Speaking Skills: At the hotel
Speaking Skills: At the hotel
In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Jack tells Rich about a bad hotel experience. The language focus is on words and phrases you can use at hotel receptions and the lesson includes 20 of the most common questions asked in hotels. Jack and Rich role play two different hotel situations and introduce lots of useful language at the same time. Your task is to write about a hotel that you've stayed in and then to upload it to a travel advice website. As always, we also have a new football phrase for you to guess. Enjoy!
Transcript
Rich: Hey Jack! How was your trip? You went to Brighton, right?
Jack: Yeah, Brighton’s great. The kids had a great time and the pier was fun.
Rich: What about the hotel I bet you were staying in a five star hotel next to the beach, right?
Jack: I wish! Brighton was brilliant but the hotel … well … that’s a different story!
Rich: What was wrong with it?
Jack: I’ll tell you in a bit. Come on we’ve got to get this podcast started.
Welcome - Hotel Problems
Rich: Hello my name’s Rich.
Jack: and I’m Jack.
Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.
Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.
Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?
Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re talking about hotels and some phrases to use when you’re at the hotel reception; phrases you can use when things go well and phrases that could be very useful if you have some problems during your stay.
Jack: And we’ve got a task for you out there listening to this podcast. We’re going to ask you to write a review of the worst hotel you’ve ever stayed in.
Rich: Cool. I always check reviews online when I’m going to stay at a hotel or a campsite or go to a restaurant ... things like that.
Jack: Me too. I really like to hear what real people think of a place.
Rich: But, that’s for you, our listeners, to do later. What we’re going to do is focus on the language that you need when you’re actually in a hotel.
Topic Focus
Rich: Brighton. You went there to take a look at the football stadium?
Jack: That’s right. It’s quite new and Brighton haven’t played in the Premier League before. I wanted to take few photos for the Premier Skills English website. And Brighton’s a great place to go for a weekend - on the coast, lots of things to do … so I took the family, too.
Rich: A good place to stay?
Jack: Definitely a good place to visit. Well … it is a good place to stay, but just not the place where we stayed.
Rich: Ah! You said the hotel wasn’t that good.
Jack: That’s a bit of an understatement. The hotel was appalling. I paid quite a lot for the room, but it definitely wasn’t worth the money.
Rich: So, what was up? What was the problem?
Jack: I wish it had just been a problem. There were lots of problems. When we arrived, the hotel was miles from the beach, the rooms weren’t ready, the TV in the room was broken and the bathroom was dirty and had no towels.
Rich: Doesn’t sound good.
Jack: No, it wasn’t. I had to speak to reception a number of times.
Rich: Oh dear. Sorry to hear that. But, I’ve just had a thought. It’s the summer and lots of our listeners might be going on holiday and going to a hotel … maybe in a different country. I think it would be a great idea to practise a conversation or two.
Jack: What? Hotel conversations?
Rich: Yes. One of us can be the receptionist and the other the guest.
Jack: Can I be the receptionist? I think I’ll just get angry if I’m the guest again.
Rich: Ah, if you want! We’ll do a couple of conversations. One where everything goes right and in the other there can be a problem or three - like at your hotel!
Jack: Mmm.
Rich: Right here we go. I’ll be the guest and you’re the receptionist.
Jack: And the task for our listeners is to listen for Rich’s pseudonym. I don’t know why, but he tells me that never uses his real name in hotels. Weird!
(bing - reception bell)
Jack: Good afternoon. Welcome to Seaview Hotel. How can I help you?
Rich: Ah yes. I have a reservation for tonight and tomorrow night.
Jack: Wonderful. Under what name?
Rich: Spencer. S P E N C E R
Jack: Ah yes. I see it here. Richard Spencer. So that’s a room for four, two adults and two children?
Rich: That’s right. The smallest child is only 18 months. Do you have a cot for her?
Jack: Yes, we’ve already set up the room. There is one double bed, one single and one cot.
Rich: Perfect.
Jack: Your room number is 454 on the fourth floor with a seaview. The lift is just around the corner.
Rich: Sorry, one other thing. Does the room have a bath rather than a shower?
Jack: Hold on a second. I’ll just check … yes, it does.
Rich: Brilliant. And one final thing, breakfast …
Jack: Ah yes, I can see that breakfast is included in your booking. Breakfast is served in the dining room on the first floor between 0700 and 1000.
Rich: Thank you. Have a nice day.
Jack: We hope you enjoy your stay.
Rich: That was very nice.
Jack: Yes, it was and that’s how nine out of ten hotel conversations are. Easy.
Rich: But sometimes you can have a few problems, so we want to do another practice conversation where things don’t go quite as smoothly.
Jack: Let’s do it.
Rich: This time when you listen we want you to listen for the problems that Richard Spencer has at the hotel.
Jack: That’s just weird, Rich.
(bing - reception bell)
Rich: Oh come on!
(bing - reception bell)
(bing - reception bell)
(bing - reception bell)
Jack: Sorry about that. I was just on the phone with another guest. Welcome to Seaview Hotel. How can I help you?
