Travel & Culture - Hotel Service Requests

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! 🤔 (Warm-up)

Let's talk about asking for things at a hotel!

What kind of things might you need to ask for from hotel staff after you check in? (Example: more towels, help with TV)
Who do you usually call or speak to if you need something for your room?
Is it important to be polite when making a request? Why?

Activity 2: New Words & Phrases 🗣️ (Vocabulary)

Here are some important words and phrases for making service requests at a hotel!

1. Housekeeping: The department in a hotel responsible for cleaning rooms.

Example: "Could you please send Housekeeping to my room? I need it cleaned."

2. Extra: More of something.

Example: "May I have an Extra pillow, please?"

3. Broken: Not working correctly.

Example: "The air conditioning in my room seems to be Broken."

4. Could I have...? : A polite phrase to ask for something.

Example: "Could I have some more coffee for the room, please?"

5. Something is wrong with...: A phrase to explain a problem.

Example: "I think Something is wrong with the TV remote; it's not working."

Activity 3: Reading - Asking for Help at the Hotel 📖

Read this story about a guest making requests.

Mr. Smith was settling into his hotel room. He noticed he only had one pillow on his bed, but he preferred to sleep with two. He picked up the room phone and dialed '0' for the front desk. "Hello," he said politely, "This is Mr. Smith in room 204. Could I have an Extra pillow, please?" The receptionist replied, "Certainly, Mr. Smith. I'll send one up right away." A few minutes later, someone from Housekeeping brought him another pillow. Mr. Smith was pleased.

Later that evening, Mr. Smith wanted to watch TV, but he found that the remote control was not working. The screen was blank. He thought, "Something is wrong with the TV or the remote." He called the front desk again. "Hello, it's Mr. Smith in 204 again. I'm afraid the TV in my room appears to be Broken." The receptionist apologized and said she would send someone from maintenance to look at it. Soon, a technician arrived and fixed the remote. Mr. Smith was happy he could now relax and watch a movie. He was glad the hotel staff were helpful with his requests.

Questions about the Story:

Answer these questions:

What was the first thing Mr. Smith requested?
Who brought the extra pillow to his room?
What was the second problem Mr. Smith had in his room?
How did Mr. Smith describe the problem with the TV?
Who came to fix the TV remote?

Activity 4: Role Play - Calling the Front Desk 🎭

Let's pretend! One person is Ms. Lee (Guest), and the other is Ben (Hotel Receptionist).

Ben (Receptionist): Front Desk, Ben speaking. How may I help you?

Ms. Lee (Guest): Hello, this is Ms. Lee in room 510. Could I have an Extra towel, please?

Ben (Receptionist): Certainly, Ms. Lee. I'll have Housekeeping send an extra towel to room 510 right away.

Ms. Lee (Guest): Thank you. Also, I think Something is wrong with the air conditioning. It seems to be Broken; it's blowing warm air.

Ben (Receptionist): Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll send someone from maintenance to check on your air conditioning immediately.

Ms. Lee (Guest): That would be wonderful. One more thing, Could I have a wake-up call for 7:00 AM tomorrow?

Ben (Receptionist): Of course. A wake-up call for Ms. Lee in room 510 at 7:00 AM. Is there anything else?

Ms. Lee (Guest): No, that's all for now. Thank you for your help, Ben.

Ben (Receptionist): You're very welcome, Ms. Lee. We'll get those things sorted for you.

Let's Talk About It:

After you read, talk about this:

What were the two problems/requests Ms. Lee had for her room?
What polite phrase did Ms. Lee use to ask for an extra towel?

Activity 5: Let's Practice - Room Requests ✍️

Help David (Guest) complete his part of the dialogue with the Hotel Receptionist. Use words and phrases from Activity 2!

Receptionist: Good morning, Front Desk. How can I assist you?

David (Guest): Good morning. This is David from room 101. an blanket? It's a bit cold.

Receptionist: Of course, Mr. David. I'll have Housekeeping bring one to you.

David (Guest): Thank you. Also, I think the lamp on the desk; it seems to be .

Receptionist: I'm sorry about that. I'll send maintenance to take a look at the broken lamp right away.

David (Guest): Great. And could you please send to clean the room later today?

Receptionist: Certainly. We can schedule that for this afternoon. Anything else?

David (Guest): No, that's all. Thank you!

Show Answers! (Activity 5) ✨