Hi, I'm Georgiana, your English teacher.
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Okay, let's start.
I know that finding an excellent hotel and making a reservation can be stressful, especially if you're booking a room at the last minute.
In this lesson I'll give you some tips.
Usually search for a hotel online and, after finding the perfect room, I call to get a better rate.
When I call, I make sure to ask if breakfast is included and how far is the beach from the hotel.
Yes, I love going to the beach when I'm on holidays.
Like I just said, Before I make a reservation, I check out the hotel online, where I can see the rooms, the location and the service lists.
Sometimes I call and ask for information about the noise level and the walking distance to the restaurants, the beach, etc.
When I'm on a business trip, I make sure I book a very quiet room.
I often check into a single room, which is a room for one person and has a full-size bed or a double bed.
I make sure the hotel is equipped with work areas, a gym, a fast internet connection and a laundry service.
As I just said, whenever I go on holidays, my main option is the beach.
And I certainly choose a room with a view.
The last time I booked a room at the beach, it was my birthday.
I've booked a suite.
A suite is bigger than a standard hotel room, and in some hotels you'll also find an executive suite or a family suite.
I already mentioned two types of hotel rooms.
A single room and a suite.
But there are other types of hotel rooms.
You may have already booked a double room or a twin room.
Both rooms are for two people.
The double room comes with a full size bed.
But in the twin room the two guests sleep in two separate beds.
Nearly all hotels have a specific check-in time.
If you arrive earlier, you can sometimes store your luggage in the luggage area of the hotel until your room's ready.
If you wish to check in early, there's usually an additional charge.
When you're ready to check in, you simply go to the reception or the front desk.
And if you need to check out later, you'll have to request a late checkout the first time you check in.
If you're lucky, you won't need to pay anything extra.
But in some cases, I had to pay an extra fee to stay a little more.
Before I continue, I'd like to clarify that the words check-in and check-out have two different meanings.
When we write down the words check in and check out separately, then it's a phrasal verb.
Example, we had to check in early last night.
And when they're written down with a hyphen, check in and check out are adjectives or nouns.
Let's see an example.
Jason signed the check-in sheet in the lobby.
Now let's get back to our reservation.
It's always a great idea to confirm your reservation a few days in advance.
I like calling them to confirm that my room has a view and an ensuite bathroom.
An ensuite bathroom is a bathroom attached to the bedroom.
I also need a Wi-Fi connection and a full English breakfast.
The English breakfast is usually a big breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon, cereals, etc.
There's also the continental breakfast, which is a small breakfast with croissant, coffee and juice.
And one last tip.
After you check in, make sure you inspect your room.
Before unpacking and getting comfortable, make sure everything in your room is just the way you expected.
Check out for cleanliness, sufficient linens, and supplies.
If you aren't happy with your room's location or noise level, you can always politely request to be relocated.
Ask if they'll upgrade you to a nicer room or a room with a view.
Let's continue with a mini-story told with questions and answers.
It'll help you to practice some of the new vocabulary that I've covered in the first part of the lesson.
Let's see how the mini-story works.
I'll give you some information, a phrase or two.
Don't worry, I'll ask simple questions.
After each question, there will be some seconds of silence.
It's your turn to answer the question.
Just try to give an easy and short answer, not a complex one.
After you answer, I'll give you a correct answer.
This process will continue and, little by little, I'll be telling a story using questions and answers.
Let's get started.
Anne booked a suite with a spectacular view to celebrate her boyfriend's birthday.
Did Anne book a suite for her boyfriend?
Yes, she booked a suite for her boyfriend.
Why did Anne book the suite?
To celebrate her boyfriend's birthday.
Did she book a suite with a spectacular view or a terrible view?
Not a terrible view, a spectacular view.
She booked a suite with a spectacular view.
After checking in at the front desk, Anne and her boyfriend Tom rushed to their suite.
Did they check in or check out?
They didn't check out.
They checked in.
Who checked in?
Anne and her boyfriend Tom.
They checked in at the front desk.
Where did they go after checking in at the reception?
They went to their suite.
Did they walk slowly to their room?
No, no.
They didn't walk slowly.
They rushed to their room.
Who rushed to their room?
Their cat?
No, no.
They didn't bring their cat.
It was Anne and Tom who rushed to their suite.
When they got to their suite, Anne opened the door and saw a luxurious room covered in gold.
Who got to their suite?
Anne and Tom.
They got to their suite.
Who opened the door?
Anne or Tom?
It was Ann who opened the door, not Tom.
When did Ann open the door?
Before or after getting to their suite?
Not before getting to their suite.
She opened the door after they got to their suite.
What did Aunt see when she opened the door?
A dirty old room?
No, no, not a dirty old room.
She saw a luxurious room covered in gold.
Was the suite covered in dust?
No, it wasn't covered in dust.
It was covered in gold.
Tom looked surprised but worried and asked Anne if she had robbed the bank.
Did Tom look surprised?
Yes, he looked surprised.
Did he look worried or relaxed?
He didn't look relaxed.
He looked worried.
Did Tom ask if she had robbed a bank or a monastery?
No, no, Tom didn't ask Anne if she had robbed a monastery.
He asked her if she had robbed a bank.
The problem here was that they entered the luxurious presidential suite by mistake.
What was the problem?
The problem was that they entered the wrong suite.
Where did they enter?
Their suite or the luxurious presidential suite?
They didn't enter their suite.
They entered the luxurious presidential suite.
Did they enter the right suite or the wrong suite?
The wrong suite.
They entered the luxurious presidential suite.
That wasn't their suite.
Poor Anne and Tom.
It turned out that there had been a little bit of a mix-up, a misunderstanding.
The room they entered wasn't just any suite.
It was the super luxurious presidential suite.
They were a little disappointed when the hotel manager knocked on their door to give them the bad news.
However, after this mix-up, the manager offered them free champagne and a generous coupon for the next time they booked a room.
Great!
This is the end of this short exercise.
As you can see, answering many simple questions can improve your speaking, just like in a real-life conversation.
Today, you've only seen a small example of how the question and answer technique works.
Do you want to unlock this full potential?
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