Rich: Yes, hello. I have a booking for tonight and tomorrow night.
Jack: What name is it under?
Rich: Spencer. S P E N C E R
Jack: Ah yes, I have your reservation here. A single room for three nights.
Rich: Er … no, sorry I booked a double room for just two nights.
Jack: Right. OK, I see. It seems to say that you booked a single room.
Rich: No, I’m sure it was a double room. Look I have my wife and children here. It would be a bit difficult for all of us in a single room. I have my reservation here. I printed it out.
Jack: Ah, yes. I can see that. There must have been a problem with the booking system. I’ll try to find you a double room.
Rich: Thanks.
Jack: I’m afraid the only suitable room left is one with twin beds rather than a double.
Rich: OK, I suppose that will have to do. Does it have a cot in the room?
Jack: No. Would you like us to put a cot in the room?
Rich: Yes, I did book a cot in my original reservation.
Jack: You will have to pay a supplement for that.
Rich: Pay extra, really?
Jack: I think we can overlook the cost this time, sir.
Rich: Yes, good. Thanks. Could you tell me, what time is dinner?
Jack: Dinner? We don’t serve dinner at the hotel, sir.
Rich: But I booked full board. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Jack: I’m sorry sir. Neither full board or half board are available. We only have bed and breakfast or room only options. You seem to have just booked the room, but we can certainly add breakfast to your bill.
Rich: To my bill? Really? I think we’ll go out for breakfast. Could you tell us where our rooms are?
Jack: Certainly sir. It’s room 330. It’s on the third floor. I’m really sorry, but you’ll have to take the stairs. The lift is broken but it will be fixed by Monday.
Rich: About right - we’re leaving on Monday.
Jack: Let me help you with your luggage sir …
Language Focus
Rich: Quite a few problems in that conversation and that’s before we even got to the room!
Jack: That’s when the problems can really start! Like in my hotel last weekend! But we won’t go into that now.
Rich: No, let’s not. Let’s take a look at some of the language that is useful when having a conversation with a hotel receptionist.
Jack: Let’s begin with how the conversation normally starts. In our practice conversations, the receptionist said How can I help you?
Rich: This is when you tell them that you have a reservation or booking at the hotel. In the conversations, I said I have a booking for tonight or I have a reservation for tonight
Jack: You might be asked a question like what name is it under? or In what name? You just need to give your name or the name of the person that booked the hotel.
Rich: I think it’s quite important to know about room types and food.
Jack: Yes, I always want to know if I’m going to eat and sleep well. Some of the language can be quite tricky.
Rich: You can have a single room, a double room, twin beds, double beds, you might need a triple room or a cot if you have family, you might have an en-suite …
Jack: OK, I think single room and double room are quite obvious. A single room is for one person and a double room is for two.
Rich: Then it gets a bit more complicated. Double rooms often have a double bed which is one bed for two people, or twin beds, which are two separate single beds.
Jack: And if you are a family you might have a double bed and a single bed for a child or a cot which is what a baby sleeps in.
Rich: And then there are meals. I think the main types are room only, bed and breakfast, half board, full board and all-inclusive. Let’s think about what they mean, some are more obvious than others.
Jack: Room only means no food, you just pay for your room. This is sometimes called self-catering, but this is more common in apartments where you have cooking facilities. In hotels, if you have room only you have to go to restaurants or buy your food separately in the hotel.
Rich: Bed and breakfast is easy. You get your room and breakfast. Actually, it’s very common in the UK for hotels, especially traditional family-run hotels, to be called B&Bs or bed and breakfasts instead of hotels.
Jack: Then we get this word board. Board means the meals that are given to you by the hotel and are included in the price you pay.
Rich: You get half board, which is usually breakfast and dinner and full board which is breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Jack: And finally you have all-inclusive. This is usually for longer holidays and it is when everything including drinks are free at the hotel.
Rich: There are lots of other words and phrases that are relevant to conversations in hotels and we’ve got some activities that look at more of them further down this page.
Jack: And if you want to learn more hotel language, watch an episode of the English Game. It’s a video series that sets English language challenges to tourists from around the world.
Rich: We’ve put a link to one of the videos on the side of this page. It sees Shuna from Japan against Claudio from Italy. They’re both in a hotel in the UK.
Jack: I think a lot of our listeners from Minato in Tokyo, Japan will be cheering on Shuna in that episode.
Rich: Yes, a big hello from us if you are listening in Tokyo! We saw that we had lots of listeners from there last week!
Task
Rich: Right, we’ve got a task for you to do. We’d like you to write about a hotel that you have stayed in.
Jack: We’d like you to tell us about a terrible experience you’ve had in a hotel.
Rich: Tell us where the hotel was, how long you stayed, what type of room was it, what type of board did you have, what you could see from the windows and why it was a bad stay.
Jack: Write your hotel reviews in the comments section at the bottom of the page. If you write correct me at the beginning of your message, we will help you with your English.
Rich: And then, you could upload your hotel review on tripadvisor or Google or the hotel’s Facebook page.
