Are you planning to stay in a hotel or guesthouse? This unit provides you with some English words and pharses which may be useful for booking a room and for describing hotel facilities, services and staff.
Word/Phrase |
Meaning | Example |
adjoining rooms n. |
two hotel rooms with a door in the centre | If you want we can book your parents in an adjoining room. |
amenities n. |
local facilities such as stores and restaurants | We are located downtown, so we are close to all of the amenities. |
attractions n. |
things for tourists to see and do | The zoo is our city’s most popular attraction for kids. |
baggage n. |
bags and suitcases packed with personal belongings | If you need help with your baggage we have a cart you can use. |
Bed and Breakfast n. |
a home that offers a place to stay and a place to eat | I can book you into a beautiful Bed and Breakfast on the lake. |
bellboy n. |
a staff member who helps guests with their luggage | The bellboy will take your bags to your room for you. |
book v. |
arrange to stay in a hotel | I can book your family in for the weekend of the seventh. |
booked adj |
full, no vacancies | I’m afraid the hotel is booked tonight. |
brochures n. |
small booklets that provide information on the local sites and attractions | Feel free to take some brochures to your room to look at. |
check-in v. |
go to the front desk to receive keys | You can check-in anytime after four o’clock. |
check-out n. |
return the keys and pay for the bill | Please return your parking pass when you check-out. |
complimentary breakfast n. |
free of charge | All of our rooms have complimentary soap, hampoo, and coffee. |
cot, rollaway bed n. |
a single bed on wheels that folds up | If you need an extra bed, we have cots available. |
damage charge n. |
money a guest owes for repairs to hotel property (when caused by violent or careless acts) | We will have to add a damage charge for the hole you put in the wall. |
deposit n. |
amount paid ahead of time to secure a reservation | You will not receive your deposit back if you cancel. |
double bed n. |
a bed large enough for two people | They are a family of four, so give them a room with two double beds. |
floor n. |
a level of the building | The swimming pool is on the main floor. |
front desk, reception n. |
the place where guests go to check in and out and to get information | Towels are available at the front desk. |
guest n. |
a person that is staying at the hotel | Our washrooms are for guests only. |
hostel n. |
a very inexpensive place for backbackers and travelers on a budget | In the hostel you probably won’t get your own room. |
hotel manager n. |
person in charge at the hotel | I’ll let you make your complaint to the hotel manager. |
housekeeping, maid n. | staff members that clean the rooms and linen | Put a sign on the door if you want housekeeping to come in and change the sheets on the bed. |
ice machine n. |
a machine that automatically makes ice that guests can use to keep drinks cold | There is an ice machine by the elevator on all of the even numbered floors. |
indoor pool n. |
place for guests to swim inside the hotel | The heated indoor pool is open until 10 pm. |
inn n. |
another word for “hotel” | There’s an inn on the other side of town that has a vacancy. |
Jacuzzi, hot tub, whirl pool n. |
a small hot pool for relaxation | Our honeymoon room has a personal hot tub. |
king-size bed n. |
extra large bed | A room with a king size bed costs an extra ten dollars a night. |
kitchenette n. |
a small fridge and cooking area | Your room has a kitchenette so you can prepare your own breakfasts and lunches. |
late charge n. |
a fee for staying past the check-out time | You will be charged a ten dollar late charge for checking out after 11 am. |
linen n. |
sheets, blankets, pillow cases | We will come in and change the linens while you are out of your room. |
lobby n. |
large open area at the front of the hotel | You can stand in the lobby and wait for your bus. |
luggage cart n. |
a device on wheels that guests can push their luggage on | Please return the luggage cart to the lobby when you are finshed with it. |
maximum capacity n. |
the most amount of people allowed | The maximum capacity in the hot tub is ten people. |
motels n. |
accommodations that are slightly cheaper than hotels | Our motel is very clean and is close to the beach. |
noisy adj |
loud | The guests next to you have complained that you are being too noisy. |
parking pass n. |
a piece of paper that guests display in the car window while in the hotel parking lot | Display this parking pass in your window to show that you are a hotel guest. |
pay-per-view movie n. |
extra charge for movies and special television features | If you order a pay-per-view movie, the charge will appear on your bill. |
pillow case n. |
the covering that goes over a pillow | Room 201 doesn’t need their sheets changed, but they requested one new pillow case. |
queen size bed n. |
bed with plenty of space for two people (bigger than a double) | They have a queen size bed so the small child can eaily fit in the middle. |
rate n. |
cost of renting a room for a certain time period | Our rates change depending on the season. |
reservation n. |
a request to save a specific room for a future date | They say they made a reservation but it doesn’t show on the computer. |
room service n. |
delivery of food or other services requested by guests | If you would like a bottle of wine, just call room service. |
sauna n. |
a hot room for relaxation, filled with steam | We don’t recommend bringing young children into the sauna. |
single bed n. |
a bed for one person | The economy priced room includes one single bed. |
sofa bed, pull-out couch n. |
a bed built into a sofa or couch | The room contains a sofa bed so the room actually sleeps five. |
towel n. |
used to cover and dry the body after swimming or bathing | You can get your swimming pool towels at the front desk. |
vacancy n. vacant adj |
available rooms | We only have one vacancy left, and it is for a single room. |
valet n. |
staff that parks the guests’ vehicles | If you leave your car keys with us, the valet will park your car underground. |
vending machine n. |
a machine that distributes snacks and beverages when you insert coins | The vending machine on the fifth floor has chocolate bars and chips. |
view n. |
a window that offers a nice image for guests | The room is more expensive because it has a spectacular view of the beach. |
wake up call n. |
a morning phone call from the front desk, acts as an alarm clock | What time would you like your wake up call? |
weight room, workout room, gym n. |
a room that guests can use for exercise and fitness | Our weight room has a stair climber and a stationary bicycle. |