CHECKING IN

Chapter 2
- Registering New Guests
- Dealing with changes
- Dealing with Walk-in Guests
- Focus on Language
- Useful Expressions
- Role Play
- Grammar

FIRST ENGLISH
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 1. R e g i s t e r i n g N e w G u e s t s

Task 1.1
Directions: Listen to the conversation between a hotel receptionist and a guest, Mr. Richard Gere
and then answer these questions.

Receptionist : “Good afternoon, sir. Welcome to the Grand Royal Hotel.”

Richard : “Good afternoon. My name’s Richard Gere. I have a reservation.”
Receptionist : “Certainly, Mr. Gere. One moment, please. Yes, here it is. One single room for
two nights.”
Richard : “That’s right. Could I have a room on a lower floor, please? I don’t like to use the
lift.”
Receptionist : “Are you okay with the second floor?”
Richard : “Yes, that’s wonderful. Thank you.”
Receptionist : “Could I have your credit card, please?”
Richard : “Yes, here’s my VISA card.”
Receptionist : “Thank you. This will just take a minute. Here’s your credit card. You’re in Room
205. Please sign here. And would you like a wake-up call?”
Richard : “Oh, yes. Could I have a wake-up call at 7.00 tomorrow, please?”
Receptionist : “Of course. Would you like a newspaper?”
Richard : “Yes, I’d like The Nations every morning, please. And what time’s breakfast?”
Receptionist : “Breakfast is between 07.00-10.30.”
Richard : “Thank you.”
Receptionist : “Enjoy your stay, Mr. Gere.”
1. Does Mr. Gere have a reservation?

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2. What kind of room does he ask for?

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3. Why does he want this kind of room?

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4. What time does he ask for a wake-up call?

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5. When does the hotel serve breakfast?

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Task 1.2
Directions: Complete the two conversations with the words in the boxes. Then listen again to
check your answers.
Conversation 1

Receptionist : “Good evening.”

Guest : “Hello. My name is Schmidt. I have a reservation.”
Receptionist : “Certainly, Mr. Schmidt. Can I ask you to fill in the (1) ___________?
Guest : “Sure.”
Receptionist : “Thank you. Do you need (2) _________ tomorrow?
Guest : “No, thanks.”
Receptionist : “Right. It’s a (3) ______ room on the fourth (4) _____. Here’s the key.
Guest : “Thanks.”
Receptionist : “The lifts are just behind you. (5) ____ any help with your luggage?
Guest : “No, that’s okay.”
Receptionist : “Breakfast is (6) _______ in the restaurant from 7.00 until 10.00. Have (7) _____
Guest: Thanks. (8) __________.

Conversation 2

check booked and paid doesn’t say key

breakfast your stay three nights credit card
Receptionist : “May I have your name, madam?”
Guest : “Brook.”
Receptionist : “Yes, here it is. For (1) ______.”
Guest : “Yes, that’s right. Thank you.”
Receptionist : “Can I have your (2) ________, please?”
Guest : “Yes, here you are.”
Receptionist : “Thank you. The room is £160 a night, including (3) _______.”
Guest : “Fine. I think my company (4) ______ for the room.”
Receptionist : “Well, I’ll just confirm that. No, the system (5) ______ that the room has been
paid for.”
Guest : “Okay. Not to worry. I’ll (6) _______ it with head office when I get home.”
Receptionist : “Here’s your (7) _______ it’s room 401, on the fourth floor. Enjoy (8) _______.”
Guest: Thank you.

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2. D e a l i n g w i t h C h a n g e s
Task 2.1
Directions: Listen to the conversation according to a change in the length of stay and decide if
the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

Receptionist : “Good afternoon. May I help you?”

Sara : “Yes, I have a reservation from April 1st to 3rd. The name is Jones. Sara Jones.”
Receptionist : “Let me check…….Yes, we’ve reserved a single room as you requested.”
Sara : “Is it possible for me to have my room for five days, until the 5th.”
Receptionist : “I’ll see what I can do. Let’s see……Yes, Ms. Jones. We’re not fully booked for
the next few days.”
Sara : “That’s great! Thank you.”
Receptionist : “You’re welcome, Ms. Jones. Would you please fill out the guest card?”

