Chapter 2　Front Desk Service

Lesson One　Reservation

Objectives

To help the students master useful expressions and sentences about room reservation.

To help the students familiar with procedure of room reservation.

To help the students make some dialogues about room reservation.

Warming Up

1. Look at the following pictures and fill in the blanks according to the corresponding description.

　　　　　　 is the first department which has the first contact with the guests and helps guests reserve rooms.

　　　　　　 arethe staff who help guests make room reservation.

　　　　　　 is usually the tool people use to make room reservation.

　　　　　　 is a kind of form which front desk staff need to fill in carefully when guests make room reservations.

Dialogues

Key sentences:

For which date, please?

How many nights will you be staying with us, please?

What kind of room would you prefer?

What time do you expect to arrive?

Would you like me to put you on our waiting list and call you when we have a cancellation?

Pre-questions:

1. Have you ever reserved a room in a hotel? How?

2. When you reserve a room in a hotel, what information should you provide for the hotel?

3. If the hotel doesn’t have your room type, what will you do?

Dialogue 1

Reservationist:　　Good morning. Long Yuan hotel. May I help you?

Guest:　　　　　Yes, I’ d like to reserve a room at your hotel.

Reservationist:　　Okay, madam. For which date, please?

Guest:　　　　　From April 5th.

Reservationist:　　How many nights will you be staying with us, please?

Guest:　　　　　For four nights.

Reservationist:　　How many guests will be there be in your party?

Guest:　　　　　Three, my parents and myself.

Reservationist:　　All right, madam. What kind of room would you prefer?

Guest:　　　　　One single room and a double room, please.

Reservationist:　　Please wait a moment as I check our room availability for those days... Sorry to have kept you waiting, madam. We have a double room at 1200 yuan and a single room at 800 yuan per night. Shall I make the reservation for you?

Guest:　　　　　Yes, that will be fine. Thank you.

Reservationist:　　May I have your name and telephone number?

Guest:　　　　　Of course. My name is Mary Brown and my telephone number is 0037-3254678.

Reservationist:　　Your name is Mary brown and your telephone number is 0037-3254678. Is that right?

Guest:　　　　　Yes, it is.

Reservationist:　　What time do you expect to arrive?

Guest:　　　　　Oh, about 5 p.m.

Reservationist:　　Okay, madam. Let me confirm your reservation. A double room at 1200 yuan and a single room at 800 yuan per night for four nights from April 5th to April 9th. My name is Alice and we look forward to seeing you in April.

Dialogue 2

Reservationist:　　Good morning. Great Wall hotel. How may I help you today?

Guest:　　　　　Yes. I’ m a guide from Hongxiang Travel Agency. I want to book some room at your hotel from October 1st to October 7th.

Reservationist:　　Could you tell me how many people in your group?

Guest:　　　　　Twenty-five persons.

Reservationist:　　What kind of room would you like?

Guest:　　　　　One single room and twelve twin rooms, please.

Reservationist:　　Please give me a moment. Let me check if we have enough rooms for those days... Thank you for waiting. I can make the reservation for you and we offer you 10% discount for group reservation.

Guest:　　　　　That will be fine. Thank you.

Reservationist:　　Would you like to guarantee the rooms?

Guest:　　　　　Yes. How can I do that?

Reservationist:　　You may prepay, use a credit card or traveler’s check.

Guest:　　　　　I will send you a traveler’s check soon.

Reservationist:　　May I have your name and telephone number?

Guest:　　　　　Li Ming, 2867456.

Reservationist:　　Okay, Li Ming, 2867456. One single room and ten twin rooms for seven nights from October 1st to October 7th. My name is Janie and we look forward to seeing you.

Dialogue 3

Reservationist:　　Good morning. Room reservation. Can I help you?　　

Guest:　　　　　Yes, I’ d like to reserve a Honeymoon Roomat your hotel in July 7th.

Reservationist:　　Okay, sir. Wait a moment, please. Sorry, sir. Our Honeymoon Rooms have been fully reserved on that date. Would you mind changing a room?

Guest:　　　　　Oh, it is our wedding anniversary on that day. I want to give a surprise to my wife. Could you recommend another hotel that won’t be full for me?

Reservationist:　　Sorry, sir. We don’t have any information about other hotel’s room availability. Would you like me to put you on our waiting list and call you when we have a cancellation?　　

Guest:　　　　　Yes, please.

Reservationist:　　May I have your name?

Guest:　　　　　My name is William Jefferson.

Reservationist:　　And your telephone number?