Jack: I think that’s a brilliant idea!
Can you work out this week’s football phrase?
Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us this week?
Jack: Yes, I have, but first, last week’s football phrase. The phrase was transfer rumour. There are no football matches at the moment so football news is full of transfer rumours. Which player is moving where and so on. Last week, we said that Alexis Sanchez is moving to Manchester City and that Alvaro Morata was going to Chelsea.
Rich: Yes and this week Morata has signed for Chelsea, but it looks like Sanchez is staying at Arsenal! If you listen to our gossip, you will be the first to know … maybe. What’s this week’s football phrase, Jack?
Jack: This week’s football phrase is ***-****** ****. A couple of week’s ago our phrase was ***-****** friendly, well these friendly matches are often part of a club’s ***-****** **** where they go to a different country or a number of countries. For example, Leicester City and Liverpool are on their ***-****** **** in Hong Kong.
Rich: Ah yes. They’re playing in the Premier League Asia Trophy.
Jack: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your hotel reviews, your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.
Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football!
Vocabulary
How much did you understand?
In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words in bold?
I’m afraid the only suitable room left is one with twin beds rather than a double.
Let me help you with your luggage sir ….
There were a few more tricky words and connected to hotels in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words. This can really help your understanding.
Activity 1
Language
At the hotel - Checking in
In this podcast, Rich and Jack did two hotel role plays (practice conversations). The first thing that the guest (Rich) had to do was tell the receptionist (Jack) that he had a booking. The receptionist had to check that the booking or reservation was correct. This process is called checking in. Here is a slightly edited version of the conversation that Rich and Jack had in the podcast:
Guest: Hello, excuse me. I have a reservation for tonight.
Receptionist: (Your reservation is) Under what name?
Guest: It's Spencer. S P E N C E R
Receptionist: That's right, yes.
This is the simplest way to begin the conversation when you want to check in to the room you have booked. After you have checked in, probably the most common thing to ask about is breakfast. Here is a simple conversation that you can practise at home.
Guest: Sorry. Could you tell me if breaksfast is included in the price of the room?
Receptionist: Yes, sir. One moment ... yes, breakfast is included for two adults. The children eat for free.
Guest: Great. And what time is breakfast served?
Receptionist: The dining room is open from seven o'clock until ten o'clock on weekdays and until eleven at the weekend.
Guest: Great. And where is the dining room?
Receptionist: It's on the first floor.
Guest: Thank you very much.
These two conversations are quite simple but they are important to learn for this situation. Many more conversations are based on questions that you might need to ask in a hotel if you want some information or if you have a problem. We will look at these questions and answers in the next section. Before we look at some more complicated language, we would like to know that you know some of the basic vocabulary that you might need when staying at a hotel.
Activity 2
Language
20 of the most common questions asked in a hotel
While you are checking in, there are a number of questions that you may want to ask the receptionist. Here are 20 of the most common questions that are asked in a hotel (one of them isn't that common - can you find it?). Have you ever needed to ask any of these questions?
- What time is breakfast?
- Is breakfast included?
- Is there free WIFI?
- Do I need a WIFI password?
- What time do I need to check out?
- Is there any chance I could get a late checkout?
- Do I need to pay now or should I pay when I check out?
- Do you have any vegetarian options on the menu?
- Is the meat halal/kosher/organic?
- What time does room service finish?
- Is there somewhere I can park my car?
- How much does the parking cost?
- Do you need to wear a swimming cap in the pool?
- Is there somewhere I can leave my luggage?
- I think there is a monster under my bed. Can someone please come and check?
- Could you change my room, please? It smells of smoke.
- We have a baby. Do you have a travel cot that we could use?
- Could you book me a taxi for 9 o' clock tomorrow morning?
- Could you bring a couple of extra towels to my room, please?
- What floor is the restaurant/gym/pool on?
The answers
You can see ten of the answers to the above questions below. Look at the answers and decide which of the questions they answer.
- That shouldn't be a problem, sir. We are not fully booked tomorrow so you can check out as late as 5 o' clock.
- There are always a number of dishes for non-meat eaters, madam.
- Hot food is available until eleven with sandwiches and cold snacks available 24 hours.
- If there is no street parking available we have a small car park available for a nominal charge.
- It's from seven o' clock in the dining room on the first floor.
- It's on the fifth floor and is open until nine.
- No problem, madam. Can you tell me your destination?
- Yes, of course, sir. I will send someone with a big stick to your room right away!
- I'm terribly sorry about that. The floor you are on is a designated no smoking floor but we should be able to find another room due to the problem.
- WIFI is available for free in all the public areas of the hotel and is available for a small fee in individual bedrooms.
Have a look through the questions and answers again. Try saying the question to yourself and using the answer above. Then, try asking some of the other questions and thinking about how you might answer them. If you're not sure about any of the answers or there is a word or phrase that you don't understand, let us know in the comments section at the bottom of this page.
