ESL lesson plan At the hotel (Worksheet for Pre-Intermediate level)

In this lesson students revise the vocabulary, practice listening for specific information and practice speaking for fluency in the context of staying at the hotel and solving hotel problems. They will also learn to book a room, check into the hotel and deal with problems.

Age: teens/adults
Level: pre-Intermediate
Time: 60-80 mins
Lesson type: listening, vocabulary and speaking
Number of students: 1-8
Materials: worksheet, teacher’s notes

Table of contents:

• Activity 1. Warm up
• Activity 2. What can you see in these pictures
• Activity 3. Discuss with your partner which hotel is better
• Activity 4. Discuss the questions with your partner
• Activity 5. Go to booking.com and choose a room
• Activity 6. At the reception. Complete the phrases
• Activity 7. What’s the problem
• Activity 8. Discuss with your partner
• Activity 9. Sum up
• Activity 10. Homework
• Activity 11. Read the article and choose the most unusual hotel

Activity 1. Warm up

• What do you need to do before going on a trip?

Teacher’s notes

Aims: to break the ice and generate the interest in the topic.

Procedure: Ask students to discuss the question in pairs, brainstorm ideas open class. Introduce the topic: “Today we are going to talk about booking and staying at the hotel.”

Read as well:

Activity 2. What can you see in these pictures

Divide the words into categories:

Type of accomodation	Facilities and services	Room facilities

private bathroom shared bathroom motels 24-hour reception (front desk) breakfast included guest houses hostels laundry bed and breakfasts villas

sea view flat-screen TV coffee/tea maker air conditioning panoramic views of the city free WiFi private parking apartments airport shuttle fitness center spa and wellness centre

private bathroom shared bathroom motels 24-hour reception (front desk) breakfast included guest houses hostels laundry bed and breakfasts villas

Teacher’s notes

Aims: to revise and learn topic-related vocabulary.

Procedure: Ask the students to name the pictures.

Key:

1. check in (ask: what’s the opposite? (check-out)
2. tips
3. deposit
4. a double bed
5. a single bed
6. twin beds
7. a towel
8. a pillow
9. continental breakfast (a standard breakfast, usually consisting of cereal and toast with jam. Elicit other types of breakfast: a buffet breakfast, an English breakfast, an American breakfast)

Ask the student to divide the words into categories. Check open class. Ask they can add more ideas, e.g.:

• Type of accomodation: hotels.
• Facilities and services: swimming pool, restaurant, family rooms.
• Room facilities: balcony, shower, bath.

Key:

• Type of accomodation: apartments, hotels, motels, guest houses, hostels, bed and breakfasts, villas, boats.
• Facilities and services: Free WiFi, private parking, airport shuttle, fitness center, swimming pool, spa and wellness centre, facilities for disabled guests, room service, pet allowed, restaurant, 24-hour reception (front desk), breakfast included, safety deposit box, vending machines, laundry, dry cleaning.
• Room facilities: private bathroom, shared bathroom, balcony, bath, electric kettle, flat-screen TV, coffee/tea maker, washing machine, sea view, air conditioning, panoramic views of the city.

Elicit the meaning of difficult words: laundry, dry cleaning, bed and breakfasts, facilities for disabled people, vending machine, shared bathroom.

Activity 3. Discuss with your partner which hotel is better

Double room 159 £ / night Non-refundable

Enjoying a central location in the heart of London, right next to Finsbury Square Garden and a short walk from Liverpool Street, Montcalm Royal London House-City of London offers free WiFi, a rooftop bar with spectacular views of the city and a spa. The property is within a 10-minute walk from Barbican Centre and less than 15 minutes from Shoreditch. Other areas of London are easily reached via public transport. The nearest airport is London City Airport, 12 km from the property.

All rooms and suites here are air-conditioned and come with a Smart 55-inch TV with international channels, an iPod docking station, a minibar, a Nespresso machine and a pillow menu. English breakfast is 25 £. Pets are not allowed.

Hotel facilities

Free WiFi Family rooms Non-smoking rooms 24-hour front desk Lift Laundry.

Room facilities

Flat-screen TV Air conditioning Soundproofing Private bathroom Free WiFi Telephone Satellite Channels Safety Deposit Box Iron Wardrobe / Closet Shower Hairdryer Bathrobe Free toiletries Minibar Electric kettle Coffee machine Wake-up service Towels Linen.

Twin Room (2 bunk beds and 1 futon bed) 69 £ / night Non-refundable

Situated between New Cross and New Cross Gate Underground Stations, this hostel features public parking 1-2 minutes’ walk away. It offers budget accommodation with free WiFi, and breakfast each morning. The dormitory rooms at New Cross Inn Hostel have bunk beds and a wash basin. Private rooms are also available, and there are plenty of shared bathroom facilities. Laundry facilities and lockers are also available.

Continental breakfasts are served daily, and there is a guest lounge area with a fully equipped kitchen featuring a refrigerator, oven and microwave. The lounge also has sofas, a TV and a selection of books.

Just a 5-minute train ride from London Bridge, The New Cross Inn Hostel is only a 10-minute drive from The O2 Arena. Greenwich is just over a kilometer away, and Shoreditch is a 25-minute train ride from the property. Lewisham is a great choice for travellers interested in convenient public transport, culture and parks.

Hostel facilities

Non-smoking rooms Free parking Free WiFi available in all areas Bar Free WiFi.

Room facilities

Heating Shared Bathroom Shared Toilet Towels Linen Board games/puzzles.

More interesting articles:

Activity 4. Discuss the questions with your partner

1. How often do you stay at the hotel?
2. What was your best and worst stay at the hotel?
3. Have you ever paid deposit before checking in?
4. Have you ever requested late check-out or early check-in?
5. Do you ever leave tips for good service?
6. What type of breakfast would you like to be included in the room price?
7. Is it better to choose hotels by rates and stars or by recommnedations?
8. What is the most important for you: hotel service, quality of the room, facilities?
9. Do you agree: only 5* hotels are suitable for a good holiday?

Activity 5. Go to booking.com and choose a room

Discuss with your partner what and why have you chosen.

Useful phrases:

• I’d like to have… (swimming pool / breakfast included / all inclusive / private bathroom etc.) there.
• There should be… (bicycle rent / spa center / conference room etc.)
• I prefer it to be (cheap / expensive / less than 100$ per night / in the centre/ not far from the airport etc.)

Teacher’s notes

Aims: to provide free speaking practice and apply new vocabulary in the discussion.

Procedure: Ask students to discuss and compare the hotels in pairs, then chose which is better. When the students are ready, do on open class voting for the better accomodation. Then students discuss the questions in Activity 4 and choose a hotel in booking.com. Monitor closely and provide help where needed. After the discussion provide the feedback on the content of students answers and the feedback on the language (do some error correction if needed).

Activity 6. At the reception. Complete the phrases

A.

1. My name is _____ . I have a _____ .
2. Can you _____ your name, please?
3. Can I _____ your passport, please?
4. Can you _____ here, please?
5. _____ is your room key.

B.

1. _____ _____ a shop in the hotel?
2. _____ _____ is the breakfast?

Watch the video and check:

Role play the dialogue.

You are a receptionist. Ask the customer to … ?

• spell the name
• give the passport
• complete the registration form

You arrived at the hotel. Ask the receptionist to give you …?

• a pen
• a map of the city
• the information about restaurants
  nearby

Hotel registration form

Cancellation and No Show policy:
Starting with _____ (date), any cancellation will be charged for the first night’s stay. Any decrease in length of stay within 3 days before arrival will be 100% charged. Any guest room reservation confirmed and guaranteed through the Reservation Form, but not claimed on the day of arrival (no show), will be cancelled and will only be re-entered into the reservation system subject to space availability. In this case all nights will be charged the calculated room rate plus taxes.

Teacher’s notes

Aims: to practice listening for specific information and speaking for fluency.

Procedure: Brainstorm the phrases that the receptionist and the customer might say at the reception desk during check-in. Ask the students to complete the phrases in activity 4. Then the students should watch the video and check their ideas.

Say: Now let’s see how to ask questions. Play the video (0:00-1:15).

Key:

A.

1. My name is _____ . I have a reservation.
2. Can you spell your name, please?
3. Can I have your passport, please?
4. Can you sign here, please?
5. Here is your room key.

B.

1. Is there a shop in the hotel?
2. What time is the breakfast?

Then the students role play check-in dialogues. Ask the students to imagine that they are checking in at the hotel they have chosen in the activity 3. Ask to look at the registration form and clarify the meaning of difficult words, for example, expire date, cancellation and no show policy, signature.

Activity 7. What’s the problem

Watch the video:

• What problem do Chandler and Ross have? What solution have they found?

Activity 8. Discuss with your partner

1. What is the worst hotel problem?
2. What is the most common hotel problem?
3. Have you ever had a problem at the
   hotel? How did you solve it?

Useful phrases:

• I’m having problems (Ving).
• There’s something wrong with (something).
• (Something) is out of order / isn’t working properly.

Teacher’s notes

Aims: to provide free speaking practice and apply new vocabulary in the discussion.

Procedure: elicit from the students what hotel problems they can see. If the students have difficulties, ask to look at the words below the picture. Ask students to rank the problems 1-6, 1- the worst.

Key: 

1. no hot water 
2. rude or unpleasant staff 
3. dirty rooms 
4. noisy neighbours 
5. room heating or air conditioning is not working 
6. no towels or pillows.

Then the students watch the video and remember what problems Ross and Chandler have and how they solved the problem.

Play the video.

Key: the receptionist can’t find the booking. There are no cheap rooms and they have to take another room which costs 600$. They decide to steal different things from the hotel as much as possible.

Activity 9. Sum up

Put errors on the board or whiteboard and let students correct them. Summarise the lesson and tell students what results they have achieved (Now you can … After our reading and speaking lesson you will be able to….). Ask them if they have any questions.

Activity 10. Homework

Ask the students to revise hotel vocabulary and practice listening:

• Hotel problems
• English Vocabulary Game

Activity 11. Read the article and choose the most unusual hotel

The article “10 of the World’s Most Unusual Hotels”.

This task can be given as homework. Choose the most unusual hotel.

Have a great lesson!