_____ 1. Ms. Jones booked the room for three days.

_____ 2. Ms. Jones wants to stay longer at the hotel.
_____ 3. Ms. Jones wants to stay for five days.
_____ 4. The hotel is fully booked on April 1st-5th.
_____ 5. The receptionist can’t extend her stay.

Task 2.2
Directions: Listen to the conversation between a hotel receptionist and a guest, Mr. Harry Potter
and answer the following questions.

Receptionist : “Good afternoon. What can I do for you?”

Harry : “Yes, I have a reservation for a double room for tonight. The name is Potter.”
Receptionist : “One moment, please. Yes, Mr. Potter. We have a double room overlooking the
sea for you for three nights.”
Harry : “Is it possible to change to a family room? You see, my wife and kids are here
with me.”
Receptionist : “Oh, good afternoon, Mrs. Potter. Just a moment, please. I’ll see what I can do for
you. Yes, we have a family room on the fifth floor, but it’s facing the garden. Is it
OK for you?”
Harry : “Do we have it for three nights.”
Receptionist : “Yes, of course.”
Harry : “How much is a quad room?”
Receptionist : “It’s £200, sir.”

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Harry : “Okay. We’ll take it.”
Receptionist : “Would you please fill out this form?”

1. When is Mr. Potter going to stay in the hotel?

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2. What kind of room did he make a reservation?

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3. What is changed in checking in?

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4. Can the receptionist make a change?

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5. How much does the room cost per night?

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3. D e a l i n g w i t h W a l k - i n G u e s t s
Task 3.1
Directions: Listen to the conversation asking a walk-in guest to stand by and answer these
questions.

Receptionist : “Good morning, sir. What can I do for you? Guest: Yes, I’d like a room for two
nights.”
Receptionist : “Do you have a reservation?”
Guest : “No, I don’t.”
Receptionist : “I’m sorry, sir. We’re fully booked since we are expecting a large convention
group this afternoon.”
Guest : “Is that so? That’s why all the hotels around here are full.”
Receptionist : “I’m sorry, but if you’re willing to stand by until 6 p.m., we might be able to
accommodate you if there are any cancellations.”
Guest : “Hmmm…….I guess I don’t have any choice. Can I leave my bags here while I
go out?”
Receptionist : “Yes, sir. You can leave them at the Concierge. May I have your name?”
Guest : “It’s Thompson. Robert Thompson.”

1. Does the guest have a reservation?

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 _____________________________________________________________

2. Why doesn’t the hotel receptionist provide a room for the guest?

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3. What does the receptionist suggest the guest?

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4. Where does the guest leave his luggage while going out?

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5. Is the guest going to get a room at the hotel?

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Task 3.2
Directions: Suppose you are at reception. Finish the following dialogue using the cues
provided.
Guest : “I’m looking for a room for tonight, please.”
You : (1) ______________________________.
(Ask if the guest has a reservation.)
Guest : “Oh, no. I don’t.”
You : (2) ______________________________.
(Say you’re sorry. Tell the guest you have no rooms available and suggest him
to stand by until 6.00 p.m.)
Guest : “No, I don’t think I want to wait. You see, I have a flight early in the morning and
I want to get a rest.”
You : (3) ______________________________.
(Say you’re sorry. Tell you really don’t have a room now and recommend
another hotel nearby. You’ll be happy to call them for him.)
Guest : “Thank you. That’d be nice.”

4. F o c u s o n L a n g u a g e

4.1 Telling Floors

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 In British English, the first floor of a building at the street level is called the ground floor.
Go up the floor it is called the first floor and the floor below is called the basement.

In American English, the floor at the street level is called the first floor. The floor above it
is called the second floor and the floor below the street level is called the basement, the same as
in British English.