Task
Writing a review
In the podcast, Jack told us about a bad experience he had at a hotel. We would like you to write about a bad hotel that you have been to. You can tell us a true story or invent one. In your hotel review, try to include the following points:
- The location of the hotel, the room and the view
- The food
- The facilities and the service
Write your answer in the comments section below and don't forget to reply to other people's messages, too!
Quiz
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Comment
What do you think?
In this week’s podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about hotels.
Have you ever had a bad experience in a hotel? Write your review below.
Could you answer the 20 most common questions asked in a hotel? Can you think of any other questions?
Remember to write your guess at this week's football phrase and answer the questions above in the comments section below.
Leave a comment
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Comentários
13/05/2020
points
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Surabaya,
Indonesia . I had a two days stay at this place. The owner of the hotel is very rude or unprofessional. Insulted us and didn't cooperate. The bathroom smells bad because of the open sawage flowing outside. They didn't even provide fresh dried towels the next day of my stay. When i complained the owner about all the problem he got very aggressive and insulted us.
13/05/2020 14:51
Manchester United
6
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Surabaya,
Indonesia . I had a two days stay at this place. The owner of the hotel is very rude or unprofessional. Insulted us and didn't cooperate. The bathroom smells bad because of the open sawage flowing outside. They didn't even provide fresh dried towels the next day of my stay. When i complained the owner about all the problem he got very aggressive and insulted us.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Dinda,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:20
Liverpool
594
Hi Dinda,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Correct me. I had a bad hotel experience in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for three days with double bed type plus breakfast buffet in the morning. It’s bad experience because the hotel has a scary atmosphere. There are many things makes me and my friends fell uncomfortable like my room has a bad smell and dirty bed, and just have a thin blanket which is the air is too cold, sometimes my toilet isn’t flushing too. Then the breakfast was poor because there’s something weird in my friend’s food and makes me and my friends didn’t eat well. what a bad experience
13/05/2020 14:43
Manchester United
1
Correct me. I had a bad hotel experience in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for three days with double bed type plus breakfast buffet in the morning. It’s bad experience because the hotel has a scary atmosphere. There are many things makes me and my friends fell uncomfortable like my room has a bad smell and dirty bed, and just have a thin blanket which is the air is too cold, sometimes my toilet isn’t flushing too. Then the breakfast was poor because there’s something weird in my friend’s food and makes me and my friends didn’t eat well. what a bad experience
20/05/2020
points
Hi Putri,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:20
Liverpool
594
Hi Putri,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
i have bad hotel experience. at that time i went with my family, there the view of the hotel was very beautiful and the facilities were comfortable but the receptionist was very unfriendly
13/05/2020 14:35
Arsenal
6
i have bad hotel experience. at that time i went with my family, there the view of the hotel was very beautiful and the facilities were comfortable but the receptionist was very unfriendly
20/05/2020
points
Hi Anisazahiraa,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:20
Liverpool
594
Hi Anisazahiraa,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
I had a bad hotel experience in a hotel Semarang, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for 3 days . The receptionist is not friendly at all. When i arrived in my room, the smell of my room are not good. The water heater in bathroom also can't be use. And I call the receptionist but help comes in a very long time.
13/05/2020 14:26
Chelsea
6
I had a bad hotel experience in a hotel Semarang, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for 3 days . The receptionist is not friendly at all. When i arrived in my room, the smell of my room are not good. The water heater in bathroom also can't be use. And I call the receptionist but help comes in a very long time.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Zhafira,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:19
Liverpool
594
Hi Zhafira,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Yogyakarta when I went with my family. It never crossed my mind there can be a hotel room without window, so I never actually checked how the rooms look like. We paid for the rooms and when we got there, we discovered that our room didn’t have a window. The hotel was running on generators which meant that the heaters didn't work, the lights were dim and the hot water didn't work. I wanted a hot shower after travelling but had to resort to a cold one in negative temperatures.
13/05/2020 14:16
Arsenal
7
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Yogyakarta when I went with my family. It never crossed my mind there can be a hotel room without window, so I never actually checked how the rooms look like. We paid for the rooms and when we got there, we discovered that our room didn’t have a window. The hotel was running on generators which meant that the heaters didn't work, the lights were dim and the hot water didn't work. I wanted a hot shower after travelling but had to resort to a cold one in negative temperatures.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Maharani,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:19
Liverpool
594
Hi Maharani,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
I had a bad experience in a hotel in Bandung, Indonesia. When I arrived in that hotel, nobody helps me to carry my stuff. Security at the hotel is not good, because at 12 pm I was knocked by a scary stranger. the atmosphere of the hotel there is not good . The breakfast doesn't have much variety and it doesn't taste good. The view is not too good. The facilities at the hotel are incomplete.
