When you need this

You call a small hotel in Kyoto, or you walk up to the desk of one in Toronto with no booking. The clerk needs four facts before anything else: the dates, how many nights, how many people, and what kind of bed. Give them in that order and the call is over in a minute.

American hotels talk about beds, not room names. A "king" or "queen" is one big bed. "Two queens" or "two doubles" means two beds in one room. If you ask for a "twin room," which is common in British and Asian hotels, an American clerk may pause, so say "a room with two beds."

Phrases

the first question; "available" means free to book

how long you'll stay

the dates in and out; say the check-out date, not the last night

the number of guests; add children and their ages if you have them

one large bed

two beds in one room; hotels say two queens or two doubles

a room for one person

asks the price for one night

checks if the price is the final price

asks for a lower price without sounding rude

what the clerk says when there are no rooms

says yes to the room and the price

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.