Course Content All Lessons
A1
Beginner
39 lessons
Common Greetings Present Simple Tense Listening Skills: Tips and Strategies Telephone and Video Call English Articles: A, An and The Numbers, Dates and Time Asking Simple Questions The Verb To Be Classroom and School Vocabulary Personal Pronouns: I, You, He, She Plurals: Regular and Irregular Nouns Possessives: My, Your, His, Her Family Members and Relationships Food and Drink Basics Days, Months and Seasons Reading: A Short Email to a Friend Colours, Shapes and Sizes Reading: Short Personal Profiles Reading: Signs and Notices Reading: Product Labels Using Capital Letters and Full Stops Reading: A Simple Menu Reading: A Basic Timetable Writing Your First Email in English Writing About Yourself Writing a Simple Message Writing a Shopping List Writing Numbers and Dates Correctly Listening: Numbers and Prices Listening: Greetings and Introductions Listening: Simple Instructions Listening: Spelling Names and Words Greeting People and Saying Goodbye Listening: Days and Times Listening: Short Conversations at a Shop Asking for Directions Introducing Yourself in English Ordering Food and Drinks Talking About Your Daily Routine
A2
Elementary
25 lessons
Past Simple Tense Reading: A Day in London Writing Paragraphs Food and Drink Vocabulary The Present Continuous Tense Describing People: Appearance and Personality At the Airport Reading: A Famous City Writing Simple Sentences Comparatives and Superlatives Simple Past Tense: Regular Verbs Simple Past Tense: Irregular Verbs Can and Can't: Ability and Permission How Much and How Many Work and Jobs Vocabulary Transport and Travel Vocabulary Sports and Hobbies Health and Body Parts Shopping and Money Vocabulary Reading: A Short News Story Reading: A Holiday Postcard Reading: A Job Advertisement Reading: A Simple Recipe Reading: A Hotel Review Writing About Your Weekend
B1
Intermediate
14 lessons
Reading: The Future of Work Understanding Accents and Dialects Countable and Uncountable Nouns The Present Perfect Tense Phrasal Verbs: Top 30 Health and Medicine Vocabulary Listening Strategies for Podcasts Job Interview English Writing a Formal Letter First and Second Conditional Modal Verbs: Should, Must, Might Environment and Nature Vocabulary Passive Voice in Present and Past Gerunds and Infinitives
B2
Upper Intermediate
13 lessons
Business Email Writing Reading: The Art of Listening Passive Voice Discourse Markers and Linking Words Academic Writing: Paragraphs and Essays Debate and Discussion Language Reading: Understanding Opinion Pieces Relative Clauses: Defining and Non-defining Academic Vocabulary: Word Families Inversion for Emphasis Cleft Sentences for Emphasis Reading: Academic Journal Extracts Environment and Climate Change Vocabulary
C1
Advanced
10 lessons
Nominalisation in Academic English Advanced English Idioms Hedging Language in Formal Writing Advanced Collocations and Word Partnerships Reported Speech Critical Listening: Analysing Arguments Persuasive Speaking and Rhetoric Reading: Literary and Cultural Texts Advanced Passive Structures Advanced Conditionals and Wishes
Lessons Reading
🏨

Reading: A Hotel Review

Reading Elementary ~2 min

Read and understand a hotel review, identify key opinions, and learn useful travel vocabulary.

📖 Lesson

What You Will Learn

In this lesson, you'll learn how to read and understand hotel reviews — something you'll do when booking accommodation online. You'll discover how reviewers share their opinions and what words they use to describe their experience.

Explanation (with real-life context)

When you travel and need to book a hotel, you read reviews from other guests. These reviews tell you the good points (positive opinions) and bad points (negative opinions) about a place. Understanding these reviews helps you make smart decisions before spending your money.

Hotel reviews usually follow this pattern:
- Who stayed there (a family, a couple, a business traveler)
- How long they stayed (one night, a week)
- What they liked (clean rooms, friendly staff, good breakfast)
- What they didn't like (noisy neighbors, broken WiFi, small bathroom)
- A final rating (5 stars = excellent, 1 star = terrible)

Examples (natural sentences from daily life)

Here's a real review:

"I stayed here for 3 nights with my family. The rooms were very clean and the staff was helpful. However, the breakfast was not good — very limited choices. The location is perfect — near the train station. I would recommend this hotel."

Key phrases you'll see:
- "The room was spacious" = large and comfortable
- "The WiFi was unreliable" = it didn't work well
- "The view was amazing" = beautiful to look at
- "It's overpriced" = costs too much money

Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong: "The hotel was very good and I liked everything."
✅ Right: "The rooms were clean, the staff was friendly, and breakfast was delicious."

Be specific! Don't just say "good" — say WHAT was good.

❌ Wrong: "I don't recommend this hotel because it was bad."
✅ Right: "I don't recommend this hotel because the noise from the street was terrible and the heating didn't work."

Quick Tips

• Look for specific details — what exactly did the guest like or dislike?
• Check the star rating first — it tells you immediately if the opinion is positive or negative
• Read recent reviews — hotels change; a 2-year-old review might be outdated
• Look for reviews similar to your situation — if you travel with kids, read reviews from families
• Words like "but" and "however" show a change — the good news ends, bad news begins

Follow Along reads paragraph by paragraph with highlighting. Hover underlined words for quick definitions.

🃏 Key Vocabulary — tap to flip

17 words
review
/rɪˈvjuː/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A written opinion about a product, hotel, or service shared by someone who used it.
"I read the hotel review on Google before booking."
Tap to flip back
rating
/ˈreɪtɪŋ/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A score or number of stars (1-5) that shows how good something is.
"The hotel has a rating of 4 stars out of 5."
Tap to flip back
spacious
/ˈspeɪʃəs/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Large and comfortable, with plenty of space.
"The room was spacious and had a beautiful view."
Tap to flip back
convenient
/kənˈviːniənt/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Easy to reach; in a good location for what you need.
"The hotel is convenient — it's near the train station."
Tap to flip back
recommend
/ˌrekəˈmend/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To suggest that someone should use or visit something because it is good.
"I recommend this hotel to all my friends."
Tap to flip back
facility
/fəˈsɪləti/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A service or equipment provided at a hotel (WiFi, parking, pool, breakfast).
"The hotel has many facilities: a gym, restaurant, and free parking."
Tap to flip back
overall
/ˌoʊvərˈɔːl/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
When you consider everything together; in general.
"The service was slow, but overall the hotel was good."
Tap to flip back
comfortable
/ˈkʌmfərtəbl/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Giving you a feeling of ease; not too hard or too soft
"The bed was very comfortable, and I slept well all night."
Tap to flip back
facilities
/fəˈsɪlɪtiz/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Services or equipment provided by a place (gym, pool, restaurant)
"The hotel has excellent facilities including a swimming pool and gym."
Tap to flip back
to recommend
/ˌrekəˈmend/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To suggest something is good and worth trying
"The review said 'I recommend this hotel to all my friends.'"
Tap to flip back
disappointing
/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋ/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Not as good as you expected or hoped
"The breakfast was disappointing—there were only two options."
Tap to flip back
location
/loʊˈkeɪʃən/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
The position or place where something is situated
"The hotel's location near the train station is very convenient."
Tap to flip back
to check in
/tʃek ɪn/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
To arrive at a hotel and register; to officially arrive
"When we checked in at 3 PM, the staff gave us a warm welcome."
Tap to flip back
overpriced
/ˌoʊvərˈpraɪst/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Costs too much money; more expensive than it should be
"The hotel was clean, but the rooms were overpriced for what you get."
Tap to flip back
unreliable
/ʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Cannot be trusted to work correctly; often fails or doesn't perform well
"The WiFi in the hotel was unreliable — it kept disconnecting during my video calls."
Tap to flip back
amenities
/əˈmenətiz/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
Extra services and features a hotel offers (pool, gym, breakfast, WiFi)
"This hotel has excellent amenities — free breakfast, a swimming pool, and a gym."
Tap to flip back
however
/haʊˈevər/
Elementary
Tap to see definition →
Definition
A word showing contrast; introduces an opposing idea or problem
"The room was very comfortable; however, the noise from the street was terrible."
Tap to flip back

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Type the missing word to complete each sentence.

I read the hotel ___ on Google before booking.
The hotel has a ___ of 4 stars out of 5.
The room was ___ and had a beautiful view.
The hotel is ___ — it's near the train station.
I ___ this hotel to all my friends.

✅ Check Your Understanding

Quick Check
3 questions · no login needed

1. What does it mean when a hotel review says 'the room was spacious'?

2. In a hotel review, what does the word 'however' usually signal?

3. According to the lesson, what is a common mistake when writing a hotel review?

🧠 Practice Quizzes

Test Your Knowledge: Reading: A Hotel Review
5 questions · 10 min
🎯
You just finished this lesson!
Create a free account to save your progress and track your level
Create Free Account Already have an account? Log in

📚 More Reading Lessons

🏙️
Reading: A Day in London
Practice reading comprehension with an interesting story se…
Elementary
🍽️
Reading: A Simple Menu
Read and understand simple food menus with basic vocabulary…
Beginner
👂
Reading: The Art of Listening
A reflective essay on active listening as a skill — read an…
Upper Intermediate
Reading: A Simple Menu IELTS Study Plan — 8 Weeks to Band 7