13/05/2020 13:54
Liverpool
6
I had a bad experience in a hotel in Bandung, Indonesia. When I arrived in that hotel, nobody helps me to carry my stuff. Security at the hotel is not good, because at 12 pm I was knocked by a scary stranger. the atmosphere of the hotel there is not good . The breakfast doesn't have much variety and it doesn't taste good. The view is not too good. The facilities at the hotel are incomplete.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Adinda,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:18
Liverpool
594
Hi Adinda,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Long long time ago, I went to Bandung with family and the traffic was very jammed. And it was already midnight, so my father decided to stay at a nearby hotel. The hotel is located on cihampelas street. We took 2 deluxe room with double bed. The hallway in front of the room had poor lighting and it was disturbing me. The view wasn’t good enough because it only shows the streets. The breakfast is include the booking, and the waiter delivered breakfast to the room, the taste of the food was not good enough. The bathroom was quiet clean but the hot water didn’t works. I didn’t enjoyed the hotel room. I thought it was the worst hotel I ever experienced.
13/05/2020 13:41
Chelsea
1
Long long time ago, I went to Bandung with family and the traffic was very jammed. And it was already midnight, so my father decided to stay at a nearby hotel. The hotel is located on cihampelas street. We took 2 deluxe room with double bed. The hallway in front of the room had poor lighting and it was disturbing me. The view wasn’t good enough because it only shows the streets. The breakfast is include the booking, and the waiter delivered breakfast to the room, the taste of the food was not good enough. The bathroom was quiet clean but the hot water didn’t works. I didn’t enjoyed the hotel room. I thought it was the worst hotel I ever experienced.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Nurifa,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:18
Liverpool
594
Hi Nurifa,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Bali, Indonesia. I went to the hotel with my classmates, we booked our rooms and asked for twin beds each room. The receptionist was not really kind, they only saw me when I was having trouble carrying my luggage. The hotel doesn’t have a good view because the place is quite closed. The bathroom is quite bad, no ventilation in bathroom (No window or extractor fan) leaving the bathroom misty after taking a shower and leaving it smell after using the loo. Beds were extremely uncomfortable, may as well or slept on their sun loungers with pillows were solid hurting your neck when you slept. Bed sheets were filled with dust when we asked the owner if we could have them changed he replied "well the cleaner has finished whos going to do it?”. So, my friends and I ordered dinner at 8 and we didnt recived till 10. We kept waiting and we called 10 times for dinner. Finally we slept without dinner and guy came at 10:30. We refused to take the dinner as we slept. While making the bill they asked us to pay for that dinner and we refused as it was there mistake but still they took some percentage of food which we havent eaten. Argh it was such as a horrible hotel I’ve ever had.
13/05/2020 13:11
Manchester United
1
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Bali, Indonesia. I went to the hotel with my classmates, we booked our rooms and asked for twin beds each room. The receptionist was not really kind, they only saw me when I was having trouble carrying my luggage. The hotel doesn’t have a good view because the place is quite closed. The bathroom is quite bad, no ventilation in bathroom (No window or extractor fan) leaving the bathroom misty after taking a shower and leaving it smell after using the loo. Beds were extremely uncomfortable, may as well or slept on their sun loungers with pillows were solid hurting your neck when you slept. Bed sheets were filled with dust when we asked the owner if we could have them changed he replied "well the cleaner has finished whos going to do it?”. So, my friends and I ordered dinner at 8 and we didnt recived till 10. We kept waiting and we called 10 times for dinner. Finally we slept without dinner and guy came at 10:30. We refused to take the dinner as we slept. While making the bill they asked us to pay for that dinner and we refused as it was there mistake but still they took some percentage of food which we havent eaten. Argh it was such as a horrible hotel I’ve ever had.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Alifia,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:17
Liverpool
594
Hi Alifia,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Correct me
Hello, My name is Rizka Sakinah. A few years ago, I had a quite bad experience in Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. It's not that bad because overall it was a good place to stay, but It didn't worth the price. I booked the hotel for a night so that we can rest because we arrived at 6 p.m. The room was quite small and we didn't get to see the night view because the window got covered by a wall. In the morning after we took a walk around Lombok, we went to hotel's resto near beach. At first, we have breakfast after they saw our key hotel and let us have breakfast, except for me, my parents had to pay a supplement because the breakfast is for only 2 person. Then, in the middle of us ate our breakfast, the staff said that this room didn't include the breakfast in its package. We were confused, and I tried to check, and yup it was book price for room only. It was uncomfortable because they didn't check thoroughly too and last night we were told we got the breakfast, so we thought it is right to book the hotel. So, in the end they just said sorry and we still have to pay the charge of 3 people, not just me. But, the staff is polite and always smile, they helped us with our luggage so it was quite nice. After we checked out that hotel, we went around lombok and found a good hotel and worth it price. anyway, that's it for my story, thank you, Jack and Rich for this podcast!
13/05/2020 10:52
Manchester United
7
Correct me
Hello, My name is Rizka Sakinah. A few years ago, I had a quite bad experience in Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. It's not that bad because overall it was a good place to stay, but It didn't worth the price. I booked the hotel for a night so that we can rest because we arrived at 6 p.m. The room was quite small and we didn't get to see the night view because the window got covered by a wall. In the morning after we took a walk around Lombok, we went to hotel's resto near beach. At first, we have breakfast after they saw our key hotel and let us have breakfast, except for me, my parents had to pay a supplement because the breakfast is for only 2 person. Then, in the middle of us ate our breakfast, the staff said that this room didn't include the breakfast in its package. We were confused, and I tried to check, and yup it was book price for room only. It was uncomfortable because they didn't check thoroughly too and last night we were told we got the breakfast, so we thought it is right to book the hotel. So, in the end they just said sorry and we still have to pay the charge of 3 people, not just me. But, the staff is polite and always smile, they helped us with our luggage so it was quite nice. After we checked out that hotel, we went around lombok and found a good hotel and worth it price. anyway, that's it for my story, thank you, Jack and Rich for this podcast!
20/05/2020
points
Hi Rizka,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:17
Liverpool
594
Hi Rizka,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
I had a bad experience in a hotel in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. when I arrived in that hotel, nobody helps me to carry my stuff. the atmosphere of the hotel there is not good . The breakfast doesn't have much variety and it doesn't taste good. The view is not too good. The facilities at the hotel are incomplete.
13/05/2020 10:39
Manchester United
6
I had a bad experience in a hotel in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. when I arrived in that hotel, nobody helps me to carry my stuff. the atmosphere of the hotel there is not good . The breakfast doesn't have much variety and it doesn't taste good. The view is not too good. The facilities at the hotel are incomplete.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Azzahra,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:16
Liverpool
594
Hi Azzahra,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
i had a bad hotel experience in Semarang, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for 2 days with single bed type. From the window i could only see the buildings and the road. It's a bad experience because when i arrived, is should carrying all of my stuff by myself, there's no one help me with my stuff to the receptionist. Then the receptionist is not friendly at all. When i arrived in my room, the smell of my room are not good and its so hot even the air conditioner is on. And its prove with the window open and the glass of the window are dirty. The water heater in bathroom also can't be use. such as very terrible experience
13/05/2020 07:22
Chelsea
1
i had a bad hotel experience in Semarang, Indonesia. I stay in that hotel for 2 days with single bed type. From the window i could only see the buildings and the road. It's a bad experience because when i arrived, is should carrying all of my stuff by myself, there's no one help me with my stuff to the receptionist. Then the receptionist is not friendly at all. When i arrived in my room, the smell of my room are not good and its so hot even the air conditioner is on. And its prove with the window open and the glass of the window are dirty. The water heater in bathroom also can't be use. such as very terrible experience
20/05/2020
points
Hi Zaidan,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:16
Liverpool
594
Hi Zaidan,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
13/05/2020
points
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience. So, I went to a hotel with my friends in Malang, Indonesia. We booked two double beds, it was a great hotel with a great view but unfortunately, we had a bad facility in our room. The AC didn't work so well, and the help comes in a really long time, so we slept without the AC.
13/05/2020 05:43
Watford
2
Correct me
I had a bad hotel experience. So, I went to a hotel with my friends in Malang, Indonesia. We booked two double beds, it was a great hotel with a great view but unfortunately, we had a bad facility in our room. The AC didn't work so well, and the help comes in a really long time, so we slept without the AC.
20/05/2020
points
Hi Nesy,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/05/2020 08:16
Liverpool
594
Hi Nesy,
Thanks for your hotel review. I hope you found this lesson useful.
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
24/12/2019
points
correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in one of the five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. When I arrived the lobby hotel, I'm carrying lots of stuffs. I carrying those stuffs to reception counter to check-in. However, there is a bellmen there but unfortunately, he is not offering me to carry my stuffs. He just asked me where I want to go. This is because maybe I'm not wearing proper (wearing jean and T-shirt). I'm quite disappointed with the Bellmen
24/12/2019 03:57
Arsenal
6
correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in one of the five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. When I arrived the lobby hotel, I'm carrying lots of stuffs. I carrying those stuffs to reception counter to check-in. However, there is a bellmen there but unfortunately, he is not offering me to carry my stuffs. He just asked me where I want to go. This is because maybe I'm not wearing proper (wearing jean and T-shirt). I'm quite disappointed with the Bellmen
24/12/2019
points
Hi Skyman823000
Here are some corrections.
I had a bad hotel experience in one of the five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. When I arrived ^ the lobby hotel, I'm carrying lots of stuffs. I carrying those stuffs to ^ reception counter to check-in. However, there is a bellmen there but unfortunately, he is not offering
meto carry my stuffs. He just asked me where I want to go. This is because maybe I'm not wearing proper ^ (wearing jean and T-shirt). I'm quite disappointed with the BellmenI hope these corrections are useful.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
24/12/2019 09:26
Arsenal
0
Hi Skyman823000
Here are some corrections.
I had a bad hotel experience in one of the five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. When I arrived ^ the lobby hotel, I'm carrying lots of stuffs. I carrying those stuffs to ^ reception counter to check-in. However, there is a bellmen there but unfortunately, he is not offering
meto carry my stuffs. He just asked me where I want to go. This is because maybe I'm not wearing proper ^ (wearing jean and T-shirt). I'm quite disappointed with the BellmenI hope these corrections are useful.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
14/09/2019
points
correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Italy. I always check reviews before i make a booking but this time i did not. We were travelling with friends so we booked our rooms and we asked for twin beds. When we checked in they told us they only got double beds so i had to share my bed with a friend for 3 nights. It was a little bit uncomfortable for us.
14/09/2019 21:15
Liverpool
55
correct me
I had a bad hotel experience in Italy. I always check reviews before i make a booking but this time i did not. We were travelling with friends so we booked our rooms and we asked for twin beds. When we checked in they told us they only got double beds so i had to share my bed with a friend for 3 nights. It was a little bit uncomfortable for us.
15/09/2019
points
Yes, I can imagine that would be a little awkward!
Your English is excellent so there is not that much to correct. I would probably use the word 'awkward' rather than 'uncomfortable' as otherwise, we might not be totally sure if you're speaking about the situation or the bed! The only other thing is that you said 'they only got double beds'; you need to use 'had got' or 'had' here.
Hope that helps and you enjoy our website!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
15/09/2019 20:43
Liverpool
594
Yes, I can imagine that would be a little awkward!
Your English is excellent so there is not that much to correct. I would probably use the word 'awkward' rather than 'uncomfortable' as otherwise, we might not be totally sure if you're speaking about the situation or the bed! The only other thing is that you said 'they only got double beds'; you need to use 'had got' or 'had' here.
Hope that helps and you enjoy our website!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
20/09/2019
points
Thank you for your help!
20/09/2019 17:11
Liverpool
55
Thank you for your help!
21/02/2019
points
Correct me
21/02/2019 02:31
Chelsea
2
Correct me
21/02/2019
points
Hi Ajay,
There is nothing to correct in your comment :)
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
21/02/2019 08:15
Liverpool
594
Hi Ajay,
There is nothing to correct in your comment :)
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
22/02/2019
points
I want to improve my communication at work time with guests and our department
22/02/2019 05:18
Chelsea
2
I want to improve my communication at work time with guests and our department
25/02/2019
points
That's great to hear Ajay. Do you work in a hotel?
Our most recent podcasts have been about communication skills and speaking politely. You can find them on the homepage or n the podcast section here:
https://premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listen/podcasts
Rich - The Premier SKills English Team
25/02/2019 08:07
Liverpool
594
That's great to hear Ajay. Do you work in a hotel?
Our most recent podcasts have been about communication skills and speaking politely. You can find them on the homepage or n the podcast section here:
https://premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listen/podcasts
Rich - The Premier SKills English Team
14/02/2019
points
When i was in Istanbul,i go to hotel "Kosk"The location of the hotel was good,there are bus station,metro station and a lot of cafees.Room was big with 3beds,but room was dirty.We stayed there about 5 days,and nobody is clened our room.
14/02/2019 08:46
Everton
1
When i was in Istanbul,i go to hotel "Kosk"The location of the hotel was good,there are bus station,metro station and a lot of cafees.Room was big with 3beds,but room was dirty.We stayed there about 5 days,and nobody is clened our room.
17/01/2019
points
Correct me. 15.I think there is a monster under my bed. Can someone please come and check? this is the question that would not be normal at a check in.
Week's football phrase " transfer rumour"
I have not had any bad experience in any hotel, these words are helpful for any trip, thanks
17/01/2019 00:22
Manchester City
109
Correct me. 15.I think there is a monster under my bed. Can someone please come and check? this is the question that would not be normal at a check in.
Week's football phrase " transfer rumour"
I have not had any bad experience in any hotel, these words are helpful for any trip, thanks
25/11/2018
points
correct me
25/11/2018 19:35
Arsenal
5
correct me
26/11/2018
points
Hi Nindi,
There is nothing to correct in your comment!?
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
26/11/2018 08:04
Liverpool
594
Hi Nindi,
There is nothing to correct in your comment!?
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
10/08/2017
points
about the subject in top, really i go to hotel one time in my life and it's very good one,
i was satisfied, cool & happy
but i'll imagine if it's not good :
i go to hotel in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, it's so far from the sea and the view is not good enough,
the food was non acceptaple, the lunch always cold and the vegetables not frish,
about the service it's not good at all, the room is not clean, WIFI was awfull,
at all my review was 1 star from 5
thanks.
Mahmoud Rady
10/08/2017 13:56
Manchester United
24
about the subject in top, really i go to hotel one time in my life and it's very good one,
i was satisfied, cool & happy
but i'll imagine if it's not good :
i go to hotel in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, it's so far from the sea and the view is not good enough,
the food was non acceptaple, the lunch always cold and the vegetables not frish,
about the service it's not good at all, the room is not clean, WIFI was awfull,
at all my review was 1 star from 5
thanks.
Mahmoud Rady
08/08/2017
points
Hi, I was glad to join you. In fact I have a little time to talk to others. My friend told me on your website that I am very happy to have this website. Thank you!
08/08/2017 20:28
Manchester United
7
Hi, I was glad to join you. In fact I have a little time to talk to others. My friend told me on your website that I am very happy to have this website. Thank you!
08/08/2017
points
Hi Ahmed Musa - It's great to have you on the site! I hope you enjoy the materials you find here and find them useful.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
08/08/2017 22:12
Arsenal
560
Hi Ahmed Musa - It's great to have you on the site! I hope you enjoy the materials you find here and find them useful.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
05/08/2017
points
Have you ever had a bad experiencein a hotel? Write your review below.
yes.
I had a bad experiencein a hotel in Sudan in the city of Abu Hamad in the northern state. I booked one room but when I went to the room I found several people booking the same room. !
When I went to the receptionist and explained what happened to me, he said yes, I did it and the reason is I want the money so I did this process.
05/08/2017 21:32
Manchester United
7
Have you ever had a bad experiencein a hotel? Write your review below.
yes.
I had a bad experiencein a hotel in Sudan in the city of Abu Hamad in the northern state. I booked one room but when I went to the room I found several people booking the same room. !
When I went to the receptionist and explained what happened to me, he said yes, I did it and the reason is I want the money so I did this process.
02/08/2017
points
This week's phrase is ***-****** ****.
02/08/2017 22:26
Arsenal
1449
This week's phrase is ***-****** ****.
25/07/2017
points
The football phrase is ***-******
25/07/2017 11:02
Liverpool
962
The football phrase is ***-******
25/07/2017
points
Hi Ghigo - there's a bit more to it than that. One more word.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
25/07/2017 11:27
Arsenal
560
Hi Ghigo - there's a bit more to it than that. One more word.
Jack - The Premier Skills English team
24/07/2017
points
I think that the phrase is a ‘***-****** ****’
24/07/2017 14:32
Watford
4417
I think that the phrase is a ‘***-****** ****’
24/07/2017
points
1.What time is breakfast?
It's from seven o' clock in the dining room on the first floor.
2.Do I need a WIFI password?
WIFI is available for free in all the public areas of the hotel and is available for a small fee in individual bedrooms.
3.Do you have any vegetarian options on the menu?
There are always a number of dishes for non-meat eaters, madam.
4.Could you change my room, please? It smells of smoke.
I'm terribly sorry about that. The floor you are on is a designated no smoking floor but we should be able to find another room due to the problem.
5.What floor is the restaurant/gym/pool on?
It's on the fifth floor and is open until nine.
6.Could you book me a taxi for 9 o' clock tomorrow morning?
No problem, madam. Can you tell me your destination?
7.Is there somewhere I can park my car?
If there is no street parking available we have a small car park available for a nominal charge.
8.I think there is a monster under my bed. Can someone please come and check?
Yes, of course, sir. I will send someone with a big stick to your room right away!
9.Is there any chance I could get a late checkout?
That shouldn't be a problem, sir. We are not fully booked tomorrow so you can check out as late as 5 o' clock.
10.What time does room service finish?
Hot food is available until eleven with sandwiches and cold snacks available 24 hours.
24/07/2017 07:57
Manchester United
2663
1.What time is breakfast?
It's from seven o' clock in the dining room on the first floor.
2.Do I need a WIFI password?
WIFI is available for free in all the public areas of the hotel and is available for a small fee in individual bedrooms.
3.Do you have any vegetarian options on the menu?
There are always a number of dishes for non-meat eaters, madam.
4.Could you change my room, please? It smells of smoke.
I'm terribly sorry about that. The floor you are on is a designated no smoking floor but we should be able to find another room due to the problem.
5.What floor is the restaurant/gym/pool on?
It's on the fifth floor and is open until nine.
6.Could you book me a taxi for 9 o' clock tomorrow morning?
No problem, madam. Can you tell me your destination?
7.Is there somewhere I can park my car?
If there is no street parking available we have a small car park available for a nominal charge.
8.I think there is a monster under my bed. Can someone please come and check?
Yes, of course, sir. I will send someone with a big stick to your room right away!
9.Is there any chance I could get a late checkout?
That shouldn't be a problem, sir. We are not fully booked tomorrow so you can check out as late as 5 o' clock.
10.What time does room service finish?
Hot food is available until eleven with sandwiches and cold snacks available 24 hours.
24/07/2017
points
Perfect, Milos. Well done!
Rich - THe Premier Skills English Team
24/07/2017 09:00
Liverpool
594
Perfect, Milos. Well done!
Rich - THe Premier Skills English Team
23/07/2017
points
Have you revealed the winner of the football competition
23/07/2017 20:26
Liverpool
3705
Have you revealed the winner of the football competition
24/07/2017
points
Hi AsemJuve
Do you mean the mystery word competition? We have contacted the winner and are waiting for a reply. Once we get a reply we will announce the winner in the following podcast.
Thanks
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
24/07/2017 15:57
Liverpool
594
Hi AsemJuve
Do you mean the mystery word competition? We have contacted the winner and are waiting for a reply. Once we get a reply we will announce the winner in the following podcast.
Thanks
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
23/07/2017
points
The phrase is *** ****** ****.
23/07/2017 20:25
Liverpool
3705
The phrase is *** ****** ****.