Inevitably you have experienced or will experience staying in a hotel or other sorts of accommodation for various purposes. They might include business travels, vacations or trips. So, it is necessary for you to get familiar with some useful language you will use in a hotel. In this series of our situational English we will provide you with some expressions and hotel vocabulary in English.
Hotel vocabulary (Before going on a trip)
Let’s listen to a conversation between a group of friends, to learn about the hotel vocabulary in English:
A: Hey guys! Do you have a plan to go on a vacation this summer?
B: I am not sure yet! I might go to Los Vegas for a few days!
C: But Los Vegas is so crowded at the beginning of the summer. You may not find an appropriate hotel to stay. And if you could find it would be so expensive!
B: I can rent a house or stay in a hostel!
A: Personally speaking I don’t like staying in a hostel for my longest holiday of the year. I thought we could go to another city like Milwaukie and stay in a five-star hotel near the beach or find a resort in the mountainous area of the city!
C: Nice idea! Should we make a reservation right now?
A: I called one of them! It has still some empty rooms on the top floor! But we’d better reserve some places in advance!
To go on a vacation:
To go on a vocation is of common hotel vocabulary that means:
Meaning: to take a holiday
Example: This spring my family and I went on a fantastic vacation.
Different sorts of accommodation
when you go on a trip or a vacation you can stay in different places:
Hotel
Five-star hotel:
Meaning: a hotel that provides a luxury service through all its means of operation
Hostel:
Meaning: A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging
Motel (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: A motel is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby.
Holiday home:
Meaning: A holiday cottage, holiday home, vacation home, or vacation property is accommodation used for holiday vacations, corporate travel, and temporary housing often for less than 30 days.
Suite:
This word is also of hotel vocabulary that means:
Meaning: A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation denotes, according to most dictionary definitions, connected rooms under one room number.
Make a reservation (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: Arrange for something such as a table in a restaurant or a room in a hotel to be kept for you
Example: We had to make a reservation in advance because that hotel was so busy on that holiday.
Make a reservation through a phone call
Receptionist: Good afternoon! This is Royal Hotels in Milwaukie, D.C. How may I help you?
A: Hi, I’d like to schedule a reservation for this upcoming Summer vacation from July 2nd to July 9th
Receptionist: Sure! Let me check and see what rooms are available. How many rooms do you need? Do you need a room with one bed or two?
A: Two friends of mine and I will be visiting the city, so three rooms with one bed will be just fine.
Receptionist: Alright… It looks like we have several rooms available. Would you care for rooms with a balcony?
A: rooms with balcony will suit our needs just fine. Are other facilities like pool and an exercise room available for all hotel guests?
Receptionist: Yes, all hotel guests are allowed access to those facilities. The hotel stay also includes breakfast. We have a restaurant on-site that also serves lunch and dinner, but those meals are not included in your lodging fee.
Receptionist: I am glad that I could help you today. Is there anything else that you need at this point in time?
A: Would you like my credit card information now, or can I take care of that upon my arrival at the hotel’s reception desk?
Receptionist: We can handle payment upon your arrival on Friday. We look forward to seeing you then!
A: Thank you! I look forward to my stay.
English hotel expressions in the first conversation
To schedule a reservation:
Meaning: To make a reservation.
Balcony (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: An area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an upper level.
Facility:
Meaning: A place, especially including buildings, where a particular activity happens. In a hotel, we have various facilities including a pool, restaurant and so on.
Include breakfast:
Meaning: The amount of money you pay for your accommodation in a hotel might some services like breakfast and dinner.
Arrival date (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: It is the time when you get to the hotel you intend to stay in.
Reception or front desk:
Front desk in also in the list of hotel vocabulary that means:
Meaning: A large desk or counter in a hotel lobby where you can check in or check out.
Check-in (At the hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: The action of registering one’s presence, typically as a passenger at an airport or a hotel.
R: good afternoon! Welcome to the Royal Hotel. How can I help you, sir?
A: I would like to check in, please!
R: Do you have a reservation, sir?
A: Yes! I have a reservation for 3 single bedrooms under the name of Adam Smith!
R: Let me see! Three sea view rooms with balcony. Is it right?
A: That is right!
R: Could I have your Identification Card?
A: Yes. Of course.
R: Ok! Your room numbers are 802, 803, 804. Here are the keys! Our bellman will bring your baggage and take you to the room!
A: Thank you!
R: You are well come! If you have any requests, feel free to call us!
Read more
When you intend to go on a vacation, besides learning about hotel vocabulary and common expressions, you will also need to know the vocabulary related to the airport in English if you are going to travel by airplane. Understanding airport vocabulary facilitates smoother interactions with airport staff, fellow passengers, and airline personnel, enhancing the overall travel experience. Overall, mastering airport vocabulary in English is essential for anyone who travels internationally or domestically by air, as it significantly enhances their ability to navigate airports and ensures a more pleasant and efficient travel experience. For this reason, we provide you with a great article about airport vocabulary in English on our website. Read this article and become a travel expert!
English hotel expressions in the second conversation
Have a reservation:
This is also in the list of hotel vocabulary that means:
Meaning: if you have reserved a place in a hotel before you have a reservation.
Different sorts of bedrooms in a hotel
Single bedroom (Of vocabulary at the hotel):
Meaning: A room assigned to one person. May have one or more beds.
Double bedroom:
Meaning: A room assigned to two people. May have one or more beds.
Quad bedroom(Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: A room assigned to four people. May have two or more beds
Queen bedroom:
Meaning: A room with a queen-sized bed. May be occupied by one or more people.
Sea view room (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: A room that looks over the sea.
Identification Card:
Meaning: A card bearing identifying data (such as age or organizational membership) about the individual whose name appears thereon.
Meaning: A person working in a hotel whose job is to carry bags, open doors, etc. for guests.
Read more
Do you know what phrasal verbs are in English? A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or more particles, which could be adverbs or prepositions. Native speakers use these verbs in their conversations when speaking about relationships, traveling, and so on. Learning about traveling phrasal verbs enhances communication skills, especially in situations related to travel, tourism, and transportation, allowing individuals to express themselves more clearly and effectively. If you want to learn how to use these verbs when traveling, read our article about traveling phrasal verbs in English.
Hotel problems and solutions
R: Hello, reception
A: Hi, this is room 802.
R: How can I help you?
A: There is a problem with the air-conditioning. It isn’t working, and it’s very hot in my room!
R: I’m sorry, sir. I’ll send somebody up to look at it right now.
A: Thank you!
Or you might have some problem with your internet connection:
R: Good evening, reception
A: Hello. I’m sorry to bother you again. This is room 802
R: How can I help you?
A: I have a problem with the Wi-Fi. I can’t get a signal.
R: I’m sorry, sir. I’ll put you through to IT.
A: Thanks
A problem with:
Meaning: When we want to talk about a problem happened to us in a hotel we use this expression.
Put someone through to:
Meaning: To connect a person who is phoning someone to the person they want to speak to.
Check-out:
Meaning: A sort of action you do at the front desk when you want to leave a hotel.
R: Did you enjoy your stay with us?
A: Yes, very much so. However, I now need to get to the airport. I have a flight that leaves in about two hours, so what is the quickest way to get there?
R: We do have a free airport shuttle service.
A: Fantastic. I’ll just wait in the lounge area. Will you please let me know when it will be leaving?
R: Of course, sir. Oh, before you go would you be able to settle the mini-bar bill?
A: Oh yes certainly. How much will that be?
R: Let’s see. The bill comes to $37.50. How would you like to pay for that?
A: I’ll pay with my credit card.
R: Absolutely. Here we are, sir. If you like you can leave your bags with the porter and he can load them onto the shuttle for you when it arrives.
A: That would be great thank you.
R: Would you like to sign the hotel guestbook too while you wait?
A: Sure, I had a really good stay here and I’ll tell other people to come here.
R: That’s good to hear. Thank you again for staying at The Grand Woodward Hotel.
English hotel expressions in the third conversation
A free airport shuttle service:
Meaning: A fast way of transportation offered by a hotel to you to get to the airport or other destinations.
Lounge area:
Meaning: A public room in a hotel, theatre, or club in which to sit and relax.
mini-bar (Of hotel vocabulary):
Meaning: A small fridge in a hotel room, with drinks in it, which are added to the guest’s hotel bill if they drink them.
The hotel guestbook:
Meaning: A book in which people write their names and addresses when they have been staying at a hotel.
In this article, you learned about the most common hotel vocabulary in English. Don’t forget to practice these conversations with your friends.
