1.2 Checking into the Hotel and Asking for what you need
Source: eslfast.com
Checking into a hotel
| A: I have a reservation. My name is John Sandals. | OR: – I have a reservation under the name of Sandals. |
| B: May I see your ID, please, Mr. Sandals? | OR: – May I see some identification, sir, please? |
| A: Certainly. Here it is. | OR: – Of course! Let me take it out of my wallet. – One second, please, while I dig it out here. – Sure. Here you are. |
| B: Thank you. Do you have a credit card, Mr. Sandals? | OR: – Have you got a credit card, Mr. Sandals? |
| A: Yes, I do. Do you accept American Express? | OR: – How about American Express? – Will American Express do? |
| B: Sorry, sir, just VISA or MasterCard. | OR: – Regrettably, Mr. Sandals, we accept only MasterCard or VISA. – Unfortunately, at the present time we take only MasterCard or VISA. |
| A: Here’s my VISA card. | OR: – No American Express? Okay, here’s my VISA. – I thought American Express was accepted everywhere. Never mind. Here’s my VISA. |
| B: Okay. You’re in room 507. It’s a single queen-size bed, spacious, and nonsmoking. Is that suitable? | OR: – Thank you, sir. You’ll be in room 507, nonsmoking, with a queen-size bed. Do you approve, sir? – Thanks. Room 507 is a spacious, nonsmoking room, with a queen bed. Does that meet your expectations? |
| A: Yes, it sounds like everything I expected. | OR: – Yes, I’m easy to please. |
| B: Here’s your key, sir. If you need anything, just dial 0 on your room phone. | OR: – That’s great. This is your key, sir. If you need anything at all, anytime, just dial zero. – I’m happy to hear that. Here is your key. Just dial 0 if you need anything. |
Asking the Concierge for Sightseeing Advice
| A: The front desk told me to ask you for sightseeing advice. | OR: – I was told to see you about going sightseeing. – I’m going sightseeing, but I’d like to get your advice first. |
| B: Of course. I’d be more than happy to help. I am, after all, the hotel’s concierge. | OR: – Your concierge, sir, is the right person to ask when you need sightseeing advice. – As your concierge, it is my pleasure to help you, sir. – I’m only too happy to help. Tourists should always check with their concierge first. |
| A: Concierge? What exactly is that? | OR: – I don’t travel a lot. What exactly is a concierge? – Concierge? I’m not familiar with that word. – What in the world is a concierge? |
| B: We advise you on where to visit, eat, or shop during your stay here in New York. | OR: – We direct visitors to all the great tourist, shopping, and eating spots in the city. – A concierge helps you find all the great places for visiting, shopping, and eating. |
| A: Great! So where should I start my sightseeing? | OR – Very good. So where shall I begin my sightseeing? – That sounds great. Now, is there any place that I should hit first? – Then what would you recommend as a starting point for my sightseeing? |
| B: The Statue of Liberty is always a good place to begin. | OR: – Definitely the Statue of Liberty. I think that that is everyone’s favorite first stop. – Well, if you’re like most people, you’ll want to go to the Statue of Liberty. |
| A: I saw the Statue of Liberty on my last visit here. Can you recommend somewhere else? | OR: – Gee, I’ve already seen the Statue of Liberty. What about another site? – I’ve already seen it, I loved it, but today I want to go somewhere else. – The last time I was here, I visited the Statue. So do you have another place in mind? |
| B: Hmm. What type of interests do you have? | OR: – I think I can come up with something. How do you spend your spare time? – Maybe. Tell me what you like to do in your spare time. |
| A: In my spare time, I really like to view art and go running. | OR: – When I have some free time, I often spend it running or at museums. – I like to run and I like to see the works of the masters. – I’m big on running, although maybe I like art even more than running. |
| B: Aha! Have you been to Central Park or the Museum of Modern Art? | OR: – Then you must go to Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art! Have you been to either one? – Well, there you go! Have you ever visited either Central Park or the Museum of Modern Art? |
| A: No, but I’ve heard a lot about both. | OR: – No, but I’ve been meaning to. – No, I just haven’t had the opportunity. |
| B: Well, Central Park is wonderful for running. Afterwards, you should head to the Museum to enjoy the art. | OR: – You don’t want to miss either place. Central Park and the Museum of Modern Art are big and beautiful. – Both places are usually crowded with natives and tourists. You’ll love the Park and the Museum. – Central Park is great for just about everything outdoors. Then you can visit the Museum of Modern Art. |
| A: Great! That sounds like a plan. Thanks a lot. | OR: – Both places sound great. I’ll try to do that today. – Thank you. That’s great advice. |
| B: I’m sure you’ll have a good time there. | OR: – This might be the best day of your visit. – This is a day you’re going to remember for a long time. |
Asking the Concierge for Restaurant Advice
| A: I need a suggestion for a restaurant here in Manhattan. | OR: – So, now I need your help again, if you don’t mind. I’m taking a date to a restaurant. – I’m taking my date to a restaurant. Could you tell me about one or two good ones? |
| B: Certainly! How much are you planning to spend on dinner, sir? | OR: – I’d love to help you! What is your budget for the dinner? – No problem, of course! How much would you like to spend to impress the lady? |
| A: My date’s very sophisticated, so I’m sure she would expect nothing but the best. | OR: – Nothing but the best for a pretty woman! – She will want an excellent restaurant, of course. – She deserves nothing but the best, of course. |
| B: May I suggest our own hotel restaurant? It got three stars in the latest restaurant review. | OR: – In that case, I would suggest our own hotel restaurant. The chef, the food, and the service are outstanding. – Well, what do you think about our very own hotel restaurant? It is very upscale, with a three-star rating. – You should know that our hotel chef was trained in Paris. The service and food are world-class. |
| A: No, thank you, I want to go out on the town. What other ideas do you have? | OR: – I wanted to go out somewhere, not stay here. Do you know of another good restaurant? – That’s a good idea, except I want to go out, not stay in. Something else, maybe? |
| B: There’s always Gramercy Tavern. They have live jazz. The food is delicious, but very expensive. | OR: – Well, how about Gramercy Tavern? It’s a very popular tourist spot, with great food and music. – You can always go to Gramercy Tavern. It’s quite popular, despite its expensive entrees. |
| A: That sounds like a good place to take a date. Can you make a reservation for me? | OR: – Gramercy Tavern? I think I’ve heard of that before. Call to get us a table, okay? – Great food and lots of patrons? What more could I want? Please reserve a table for me. – I like that! Could you please call them to see if we can get in tonight? |
| B: As you wish, sir. You’ll have a wonderful time there. | OR: – At once, sir. You’ll love this place, I assure you. – Right away, sir. She will be impressed with your local knowledge. |
Asking about the Hotel Gym
| A: Excuse me. Does this hotel have a fitness facility? | OR: – Excuse me. Do you happen to have a gym here? – Pardon me. Does this hotel have an exercise facility? |
| B: Yes, we try to accommodate all needs of our patrons, including fitness. | OR: – But of course! We have a great exercise facility. – Yes, sir. I think you’ll find our gym quite satisfactory. |
| A: Where is your fitness facility located? | OR: – So, where do I go to exercise? – I’m happy to hear that. Now, would you tell me where it is? |
| B: The gym is just below the lobby. Take the elevator or the stairs. You can’t miss it. | OR: – It’s located right under our lobby. Just take the elevator or the stairs one flight down. – You’re actually standing above it. Just take the elevator or stairs down one level. |
| A: Is there an additional surcharge for the gym? | OR: – Is the hotel going to charge me a dollar a minute for gym use? – Is this going to cost me anything? |
| B: No, the gym is free to guests. Take your room key, however, so you can get in. | OR: – No, sir. It’s gratis. Just take your room key so you can get in. – No, sir. There’s no extra charge. All you need is your room key to open the door |
| A: What time is the gym open, and what time does it close? | OR: – And the gym hours are? – When does the gym open and close? |
| B: The gym is open seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. | OR: – The hours couldn’t be better, 24/7. – Sir, you’ll be pleased to know that our gym never closes. – Sir, our gym is open around the clock, every day of the week. |
| A: Do you offer trainer services along with the gym? | OR: – Do you have a trainer to help me work out? – Great! Is a trainer available? |
| B: Unfortunately, no. If you want a trainer, you’ll have to use another gym. | OR: – I’m sorry, but no. We used to have a trainer, but then he had an unfortunate accident. – I wish I could tell you yes, but no, there isn’t. – We might be getting one in the near future. But at the present time, no. |
Asking about the Swimming Pool
| A: Is there a swimming pool in this hotel? | OR: – Does this hotel have a pool? – I think I’ve looked everywhere, but I haven’t seen a swimming pool here. |
| B: We don’t have a full-sized swimming pool, but we do have individual swim stations. | OR: – I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have one. However, in our gym, we do have swim stations. |
| A: What exactly does that mean? | OR: – I never heard of a swim station. Is that like a train or bus station? – Swim stations? Whoever heard of such a thing? – Swim stations? Could you be a little more explicit? |
| B: Basically, a swim station is like a treadmill, except instead of running, you swim. | OR: – You know how you run on a treadmill but don’t go anywhere? Well, it’s the same thing. – It’s just a deep bathtub with a current of water that you swim against. |
| A: That sounds really neat. Is there an extra charge for these swim stations? | OR: – Cool. What will they think of next? How much are they? – Holy cow! I never heard of such a thing. How much do they cost? – All that exercise in a little pool! Do I have to pay anything? |
| B: If you’re a registered guest, you have free access to our swim stations. | OR: – The swim stations are available to all guests for no charge. – Sir, guests pay nothing to use the stations |
| A: Are the swim stations open 24 hours, like the rest of the gym? | OR: – This sounds better every second. Now, when can I use the stations? – Very good. Now can you tell me the hours of operation? |
| B: To conserve electricity, the stations operate only from 7:00 a.m. till 10:00 p.m. | OR: – They’re available anytime between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. – The gym is open 24/7, but the stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. only. |
| A: I’ll go down there as soon as I can! | OR: – I’m going to change into my trunks right now! – Oh, boy! This is going to be great. I’m going to the gym right now! |
| B: I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. People really seem to like the swim stations. | OR: – Be warned, sir. At certain hours the swim stations are very crowded. – I’m sure you’ll enjoy your workout, sir. Everyone seems to like the swim stations. |