SPEAK FIRST · A1 · 50 min

The Hotel

A reservation, your name spelled out, a key card and the fifth floor. Check in like you do it every week.

Speak First · Lesson 8 of 15. ← Lesson 7: Welcome to London · Lesson 9: A Problem, and the Way →

Today: check in at a hotel: give your name, spell it, understand the room number and the floor, and ask about breakfast and wifi. Grammar: spelling, numbers and floors.
Warm up — five words to remember. They come from Lessons 6 and 7. Do you know it? Say what it means and use it in a sentence. Is it new? Good — learn it now. Click Reveal to check, and follow the link to read the lesson.
to stay — from Welcome to London
What does it mean? Where do you stay in a new city?
to stay — to be in a place for some days or nights.
a taxi — from Welcome to London
What does it mean? How much is a taxi in your city?
a taxi — a car with a driver; you pay for the journey.
a receipt — from Welcome to London
What does it mean? Say the question: Can I have…?
a receipt — a paper that says you paid.
a queue — from Welcome to London
What does it mean? Where are the queues long?
a queue — a line of people waiting.
a boarding pass — from The Airport
What does it mean? Paper or phone — which do you use?
a boarding pass — the paper or phone ticket you show to get on the plane.

Now — the words for today's conversation

These are the new words for The Hotel. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.

Words

  1. a reservation
  2. reception
  3. the lift
  4. a key card
  5. breakfast
  6. the password
  7. to spell
  8. a floor

Meanings

  • A. the first meal of the day
  • B. a small room that goes up and down in a building
  • C. a level of a building: first, second, third…
  • D. to say the letters of a word: L-E-O
  • E. the desk in a hotel where you check in
  • F. the secret word for the wifi or a computer
  • G. a room you book before you arrive
  • H. the card that opens your room door

1 = G (a reservation) · 2 = E (reception) · 3 = B (the lift) · 4 = H (a key card)

5 = A (breakfast) · 6 = F (the password) · 7 = D (to spell) · 8 = C (a floor)

Now talk — out loud

Before we read:
  • Which words are things? Which words are places in the hotel?
  • At a hotel reception, what questions do they ask you? Guess three.

The conversation, in three parts

Leo at the hotel reception; the receptionist hands him a key card; a sign reads RECEPTION and a board shows 512.
Look at the picture. Say:
  • Where is Leo?
  • What does the woman give him?
  • What number can you see?

Leo arrives at the Park Hotel. Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and answer the last one about you.

Part 1 — I have a reservation

The Park Hotel. Warm, quiet, a big clock in the lobby. Leo goes to reception.

Receptionist: Good afternoon. Welcome to the Park Hotel.

Leo: Good afternoon. I have a reservation.

Receptionist: What's the name, please?

Leo: Leo Navarro.

Receptionist: Can you spell that?

Leo: N-A-V-A-R-R-O.

Receptionist: Thank you. Three nights?

Leo: Yes, three nights.

Receptionist: Can I see your passport, please?

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What does the receptionist ask Leo to spell?

2. How many nights is he staying?

1. His family name: Navarro.

2. Three nights.

Talk about it:
  • And you? Spell your family name. Is it easy or hard for English people?

Part 2 — Room 512

Receptionist: Here's your key card. Room 512, on the fifth floor. The lift is on the right.

Leo: Sorry — five, one, two?

Receptionist: Yes. Five, one, two.

Leo: What time is breakfast?

Receptionist: From seven to ten, in the restaurant on the ground floor.

Leo: And is there wifi?

Receptionist: Yes. The password is on the card.

Leo: Thank you very much.

Leo takes the lift. Fifth floor. Room 512. The card — click. A big bed, a window, the rain. He sits down. He is very tired.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. What floor is the room on?

2. What time is breakfast, and where?

1. The fifth floor. Room 512.

2. From seven to ten, in the restaurant on the ground floor.

Talk about it:
  • And you? What do you ask at a hotel? What is important for you: breakfast, wifi, a quiet room?

Part 3 — The call home

At six, Leo calls Carla.

Leo: Hi. I'm at the hotel.

Carla: How is it?

Leo: Nice. Small room, big bed. It's raining.

Carla: Of course it's raining. It's London.

Leo: The meeting is tomorrow at four.

Carla: Are you nervous?

Leo: A little.

Carla: Your English is good, Leo. Say hello, smile, and ask questions.

Leo: Say hello, smile, ask questions. OK.

Carla: And sleep!

Leo: Yes, boss.

Quick check — answer from memory, then reveal:

1. When is the meeting?

2. What is Carla's advice?

1. Tomorrow at four.

2. Say hello, smile, ask questions. And sleep.

Talk about it:
  • And you? Are you nervous before a meeting? What helps you?

Grammar: spelling, numbers and floors

At a hotel you say your name letter by letter, and you hear room numbers, floors and times. Slow and clear wins.

Can you spell that? Say one letter at a time: "N-A-V-A-R-R-O." Two letters the same? "double R". The hard letters: A (ay), E (ee), I (eye), G (jee), J (jay), R (ar), W (double-u), Y (why).
Room numbers: say the numbers one by one: room 512 = "five one two", room 308 = "three oh eight". Check: "Sorry — five, one, two?"
Floors: the ground floor (0), the first floor (1), second (2), third (3), fourth (4), fifth (5), tenth (10). "My room is on the fifth floor."
Times: "Breakfast is from seven to ten." "Check-out is at eleven." Questions: "What time is breakfast?" "What time is check-out?"

1. Which floor?

Write the floor. Careful: the first number of the room is the floor.

1. Room 210 is on the floor.

2. Room 512 is on the floor.

3. Room 105 is on the floor.

4. The restaurant is on the floor (0).

1. second

2. fifth

3. first

4. ground

2. Make the sentence

Put the words in order. Then say the sentence out loud.

1. spell / Can / that / you?

2. a reservation / I / have

3. breakfast / What time / is?

4. the fifth / My room / on / is / floor

1. Can you spell that?

2. I have a reservation.

3. What time is breakfast?

4. My room is on the fifth floor.

3. Complete the conversation

Fill each gap with one word. Read the conversation out loud when you finish — and spell the name.

"Good evening. I have a ." — "What's the , please?" — "Kowalski. K-O-W-A-L-S-K-I." — "Thank you. Here's your key . Room 308, on the floor." — "What time is ?" — "From seven to ten."

reservation · name · card · third · breakfast

Room 3-0-8 → the third floor.

Role Play

You arrive at a hotel in the evening. Reception.

Round 1 — you are the guest. Read your partner's line, then say your own line from the cue in italics. Use your real answers. Then click to compare with a model.

Receptionist: Good evening. Welcome to the Central Hotel.
You: say hello · I have a reservation

Receptionist: What's the name, please?
You: your name

Receptionist: Can you spell that?
You: spell your family name

Receptionist: Thank you. How many nights?
You: number

Receptionist: Can I see your passport, please?
You: give it

Receptionist: Here's your key card. Room 407, on the fourth floor.
You: check the number · ask: breakfast?

Receptionist: From seven to ten, on the ground floor.
You: ask: wifi?

Receptionist: Yes, the password is on the card. Enjoy your stay.
You: thank

Receptionist: Good evening. Welcome to the Central Hotel.
You: Good evening. I have a reservation.

Receptionist: What's the name, please?
You: Kowalski. Adam Kowalski.

Receptionist: Can you spell that?
You: K-O-W-A-L-S-K-I.

Receptionist: Thank you. How many nights?
You: Two nights.

Receptionist: Can I see your passport, please?
You: Here you are.

Receptionist: Here's your key card. Room 407, on the fourth floor.
You: Four, oh, seven? Thank you. What time is breakfast?

Receptionist: From seven to ten, on the ground floor.
You: And is there wifi?

Receptionist: Yes, the password is on the card. Enjoy your stay.
You: Thank you very much.

Round 2 — change roles. Now you are Receptionist. Ask the questions, and listen to the answers. Then say one thing you remember.

Quick-fire questions

Answer fast, in full sentences. No time to think. Then check a model answer for the ones that were hard.

1. What's the name, please?

2. Can you spell that?

3. How many nights?

4. What floor is room 512 on?

5. What time is breakfast?

6. Is there wifi?

7. Where is the lift?

8. What time is check-out?

9. Spell your city.

10. Say your room number: 308.

1. Navarro. Leo Navarro.

2. N-A-V-A-R-R-O.

3. Three nights.

4. The fifth floor.

5. From seven to ten.

6. Yes. The password is on the card.

7. On the right.

8. At eleven.

9. M-I-L-A-N.

10. Three, oh, eight.

Speak

Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.

Useful language: "I have a reservation." · "Can you spell that?" · "N-A-V-A-R-R-O." · "Sorry — five, one, two?" · "on the fifth floor" · "What time is breakfast?" · "Is there wifi?"
Time remaining: 1:00
Task A · Tell the check-in

Tell Leo's check-in in your own words. Steps: reception → the reservation → spell Navarro → three nights → key card, 512, fifth floor → breakfast seven to ten → wifi → the room, the bed, the rain → the call to Carla: say hello, smile, ask questions.

Task B · Spell it (2 minutes)

Spell out loud: your family name, your street, your company, your city, and your email address. Then say three numbers: your room number at the last hotel, your phone number, your car number.

Task C · Ask me

I am at your hotel. Ask me the reception questions: name, spell it, how many nights, passport. Then give me my room: number, floor, breakfast time, wifi.

To finish

  1. What is a good hotel for you: big or small, in the city or quiet?
  2. Carla says: "Say hello, smile, ask questions." Is this good advice for a meeting in English?
  3. From memory: spell your family name, and say the floor of room 612.