These are ESL words and expressions that you would hear and use in a hotel setting. Some of the terms cover the process of looking for your hotel room and paying for it. The rest cover your actual stay. Read over this English Vocabulary lesson and try one of the ESL worksheets listed above.
Amenities
The settings or features of the hotel that make it more desirable to stay there. Some examples of amenities are a spa, an indoor pool or a restaurant located in the hotel.“This hotel has a lot of amenities, but it’s still not worth $250 a night!”
A double or a single This refers to the number of beds in the room. A “single” would have one bed and a “double” would have two beds.
“We’re going to need a double because I can’t sleep near you.”
Wi –Fi
If a hotel advertises that it has “Wi-Fi” then it has a wireless internet connection throughout the building. Guests can bring their laptops and get on the internet for free.“If we get a room tonight it needs to be at a hotel with Wi-Fi. I have some work to do.”
Vacancy/No vacancy
If a hotel has a sign in the front that says “No vacancy” it means that there are no more rooms left. If the sign says “vacancy” there are still rooms left.“We wanted to stay at the Best Western on I-35, but there was a sign that said,
“no vacancy” in front of it.”
Make a reservation
This is the process of contacting the hotel, confirming the days that you would like to have a room and providing a credit card number to secure the room.“We need to make a reservation for next weekend before the hotel is full.”
Book a room
This is just a different way to say “make a reservation”. It is the act of informing the hotel that you would like a room on a specific date and providing a way to pay for it.“My secretary will book me a room for Tuesday the 9th.
All booked up
This is a term that means that the hotel is at full capacity. There are not more rooms to rent out.“We wanted to stay at the Hilton downtown, but they are all booked up”.
Continental Breakfast
This is a light breakfast that is served in the lobby area of the hotel. It is included in the price of the room. The food consists of fruit, muffins and cereal. For drinks there is usually coffee and some type of juice. “Don’t make plans to eat out this morning. Our hotel has a continental
breakfast.”
Valet parking This is a service the hotel may provide in which a staff member will park your car for you. The guest pulls up to the front area of the hotel and the employee parks the car. This saves the guest the hassle of looking for a parking space. It is customary to tip the person who does this service for you.
“Don’t worry about getting a parking space. The hotel has valet parking.”
Wet Bar
This is a bar for mixing drinks that has a sink for water. The nicer more expensive hotels will have these. The guest is required to pay for any of the alcohol that is consumed.“I can’t believe it! This place even has a wet bar. This is classy!”
Presidential Suite
This is the name for the most expensive room/suite in a nice hotel. These rooms will usually be on the top floor of the hotel.“If you go up to the presidential suite there is a great view of the city.”
Room Service
The nicer hotels that have a restaurant will offer their menu delivered to your room. You call down to the room service number and you make your order. The food and drinks you order are added to your bill.“Let’s get room service tonight. I’m tired and I don’t want to leave the hotel.”
Lobby
This is the area of the hotel where the main doors and the front desk are. There are usually couches and a TV in this area. People will wait here for their luggage or for their car if they used the valet parking service. The lobby is also a meeting place for hotel guests and their visitors.“Meet me in the lobby of the Radisson at 10:00 PM.”
Seedy hotel
This is a hotel in a run down area of town. There is usually a lot of drug dealing and prostitution going on in the area and in the hotel rooms.“The mayor was caught doing drugs in a seedy hotel downtown.”
Bed and Breakfast
This is a private home in a nice scenic area of town that rents out a room or rooms for the night. These establishments cater to the tourists that are looking to spend some time in a nice small town. Breakfast is served in the morning by the owner of the house. “Let’s stay at that nice bed and breakfast near the old church on
“We are going to get a wake up call at 6: 00 AM so we don’t miss our flight.”
Five star hotel This describes the best and fanciest hotel out there. Hotels are ranked from one to five stars. One is the worst and five is the best. These hotels will have all of the amenities possible.
“For our honeymoon we booked a 5 star hotel.”
Try the other exercises in the hotel lesson:
