In this second of two online exercises on hotel essentials English vocabulary, you will learn and remember the English names of the different types of rooms that you can find in a hotel and the different services and facilities that a hotel provides/gives to its guests.

This exercise is useful for not only staying in a hotel but for also making a reservation. In addition, it can also be used by people who work in the hotel industry.

If you haven't done the first part of this exercise, I recommend that you do this first part of the exercise before doing this second part (it will make it easier to do).

To learn the English phrases used when you arrive at a hotel, do our exercise on 'English vocabulary for arriving/checking in at a hotel'.

Exercise: In a hotel

Read the following conversation between the manager of a hotel and a new employee. The manager is explaining to the the new employee how the hotel works and what they have to do.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

Manager:'So after you've registered the guest and given them the key, you have to tell the guest what number is their room and which floor their room is on. There are only three floors in this hotel, the reception, entrance and lounge are here on the ground floor, but most of the rooms are on the first and second floors above us.'

New Employee:'How do they go to the their rooms?'

Manager:'Because most of the rooms are on a different floor to here at reception, they can either go up to their rooms using the lift or if they want to walk up, they can use the stairs. Tell the guests this and point where they both are.

Also, tell them where their room is on the floor, which corridor they have to walk down when they leave the lift or stairs. For example, 'when you leave the lift, go right and walk down the corridor. Your room is at the end of the corridor'.'

New Employee:'Ok. So I don't have to carry the guests' luggage or bags to their rooms?'

Manager:'No, you don't move from the reception desk. Normally, the guests will take or carry their own luggage to their room. If they don't want to, then we have a man who does that. He is called the porter and it's his job to carry the guests' luggage to their room.'

New Employee:'What types of rooms are there in the hotel?'

Manager:'The rooms are different types and have different numbers of beds in them. For example, we have double rooms, which have a big bed for two people to sleep in. There are also single rooms, which only have one bed for one person to sleep in. And there are also twin rooms, which have two beds for one person to sleep in each.

We also have a special room for very rich people which is big and is like a small apartment or flat with its own lounge and bar. This is a called a suite. Some of the rooms have a balcony, where the room has a part which is outside in front of the windows. So the guests can relax and enjoy the sun and the views.'

New Employee:'What facilities do the rooms in the hotel have?'

Manager:'Each of the rooms has a en suite bathroom. There is a shower and toilet inside all of the the rooms. In the ensuite bathrooms there are towels, so the guests can dry themselves after having a shower.

The rooms also have air conditioning, so in summer when it's hot, the guests can decrease the temperature in the room. There is also a mini-bar in each room, where there are small bottles of alcohol, water and snacks like nuts and crisps for the guests to eat or drink. But they have to pay for what they consume out of the mini-bar when they check out and leave.'

New Employee:'What if a guest wants to eat or drink something in their room which isn't in the mini-bar. What can they do?'

Manager:'We offer room service where they ring reception and can order sandwiches, meals or drinks. Then we take it up to the room for them to eat or drink. Also each of the rooms has a safe, where the guests can leave expensive or important things in the room that they don't want to be lost or stolen.'



Quiz:

Below is a definition/description of each of the words/phrases in bold from the above text (which you can also find in the grey box below). Answer each question with one of these words/phrases in bold. Only use one word/phrase once and write it as it is in the text. Click on the "Check" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the answer. The icon contains extra information about the word/phrase. In the icon, you can listen to the pronunciation of the word/phrase.

Words/phrases to use in the quiz

1. When a hotel room has its own private shower and toilet, it has a/an

         

En suite bathroom:
(noun) An 'en suite bathroom' is basically a bathroom inside a hotel room. It is for the private use of the people staying in the room. Although most hotel rooms now have 'en suite bathrooms', there are still some that don't and the shower and toilet are located outside the rooms for all the guests to use. These bathrooms are called 'shared' or 'common' bathrooms. In Spanish: "baño privado".

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En suite bathroom:
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1. Each different level in a building or hotel, is called a/an

         

Floor:
(noun) A 'floor' in this context means the different vertical 'levels' or 'storeys' in a building. Some of the tallest buildings in the world have over 120 'floors'. In British English, the 'floor' on the street or entrance level of the building is called the 'ground floor', then the next 'floor' up is called the 'first floor', then the next 'second floor', then 'third floor' etc... In American English, the 'ground floor' is called the 'first floor', then the next 'floor' is called the 'second floor'. In both British and American English, the 'floor' that is underground is called the 'basement'. In Spanish: "piso".

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Floor:
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3. Hotel rooms that have one bed for one person, are called

         

Single rooms:
(noun) A 'single room' is a type of room in a hotel for one person to stay/sleep in. There is one bed (this is sometimes called a 'single bed') in the room for one person to sleep in. Sometimes, a person will book/reserve a 'single room' and find that the room has a 'double bed' (a large bed for two people) or 'twin beds' (two single beds). In Spanish: "habitaciones individuales".

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4. The steps to walk between different floors/levels in a building, are called the

         

Stairs:
(noun) The 'stairs' in a building are the steps that people use to walk between the different vertical levels or floors in a building. In English, if the steps are not used to connect different floors or levels (e.g. a higher part on the same floor/level), then they are called 'steps' instead of 'stairs'. In Spanish: "escaleras".

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5. A metal box in a hotel room, that is used to stop people stealing objects/things, is called a/an

         

Safe:
(noun) In a lot of hotel rooms, there is a 'safe'. This is a metal box that can be locked with a key or number code, that people put important documents or expensive things inside to stop from being stolen. Normally, you have to pay the hotel money to use the 'safe' in the room. Some hotels allow their guests/customers to put objects/things in the 'hotel safe', which the hotel uses to store money etc... In Spanish: "caja fuerte".

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Safe:
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6. A very expensive room in a hotel that has many different rooms inside it, is a/an

         

Suite:
(noun) In most hotels, they call their luxury and most expensive room(s) 'suites'. Normally, 'suites' are larger than the normal rooms in a hotel and have more rooms inside (e.g. a bedroom, living room and sometimes a bar and a kitchen). It is common for rich people to stay in 'suites' when they stay in hotels. In Spanish: "suite".

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Suite:
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7. When a machine makes a room cooler when it is hot outside, the room has

         

Air conditioning:
(noun) 'air conditioning' is when a machine (called an 'air conditioner') removes heat from a room and makes the room cooler. Although most modern hotel rooms (especially in hot countries) have 'air conditioning', some hotel rooms still use 'fans' (a machine that rotates and moves the air in the room) instead of 'air conditioning' to keep the room cool. 'air conditioning' is normally used with the verb 'to have', e.g. 'the room has air conditioning'. The adjective is 'air conditioned', e.g 'the room is air conditioned'. In Spanish: "aire acondicionado".

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Air conditioning:
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8. A long and narrow passage in a hotel where people walk through to go to their room, is a/an

         

Corridor:
(noun) A 'corridor' is a long and narrow passageway in a hotel (or any type of building) which has the hotel rooms on each side of it. In most hotels, you have to walk through a 'corridor' to arrive at the door of your room, e.g 'when you leave the lift, turn left and walk down the corridor in front of you. Your room is halfway down the corridor'. In Spanish: "pasillo".

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Corridor:
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9. A verb that means to 'move' something with your hands or body from one place to another, is

         

Carry:
(verb) The infinitive is 'to carry'. It means to 'move' or 'take' something with your hands or body from one place to another. In hotels, you 'carry' your luggage or bags from the reception to your hotel room. Both 'carry' or 'take' are commonly used in hotels, e.g. 'can somebody carry/take my luggage up to my room, please'. In expensive/luxury hotels they normally have a employee called a 'porter' to 'carry'/'take' the guests’/customers’ luggage to their room. In Spanish: "llevar".

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Carry:
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10. A service in a hotel where an employee takes food/drinks to a guest's room, is called

         

Room service:
(noun) 'room service' is a type of service where a guest/customer in a hotel calls the reception/front desks and asks them to send/bring food, drinks or other things to their room. Most hotels have 24 hour 'room service'. In Spanish: "servicio a las habitaciones".

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Room service:
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11. Hotel rooms that have one large bed for two people, are called

         

Double rooms:
(noun) A 'double room' is a type of room in a hotel for two people to stay/sleep in. There is one bed (that is called a 'double bed') in the room for two people to sleep in. In Spanish: "habitaciones dobles (con cama de matrimonio)".

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Double rooms:
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12. A machine that is used to move people and objects between different floors/levels in a building, is called a/an

         

Lift:
(noun) A 'lift' is machine that moves people and objects between different floors/levels in a building. Most hotels have 'lifts' today. In North America, a 'lift' is called an 'elevator'. If travelling in America, you should use 'elevator' because most Americans don't understand what a 'lift' means. In Spanish: "ascensor".

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Lift:
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13. A place in a hotel room where guests can find drinks and things to eat, is called a/an

         

Mini-bar:
(noun) A 'mini-bar' is a place in a hotel room which contains small bottles/cans of drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and snacks (crisps, sweets, cookies etc...) for the guest to use/consume. Often, the 'mini-bar' is a small refrigerator. You have to pay for everything that you take from the 'mini-bar' and it is normally very expensive (you pay when you check out/leave the hotel). In Spanish: "Minibar".

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Mini-bar:
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14. A part of a hotel room which is outside, is called a/an

         

Balcony:
(noun) A 'balcony' is a part of a room which is outside where people can go to and sit down or do other things. You can access/go to the 'balcony' from the room by opening the window/French doors which the 'balcony' is directly in front of. You can only have a 'balcony' in rooms which are above ground level/the ground floor. In Spanish: "balcón/terraza".

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Balcony:
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15. The employee in an hotel who carries/takes the guests' luggage to their rooms, is called the

         

Porter:
(noun) A 'porter' is the name/job title of a hotel employee/worker whose job is to carry/take guests' luggage or bags for them. Normally, the 'porter' will take/carry the luggage or bags up to the guests' room when they arrive and down when they leave. You only find 'porters' in expensive hotels. In Spanish: "portero".

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Porter:
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16. A type of cloth/material that are used to dry somebody after they have had a shower, are called

         

Towels:
(noun) A 'towel' is a piece of cloth/material that is used to dry a person's body after they have had a shower or washed their hands. In most hotel rooms, the hotel provide free 'towels' for their guests to use. In Spanish: "toallas".

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Towels:
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17. Hotel rooms that have two beds for two people, are called

         

Twin rooms:
(noun) A 'twin room' is a type of room in a hotel for two people to stay/sleep in. There are two beds (two 'single beds') in the room, one for each person to sleep in. Some hotels also have 'triple rooms', a room for three people with three 'single beds'. In Spanish: "habitaciones dobles (con dos camas)".

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Practice

Now that you understand the meaning of the words/phrases and when to use them, practise using them by creating your own sentences with them in English. Also click on the "" icon next to each correct answer and listen how each is pronounced correctly.