Working in the hotel industry you will come across
many types of travelers. Some will be business guests; others will be
tourists and visitors. Many will speak a different language other
than your own. Chances are, plenty of your guests will speak English.
Do you know how to speak politely to a guest in English? Can you
understand their requests and serve them accordingly? Whether your
job is to take reservations or clean the hotel rooms, these pages can
help you learn important words and expressions to use on the job in
the hotel industry.
Hotel Vocabulary
|
Word
part of speech |
Meaning |
Example sentence |
|
adjoining rooms
noun |
two hotel rooms with a door in the centre |
If you want we can book your parents in an
adjoining room. |
|
amenities
noun |
local facilities such as stores and restaurants |
We are located downtown, so we are close to all of
the amenities. |
|
attractions
noun |
things for tourists to see and do |
The zoo is our city's most popular attraction
for kids. |
|
baggage
noun |
bags and suitcases packed with personal belongings |
If you need help with your baggage we have
a cart you can use. |
|
Bed and Breakfast
noun |
a home that offers a place to stay and a place to
eat |
I can book you into a beautiful Bed and
Breakfast on the lake. |
|
bellboy
noun |
a staff member who helps guests with their luggage |
The bellboy will take your bags to your
room for you. |
|
book
verb |
arrange to stay in a hotel |
I can book your family in for the weekend
of the seventh. |
|
booked
adj |
full, no vacancies |
I'm afraid the hotel is booked tonight. |
|
brochures
noun |
small booklets that provide information on the
local sites and attractions |
Feel free to take some brochures to your
room to look at. |
|
check-in
verb |
go to the front desk to receive keys |
You can check-in anytime after four
o'clock. |
|
check-out
noun |
return the keys and pay for the bill |
Please return your parking pass when you
check-out. |
|
complimentary breakfast
noun |
free of charge |
All of our rooms have complimentary soap,
shampoo, and coffee. |
|
cot, rollaway bed
noun |
a single bed on wheels that folds up |
If you need an extra bed, we have cots
available. |
|
damage charge
noun |
money a guest owes for repairs to hotel property
(when caused by violent or careless acts) |
We will have to add a damage charge for the
hole you put in the wall. |
|
deposit
noun |
amount paid ahead of time to secure a reservation |
You will not receive your deposit back if
you cancel. |
|
double bed
noun |
a bed large enough for two people |
They are a family of four, so give them a room
with two double beds. |
|
floor
noun |
a level of the building |
The swimming pool is on the main floor. |
|
front desk, reception
noun |
the place where guests go to check in and out and
to get information |
Towels are available at the front desk. |
|
guest
noun |
a person that is staying at the hotel |
Our washrooms are for guests only. |
|
hostel
noun |
a very inexpensive place for backbackers and
travelers on a budget |
In the hostel you probably won't get your
own room. |
|
hotel manager
noun |
person in charge at the hotel |
I'll let you make your complaint to the hotel
manager. |
|
housekeeping, maid
noun |
staff members that clean the rooms and linen |
Put a sign on the door if you want housekeeping
to come in and change the sheets on the bed. |
|
ice machine
noun |
a machine that automatically makes ice that guests
can use to keep drinks cold |
There is an ice machine by the elevator on
all of the even numbered floors. |
|
indoor pool
noun |
place for guests to swim inside the hotel |
The heated indoor pool is open until 10 pm. |
|
inn
noun |
another word for "hotel" |
There's an inn on the other side of town
that has a vacancy. |
|
Jacuzzi, hot tub, whirl pool
noun |
a small hot pool for relaxation |
Our honeymoon room has a personal hot tub. |
|
king-size bed
noun |
extra large bed |
A room with a king size bed costs an extra
ten dollars a night. |
|
kitchenette
noun |
a small fridge and cooking area |
Your room has a kitchenette so you can
prepare your own breakfasts and lunches. |
|
late charge
noun |
a fee for staying past the check-out time |
You will be charged a ten dollar late charge
for checking out after 11 am. |
|
linen
noun |
sheets, blankets, pillow cases |
We will come in and change the linens while
you are out of your room. |
|
lobby
noun |
large open area at the front of the hotel |
You can stand in the lobby and wait for
your bus. |
|
luggage cart
noun |
a device on wheels that guests can push their
luggage on |
Please return the luggage cart to the lobby
when you are finshed with it. |
|
maximum capacity
noun |
the most amount of people allowed |
The maximum capacity in the hot tub is ten
people. |
|
motels
noun |
accommodations that are slightly cheaper than
hotels |
Our motel is very clean and is close to the
beach. |
|
noisy
adj |
loud |
The guests next to you have complained that you
are being too noisy. |
|
parking pass
noun |
a piece of paper that guests display in the car
window while in the hotel parking lot |
Display this parking pass in your window to
show that you are a hotel guest. |
|
pay-per-view movie
noun |
extra charge for movies and special television
features |
If you order a pay-per-view movie, the
charge will appear on your bill. |
|
pillow case
noun |
the covering that goes over a pillow |
Room 201 doesn't need their sheets changed, but
they requested one new pillow case. |
|
queen size bed
noun |
bed with plenty of space for two people (bigger
than a double) |
They have a queen size bed so the small
child can eaily fit in the middle. |
|
rate
noun |
cost of renting a room for a certain time period |
Our rates change depending on the season. |
|
reservation
noun |
a request to save a specific room for a future
date |
They say they made a reservation but it
doesn't show on the computer. |
|
room service
noun |
delivery of food or other services requested by
guests |
If you would like a bottle of wine, just call
room service. |
|
sauna
noun |
a hot room for relaxation, filled with steam |
We don't recommend bringing young children into
the sauna. |
|
single bed
noun |
a bed for one person |
The economy priced room includes one single bed. |
|
sofa bed, pull-out couch
noun |
a bed built into a sofa or couch |
The room contains a sofa bed so the room
actually sleeps five. |
|
towels
noun |
used to cover and dry the body after swimming or
bathing |
You can get your swimming pool towels at
the front desk. |
|
vacancy
noun
vacant
adj |
available rooms |
We only have one vacancy left, and it is
for a single room. |
|
valet
noun |
staff that parks the guests' vehicles |
If you leave your car keys with us, the valet
will park your car underground. |
|
vending machine
noun |
a machine that distributes snacks and beverages
when you insert coins |
The vending machine on the fifth floor has
chocolate bars and chips. |
|
view
noun |
a window that offers a nice image for guests |
The room is more expensive because it has a
spectacular view of the beach. |
|
wake up call
noun |
a morning phone call from the front desk, acts as
an alarm clock |
What time would you like your wake up call? |
|
weight room, workout room, gym
noun |
a room that guests can use for exercise and
fitness |
Our weight room has a stair climber and a
stationary |