Guest:　　　　　It is 08-67823645　　

Reservationist:　　Okay, William Jefferson, 08-67823645. We will call you as soon as we have a Honeymoon Room. Good-bye.

Guest:　　　　　Good-bye.　　

Vocabulary

Useful Expressions

1. Good morning. Long Yuan hotel. May I help you?

您好，龙苑酒店，请问有什么可以帮您吗？

2. For which date, please?

请问哪天？

3. How many nights will you be staying with us, please?

请问您要住几天？

4. How many guests will be there be in your party?

你们一行有多少人？

5. What kind of room would you prefer?

您想要什么房型？

6. Please wait a moment as I check our room availability for those days.

请稍等，我要查查那几天有没有空房间。

7. Sorry to have kept you waiting, madam.

很抱歉，女士，让您久等了。

8. Shall I make the reservation for you?

我可以为你预订吗？

9. May I have your name and telephone number?

请问您的姓名和电话号码？

10. What time do you expect to arrive?

您什么时候到？

11. Let me confirm your reservation. A double room at 1200 yuan and a single room at 800 yuan per night for four nights from April 5th to April 9th.

跟您确认一下，一间双人房，每晚1200元，一间单人房，每晚800元，4月5日到4月9日共4晚。

12. We look forward to seeing you.

我们期待您的光临。

13. Let me check if we have enough rooms for those days.

让我来检查一下那几天是否有足够的房间。

14. We offer you 10% discount for group reservation.

团体预定可以享受10%的优惠。

15. Would you like to guarantee the rooms?

您想保证订房吗？

Exercises

1. Questions and Answers

(1) Which department in hotel is responsible for room reservation?

(2) Do you think this department is important? Why?

(3) What information should reservationist know about guests when they make room reservation for guests?

2. Match the words or expressions in Column A with their Chinese equivalents in Column B.

3. Choose the best English translation for each sentence.

(1) 您哪天入住？(　　)

A. Would you like to live in?　　B. Which day would you like to live in?

C. Which day will you arrive?　　D. What time will you arrive?

(2) 您想住几晚？(　　)

A. Do you want to live in our hotel?　　B. How many nights will you be staying with us, please?

C. You live here for how many days!　　D. When do you want to check in?

(3) 您一行几人？(　　)

A. How many guests will be there in your party?

B. Do you have other partners?

C. How many people do you want to bring?.

D. How many people, one, two, three?

(4) 您想住什么房型？(　　)

A. What kind of room do you have?　　B. What kind of room would you prefer?

C. What kind of room in your hotel?　　D. Do you want to live in single room?

(5) 您什么时候到？(　　)

A. What time do you expect to arrive?　　B. When will you come here?

C. Which day do you come here?　　D. Do you come here today?

4. Read the passage and decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F).

Hotel is an important part in the whole process of business and leisure travel, while the room reservation is usually the first connection between guests and the hotel. Room reservations can be made face to face over the phone, by guests themselves or a third party. Letters, which used to be a popular way to make reservations, are now out of date, and are being gradually replaced by some prompter ways, like e-mails or faxes, which are considered much more secure. Room reservations are usually operated by the Front Desk (the reception), the Room Reservation Department or Sales Department. Guests can choose what they need or favor, and should be informed of the price, standard, the floor, the window view, etc. Price is relatively higher in the peak season and discount is usually found in the slack season. Once a room reservation is requested, the clerk should first check the room availability for the required days; if available, a reservation form is made, with all relevant information taken down. Confirmation is necessary and required. Room reservations can be changed or cancelled with advanced notification. With the development of the internet, there is a tendency to build a network connecting hotels, airlines as well as some travel agencies, so that guests can arrange their travel well at one place of the whole net.

Exercises:

(1) Room reservation is usually the first connection between guests and the hotel. (　　)

(2) Room reservation can only be made face to face over the phone. (　　)

(3) Room reservations are usually operated by the Front Desk. (　　)

(4) Price is relatively lower in the peak season. (　　)

(5) After the room reservation is made, it cannot be changed or cancelled. (　　)

Challenges and Solutions

1. What steps are there in accepting room reservation?

Solutions:

2. What kind of guests can be offered a discount from the hotel?

Solutions:

3. If your hotel doesn’t have the rooms guests like, what will you do?

Solutions:

4. If a guest wants to book a room in your hotel, but your hotel is fully booked, what will you do?

Solutions:

5. How do you receive a group reservation?

Solutions:

6. What is the difference between room reservation and restaurant reservation?

Solution:

7. What do you think reservationists should be like?

Solutions: