No shower, no cool air, a card that opens nothing. None of it needs angry English. Say what has stopped, say where you are, and ask them to send someone up.
1. No hot water
Mei: Room 304. There's no hot water in the shower.
Staff: Has it been cold since you arrived?
Mei: It was fine last night.
Staff: I'll send maintenance up to look at it.
Mei: How long will that be?
Staff: Twenty minutes, and I'll call you back either way.
2. The card that opens nothing
Dan: My key card isn't working.
Staff: Does the light go red or green?
Dan: Red, every time.
Staff: It's been wiped. Bring it down and I'll redo it.
Dan: I'm standing outside the door with shopping.
Staff: Stay there. Someone will come up and let you in.
3. Air conditioning that won't cool
Priya: The air conditioning is running but the room is warm.
Staff: What number is it set to?
Priya: Eighteen. It's been on all afternoon.
Staff: That sounds like the unit, not the setting.
Priya: Could someone look at it before tonight?
Staff: I'll get someone up within the hour.
4. Nowhere to plug anything in
Tom: Is there a socket near the bed?
Staff: There should be one on each side.
Tom: Mine is loose. The plug falls out.
Staff: Don't use that one. I'll have it changed tomorrow.
Tom: I'll use the one by the desk tonight.
5. Wifi that keeps going
Noor: The wifi password works, but the signal is patchy.
Staff: Which end of the corridor are you?
Noor: The far end, room 318.
Staff: That's the weak corner. I can move you nearer the middle.
Noor: I'm on calls all day, so yes please.
6. A tap you can hear at night
Leo: The bathroom tap is dripping.
Staff: Slowly, or running?
Leo: Slowly, but I can hear it from the bed.
Staff: I know that sound. I'll get it seen to today.
Leo: Thank you. It kept me awake.
Staff: It won't tonight.
7. Light and television
Ivy: The light above the desk keeps flickering.
Staff: I'll have the bulb changed.
Ivy: And the remote doesn't change the channel.
Staff: Try holding it closer. If not, it needs batteries.
Ivy: Closer works. Only the bulb, then.
8. When it can't be fixed
Sam: Has maintenance had any luck?
Staff: Not tonight, I'm afraid. The part isn't here.
Sam: Then could we move rooms?
Staff: Yes. 410 is free and the same price.
Sam: We'll take it. Sorry for the trouble.
Staff: It's ours, not yours. I'll help with the bags.
Words to know
| maintenance | The people in a hotel who fix things. Ask the desk to send maintenance up rather than asking them to repair it. I'll send maintenance up to look at it. |
| hot water | What comes out of the tap when the heater is working. When it doesn't, say there's no hot water — not the water doesn't come. There's no hot water in the shower. |
| socket | The hole in the wall you plug things into. Americans say outlet. Is there a socket near the bed? |
| air conditioning | The system that cools the room. Say the air conditioning, or aircon in speech; the box on the wall is the unit. The air conditioning is running but the room is warm. |
| patchy | Good in some places and bad in others. The usual word for a wifi signal that keeps dropping. the signal is patchy |
| dripping | Falling one drop at a time. Taps drip; a tap left fully on is running. The bathroom tap is dripping. |
| flickering | Going on and off quickly. Said about a light that is about to die. The light above the desk keeps flickering. |
| remote | The small handset for the television. Short for remote control. the remote doesn't change the channel |
Quick practice
Complete each line with a word or phrase from this lesson.
1. The shower runs cold however long you wait.
“There's no ________ in the shower.”
2. You want the hotel to send someone who can fix things.
“I'll send ________ up to look at it.”
3. You need somewhere to plug in your charger.
“Is there a ________ near the bed?”
4. The internet works for a minute, then drops.
“The wifi password works, but the signal is ________.”
5. You can hear water falling one drop at a time.
“The bathroom tap is ________.”
6. The light goes on and off by itself.
“The light above the desk keeps ________.”
Show the answers
1. hot water 2. maintenance 3. socket 4. patchy 5. dripping 6. flickering
Common mistakes
Not: My key card doesn't open.
Say: My key card isn't working.
Open needs something after it — open the door. On its own, the card works or it doesn't, and that is what staff expect to hear.
Not: Can you repair it now?
Say: Could you send someone up to fix it?
You take a broken watch somewhere to be repaired. In a hotel the fixing comes to you, so the phrase is send someone up to fix it.
Not: Can you give me the password of the wifi?
Say: What's the wifi password?
Two nouns together need no of between them: wifi password, room number, key card. Of makes it sound translated.
Your turn
Say these out loud. Change the room number, the fault and the time so the calls sound like ones you might really make.
- Call the desk about a cold shower and ask how long it will take to fix.
- Your card no longer opens the door and you are standing in the corridor. Explain and ask for help.
- The air conditioning is on but the room is hot. Report it and ask for someone before the evening.
- A tap is dripping and keeping you awake. Report it politely.
- Maintenance cannot fix the problem today. Ask to move to another room.
Quick review
Every one of these calls has three parts. Where you are: Room 304. What has stopped: There's no hot water / My key card isn't working / The tap is dripping. What you want: Could you send someone up to fix it? If it can't be fixed, the last sentence is always the same — Then could we move rooms?