Maria is on holiday in Scotland. She visits the tourist office to find out about accommodation in Glasgow.

Tourist office employee: Good morning. Can I help you?

Maria: Yes, please. I’d like to spend a few days in Glasgow. Can you give me some information about accommodation, please?

Tourist office employee: Certainly. What sort of hotel would you like to stay in? Glasgow has a wide range of inexpensive hotels, and of course plenty of middle range and more expensive hotels.

Maria: Something not too expensive, please.

Tourist office employee: Here’s the list of middle range hotels, of two or three stars. Take a look at this, and see if there’s anything that suits you.

Maria: Thank you. [She looks at the list.] These all look a little out of my price range. What about outside Glasgow? Are there any hotels a bit further from the centre of the city?

Tourist office employee: We do have information about cottages and country hotels in the area around Glasgow, but these are quite far out of town, and without your own transport it will be difficult to get into town. The cheapest place to stay would be the youth hostel, which is in Glasgow itself, in the West End.

Maria: Okay, thanks. The youth hostel sounds like the best option.

Tourist office employee: Here’s the phone number. You can call them and see if they have a bed available. I think it’s dormitory accommodation in the youth hostel, with bunk beds, but you can check when you phone them.

Maria calls the hotel to book a room

Receptionist: Heather View Hotel, how may I help you?

Maria: I’d like to book a room for this weekend, for Friday and Saturday night. Do you have any vacancies?

Receptionist: Just one moment, I’ll check. Yes, we do have some rooms for this weekend. What kind of room would you like?

Maria: A twin room, please, with two single beds. There are two of us.

Receptionist: Would you like a twin room with an ensuite bathroom, or a room with a shared bathroom?

Maria: Ensuite please. How much is that per night?

Receptionist: It’s seventy pounds a night, without VAT. It includes breakfast.

Maria: Okay, could I book the room, please?

Receptionist: Certainly, madam. Your name please?

Maria: It’s Maria Sanchez.

Receptionist: Thank you, can you spell your surname, please?

Maria: It’s S-A-N-C-H-E-Z.

Receptionist: Thank you. Your reservation is made then, in the name of Maria Sanchez, for two nights, this Friday and Saturday, one twin room with ensuite bathroom. That will be a total of one hundred and forty pounds, not including VAT.

Maria: Thank you. Just a few more questions. What time is check-out on Saturday? And is there an Internet connection? Receptionist: Check-out is at eleven. Yes, all the rooms have WiFi Internet connections, which you need to pay for separately.

Maria: Okay, thank you for your help. See you on Friday.

Receptionist: You’re welcome, Ms Sanchez.

Maria arrives at the Heather View Hotel, and checks in at reception.

Receptionist: Good afternoon, can I help you?

Maria: Yes, please. I have a reservation – my name is Maria Sanchez.

Receptionist: Yes, here it is. A twin room with ensuite bathroom, for two nights. Could you please fill in the registration form, and add your passport details here, at the bottom of the form? Please also add your signature here.

Maria: Yes, of course. The room includes breakfast, right? What time is breakfast?

Receptionist: From seven to ten on Saturdays and Sundays. You’ll find the dining room on the first floor. Here’s your key card.

Maria: Thanks very much.

Receptionist: Not at all, and I hope you enjoy your stay with us. In the UK, the floor of a hotel at ground level is called the ground floor. This is different to the USA, where the floor at ground level is called the first floor! In some more expensive hotels in Britain you may find a floor called the mezzanine floor, which is usually between the ground floor and first floor. The mezzanine floor may have the dining room or conference rooms, and you usually access it from the  ground floor.

Maria is having a few problems with her room in the Heather View Hotel. She goes down to reception to complain.

Maria: Excuse me, I’m afraid I need some help – I’m having a few problems with my room.

Receptionist: Oh, I’m sorry. What seems to be the problem?

Maria: The central heating in my room isn’t working, so the room is too cold. Also, there’s something wrong with the shower; there’s very little water coming out. Could you send someone to look at it?

Receptionist: I’m terribly sorry. I’ll send somebody from Maintenance up to your room right away.

Maria: That’s not all. I’m having problems connecting to the Internet from the room. I wonder if you could check it for me?

Receptionist: Right, to connect to the Internet you need an access code, and you pay for that separately.

Maria: Okay, please could you give me a code and charge my room.

Receptionist: Certainly, madam. And I’m sorry about the other problems. We’ll have somebody look into them right away.

Maria: Thank you. Also, I wonder if I could have some more towels and another pillow, please?

Receptionist: Yes, of course. We’ll bring them to your room.

Maria is checking out of the Heather View Hotel.

Maria: I’d like to check out, please.

Receptionist: Yes, madam. What is your room number?

Maria: Room one hundred and twelve.

Receptionist: Right, that was for two nights. Did you have anything from the minibar?

Maria: No.

Receptionist: Okay, I see that you have a charge for an Internet connection. Is that correct?

Maria: Yes, that’s right. I’d like to pay by credit card, please.

Receptionist: Certainly. Here’s your bill, madam. I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay with us?

Maria: Well, I had some problems with the room when I arrived, but Maintenance came and sorted it all out very quickly; thank you for that.

Receptionist: Our pleasure. We certainly hope that it didn’t affect your stay.

Maria: Not at all. Thank you for your help. Could you call me a taxi, please?

Receptionist: Yes, of course.