Though it is not officially listed as the world's most spoken language, English is easily the most understood tongue on earth. Officially, Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language on earth with 1.1 billion speakers. The problem is that it is only spoken in China. So, if you aren't travelling to China, it doesn't do you much good. And with all of the restrictions and visa costs to do so, who wants to?
English, on the other hand, is the closest thing we have to a global language. Estimates put the total number of English speakers at just over one billion. But hundreds of millions more know at least some English. This means that if you are in a foreign land and you start speaking English, you are far more likely to find someone who understands you than if you speak any other language.
English is also the language of business. Professionals from Japan to Russia to France are expected to know English, since many of the world's largest economies are in English-speaking nations. And since business travellers are the lifeblood of the hospitality industry, it is important for the staff to learn Hotel English. You can be sure that the guests will have a thorough working knowledge of hotel English.
The good news is that business travellers are probably the most efficient guests you can find. Their hotel English skill are good since they travel so frequently, they know exactly how to speak to the hotel staff. Investing in basic hotel English will help keep these preferred customers happy and it will not overburden the staff.
As we mentioned, business travellers know the ropes and there are really only a handful of phrases an employee must understand in order to properly serve them. Learning these simple phrases should only take a few classes and some practice.