check in / check into / check out — hotel & airport (Murphy Unit 138, in/out)
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”check in family = register (hotel/airport). in = arrival, out = departure.
- We checked into the hotel as soon as we arrived. (registered on arrival) ✓
- We checked in at the hotel. (same, verb without object)
- We checked out at noon. (paid & left)
The family
Section titled “The family”| Phrasal | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| check into [hotel] | register on arrival | We checked into the hotel. |
| check in | register (no object) | We checked in at noon. |
| check in to [flight] | airport/web registration | Check in to your flight online. |
| check out | pay & leave (hotel) / look at (informal) | We checked out at 11. / Check out that car! |
| check out of [hotel] | leave a specific hotel | We checked out of the hotel. |
The in/out logic
Section titled “The in/out logic”- in = arrival — you register to start staying: check into the hotel
- out = departure — you settle and leave: check out of the hotel
When naming the hotel as a destination → into (movement into the building/registration). When no object → in.
Test application
Section titled “Test application”We checked ___ the hotel as soon as we arrived.
Answer: into — register upon arrival at the hotel.
Why not the others?
- in — needs “at” after (“checked in at the hotel”), not directly “the hotel”
- out / out of — departure, contradicts “as soon as we arrived”
- into ✓ — arrival registration
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Unit 138 — Phrasal verbs in/out. Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: “We checked ___ the hotel as soon as we arrived” → into (arrival registration).