out ends your hotel stay.
Check out often involves returning a key and settling any remaining charges. The phrase can stand alone when the hotel is understood. If you name it, use check out of the hotel. In the past, say checked out; keep out and of unchanged.
You can name the hotel or leave it understood.
We need to check out by ten.
We need to check out of the hotel by ten.
By ten means no later than ten. It gives the deadline, not necessarily the exact moment you will check out.
Explain your departure deadline
Say what needs to happen
We need to check out.
Add the hotel
We need to check out of the hotel.
Add the deadline
We need to check out of the hotel by ten.
Try it now
Is the hotel stay ending?
Read all answers and explanations
Your hotel stay ends today. You return the key and finish the departure process. Which sentence matches?
We checked out of the hotel.Checked out describes completing the hotel stay. Going out for lunch does not say the stay ends; checking in starts the stay.
Complete the departure statement: “We need to check out ___ the hotel by ten.”
ofUse check out of the hotel for departure. To and for do not connect the hotel to check out in this pattern.
Choose the verb form after need to.
We need to check out by ten.The verb is two words, check out. Need to takes the base form check, not checked. Checkout is a noun or modifier, not this verb form.
Put it into practice
Make the hotel-departure meaning clear.
Your stay is ending. Keep the hotel and the deadline, and repair the departure pattern.
We need to check out the hotel by ten.
See a model answer
We need to check out of the hotel by ten.
Adding of selects the hotel-departure pattern instead of the meaning of examining a hotel.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Can I just say “I’d like to check out”?
Yes. At the hotel, the place is usually clear. You do not need to repeat of the hotel every time.
Good morning. I’d like to check out, please.
Can I check out if I already paid for the room?
Yes. The phrase refers to completing the stay, not only making a new payment. You may still need to confirm departure or return a key; the exact process depends on the hotel.
We paid online, so we only need to return the key when we check out.
Take it into your day
Use check out for ending a hotel stay. Add of before the hotel and keep the verb as two words.
Your next step · Available on Udemy
Learn 350+ useful phrasal verbs.
Check out covers one moment at the end of a trip. The Phrasal Verbs course teaches this hotel-departure meaning alongside other travel expressions, with situations and guided practice to help you talk through more of the journey.
Explore the course English Master Course: Phrasal Verbs