British English American English

the 10th floor = the 11th floor
the 9th floor = the 10th floor
the 8th floor = the 9th floor
the 7th floor = the 8th floor
the 6th floor = the 7th floor
the 5th floor = the 6th floor
the 4th floor = the 5th floor
the 3rd floor = the 4th floor
the 2nd floor = the 3rd floor
the 1st floor = the 2nd floor
the ground floor = the 1st floor
the basement = the basement

4.2 Calling Guests

Before a receptionist knows the guest’s name, she calls the male guest sir. It is polite to
call a female guest madam in British English, and in American English ma’am is used.

When the receptionist has already known the guest’s name, she personalizes using the
guest’s last name with a polite title, for example, for a male guest, Mr. Smith. For a female guest,
she calls, for example, Ms. Smith. Ms. can be used for married or unmarried women.

4.3 Telling Times

When we say the time, we either say 6 o’clock in the morning/evening or 6 a.m. (morning)/
6 p.m. (evening). We don’t say 6 o’clock p.m. If we are not talking about full hours, for example,
11.30, we don’t use the words o’clock. We don’t say 11.30 o’clock. We say eleven thirty or half
past eleven.
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 The time is: You say:
8.15 eight fifteen or quarter past eight or quarter after eight (US)
9.00 nine o’clock (in the morning) or nine a.m.
21.00 (UK) nine o’clock (in the evening) or nine p.m.
10.30 ten thirty or half past ten
15.20 fifteen twenty (UK) or three twenty in the afternoon or twenty past three
16.40 sixteen forty or forty past four (in the afternoon) or twenty to five
17.21 seventeen twenty-one or twenty-one minutes past five
18.45 eighteen forty-five or quarter to seven

In American English you don’t use the 24-hour clock. For example, 23.00 is 11 p.m. and
11.00 is 5 a.m. In British English we use the 24-hour clock particularly when we talk about train
and flight times. The 24-hour clock is rarely used in American English.

4.4 Telling Hotel Room Numbers

The room number is: You say:

Room 105 Room one oh five or
Room one zero five
Room 480 Room four eight oh or
Room four eight zero
Room 1017 Room one oh one seven or
Room ten seventeen or
Room ten one seven
Note: The number 0 can be said oh or zero. Zero is used more often in American English.

4.5 Question Tags

Question tags are the short questions that we put on the end of sentences, particularly in spoken
English.

4.5.1 Positive/Negative

If the main part of the sentence is positive, the question tag is negative.

You are going to stay for three nights, aren’t you?

You stayed in the hotel last night, didn’t you?

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 If the main part of the sentence is negative, the question tag is positive.

You aren’t going to stay for two nights, are you?

You haven’t met Mr. Smith, have you?

4.5.2 With auxiliary verbs

The question tag uses the same verb as the main part of the sentence. If this is auxiliary
verb (‘have’, ‘be’), then the question tag is made with the auxiliary verb.

They’ve stayed at the hotel for a few days, haven’t they?

The guests weren’t at the swimming pool, were they?

The lift isn’t working, is it?

4.5.3 Without auxiliary verbs

If the main part of the sentence doesn’t have an auxiliary verb, the question tag uses an
appropriate form of ‘do’.

You made a reservation, didn’t you?

You don’t want a double room, do you?

Mrs. Jones stays for three nights, doesn’t she?

4.5.4 With modal verbs

If there is a modal verb in the main part of the sentence, the question tag uses the same
modal verb.

You couldn’t give me a room, could you?

You won’t go to the beach, will you?

4.5.5 With ‘I am’

The question tag for I am is aren’t I?

I’m late, aren’t I?

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 Note: If the question tag is a real question (you want to know the answer.), we use rising
intonation. If we already know the answer (simply asking for agreement), falling
intonation is used.

5. U s e f u l E x p r e s s i o n s

5.1 Greeting
Good morning/Good afternoon/Good evening.
Welcome to the Royal Grand Hotel.
How was your flight?
5.2 Asking questions about reservations
Do you have a reservation?
Do you have a booking?
Did you make your reservation online or by phone?
5.3 Responding to guests
One moment, please.
Yes, here it is. One single room for two nights.
Yes, Ms. Parker. We are expecting you. One double room from……
Ms. Steele. Let me see. Here it is. You booked a room and you are going to stay for three
nights, aren’t you?
Yes, we have a……...…room for you on the……….. floor, room……. for………….
Yes, Mr. Potter. We have a double room overlooking the sea for you for three nights.
Let me check. Yes, we’ve reserved a single room as you requested.
5.4 Asking about names
Do you have a middle name?
Do you have any other name, madam?
5.5 Asking about addresses
What is your address?
What is the zip code?
Is your address the same as in your passport, sir?
5.6 Asking about flight number and destination
What is your flight number, sir?
Do you want us to confirm your flight for you, madam?
5.7 Asking about method of payment
How would you like to pay, cash or credit card, ma’am?
How are you paying, cash or credit card, sir?
How are you going to pay, sir?

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 5.8 Registering the guest
Would you like to register now?
Will you please register?
Could you fill out the registration form, please?
Can I ask you to fill in the guest card, please? Please fill out the registration form.
May I have your passport, please?
Have you got any identification with you?
Have you got your ID card?
Could you sign here, please?
Please sign here.
Could I have your credit card, please?
5.9 Requesting
Could I have a room on the lower floor, please?
Could I change the room to a family room?
Could I have a wake-up call at 7.00 tomorrow, please?
I’d like The Nations every morning, please.
5.10 Offering
Do you need a wake-up call tomorrow?
Would you like a wake-up call?
Would you like a newspaper?
Would you like us to confirm your flight to Hong Kong?
Would you like a limo as well?
And if you need any assistance, please see our concierge or call the front desk.
Do you need any help with your luggage?
5.11 Giving the guest his key, key card, and room number
Here’s the key. Here’s your key card.
Your room number is 705.
You’re in Room 205.
The bellhop will help you with your luggage.
Our guest relations officer will escort you to your room.
5.12 Dealing with changes
One moment, please. Let me check.
I’ll see what I can do for you.
Yes, we have a family room on the fifth floor, but it’s facing the garden. Is it okay for you?
We’re not fully booked for the next few days.
I’ll change your booking to the 12th until the 14th.
5.13 Refusing walk-in guests
I can offer you our walk-up rate which is $170 per night for a double room including

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 breakfast.
I’m sorry, sir. We’re fully booked since we are expecting a large convention group this
afternoon.
I’m sorry, sir. We’re fully booked today.
I’m sorry, sir. We’re very busy this evening.
I’m sorry, sir. We have no vacancies at the moment.
I’m sorry, sir. All rooms are taken.
I’m sorry, ma’am. There are no more room available.
I’m sorry, sir. We really don’t have a room now.
I’m afraid so.
I’m afraid not.
5.14 Recommending a hotel
I’d like to recommend another hotel nearby.
I would be glad to call them for you.
I’ll be happy to contact them for you.
I’ll be happy to call them and check if they have any rooms available for you.
5.15 Leave-taking
Enjoy your stay, Mr. Gere.
Have a good stay.
Have a nice stay, Mr. Howard

6. Role Play
Work with a partner. Try different roles in situations related to checking into a hotel. Create a
conversation between a guest and a receptionist from expressions you have learnt from this chapter
adding any necessary information.

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 ENGLISH FOR HOTEL RECEPTIONIST

Hotel Vocabulary – Day 2

Word
part of speech Meaning Example sentence
breakfast complimentary soap,
noun shampoo, and coffee.

cot, rollaway bed a single bed on wheels If you need an extra

thatfolds up bed,we have cots
noun
available.
damage charge money a guest owes for We will have to add a
repairs to hotel property damage charge for the
noun
(when caused by violent hole you put in the wall.
orcareless acts)

deposit amount paid ahead of You will not receive your

timeto secure a deposit back if you cancel.
noun
reservation
double bed a bed large enough for two They are a family of four,
people so give them a room with
noun
two double beds.

floor a level of the building The swimming pool is

onthe main floor.
noun
front desk, the place where guests Towels are available at the
reception go to check in and out front desk.
noun and toget information

guest a person that is staying Our washrooms are for

noun atthe hotel guests only.
hostel a very inexpensive place In the hostel you
for backbackers and probablywon't get your
noun
travelers on a budget own room.

hotel manager person in charge at I'll let you make your

noun thehotel complaint to the
hotelmanager.

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