CHECKING INTO A HOTEL

When Maria goes to check in to her hotel, Chad, at reception,

informs her that he doesn't have her reservation. He finds a room
for her, which ends up being too noisy.

Chad: How can I help you?

Maria: I'm checking in. I've got a reservation under the name Baker.

Chad: Okay, let me pull up your reservation. You said "Baker."

Maria: Yes, Maria Baker.

Chad: Unfortunately, I have no record of your reservation. It must have gotten lost

in our system.

Maria: Great. Just my luck!

Chad: Don't worry. We've got plenty of rooms. Are you a member of our rewards
program yet?

Maria: No, I don't travel that much so it's not worth my while.

Chad: You can start earning points with this stay. Then you can get discounts on
future stays and special offers by mail.

Maria: As a rule, I don't join those programs. I get enough junk mail already.

(ten minutes later)

Maria: I just checked my room, and I'll need a different room.

Chad: What's the problem?

Maria: The 12th floor is a zoo. There's some kind of convention going on up there
and people are making a racket.

Chad: I'm sorry about that. Let's see what else we have.

Maria: Also, you must have given me a smoking room because it reeks

of cigarette smoke!

Chad: I do apologize for that. Let me give you room 1485. It should be quiet and
smoke free.

Idioms
● as a rule

→ in general; usually

Example: As a rule, Betty doesn't answer her telephone after 10 p.m.

● (to) check in

→ to register (such as at a hotel or conference)

Example: Let's check in to our hotel first, and then go out and explore the city.

● (to) earn points

→ to earn credit towards a future purchase (when talking about

promotions offered by companies)

Example: Allison joined Delta's frequent flier program and started earning points.

● I do apologize (for that)

→ I'm very sorry (said to a customer)

Example: Your order arrived a week late? I do apologize for that.

Note: The "do" in this expression is optional. It makes the apology stronger or more
polite.

● junk mail

→ unwanted mail, usually selling or advertising something

Example: My mailbox was full today, but it was almost all junk mail.

● just my luck

→ what bad luck

Example: I arrived two minutes late to the airport and missed my flight. Just my
luck!

● (to) make a racket

→ to make a lot of noise

 Example: We couldn't sleep because the people in the hotel room next door
were making a racket all night.

● (to) pull up a reservation

→ to find a reservation on the computer; to call up the file with the
reservation

Example: "Hello, I'd like to change my flight for next Friday." - "Please give me your
last name and I'll pull up our reservation."

● (to) reek of

→ to smell badly of something (often smoke or alcohol)

Example: This pillow reeks of smoke. Please bring me a fresh one.

● rewards program

→ a promotional program designed to get customers to use a

company's product or service more often

Example: Paula earned a free one-week stay at a Marriott through the

hotel's rewards program.

● special offer

→ a promotional offer; a discount on a particular product or service,

usually for a limited time

Example: The restaurant is running a special offer. Buy one meal at full price and
get the second one free.

● worth one's while

→ deserving of one's time or effort

Example: If you 're in Manhattan, I suggest you visit the Guggenheim Museum. It'll
be worth your while.

● zoo

→ a noisy area; chaos

Example: Thousands of people go to Times Square in New York to celebrate New
Year's Eve. It's a zoo!
Practice the Expressions

Fill in the blanks using the following expressions:

● worth my while
● just our luck
● reeked of
● made a racket
● as a rule
● rewards program
● special offers
● earn points
● check in
● zoo

Two years ago, I decided to join the Continental Hotel's (1)   . I figured it
would be (2)   since I travel frequently on business. Whenever I stay at a
Continental Hotel, I (3)   . They also send me (4)   in the mail.

Last week, my husband and I decided to use the points and spend the weekend in
Manhattan. (5 )   , we only travel when we can get a special deal.

When we arrived to (6)   , the hotel was a (7)   . It turns out that
some company was having its annual sales conference there that weekend.
( 8)   ! The attendees (9)   all weekend, partying both nights
until 3 a.m. The hallways (10)   cigarette smoke. We didn't get much
sleep, but we did enjoy sightseeing in the city.

Answer Key
Language Lens: "Must have"

To say what you think has happened in a situation, use must have or the

contraction must've.

Form it like this:

must have ( or must've) + verb in the past participle

The past participle of regular verbs usually ends in -ed. It is the same as the verb in
the past tense.
Examples: visited, looked, entered, wanted. Irregular verbs have various endings in
the past participle. Most end in one of these:
-d (heard, held, paid, read, stood, understood)
-n (eaten, forgotten, given, gotten, known, taken, spoken)
-t (brought, caught, cost, left, slept, spent, thought)

Examples:
◼ I can't find my passport. I must've* left it at the hotel. ( = I think I left it at the
hotel).
◼ You don't have your book? You must have forgotten it in my car.
◼ The movie is over already? I must've fallen asleep.
◼ I can't find my laptop. Someone must've moved it.
◼ Linda called you from her car saying she was lost? She must've left the directions
at home.
◼ My stomach is killing me. I must've overeaten!
◼ My iPad is gone from my hotel room. Someone must've stolen it!
◼ There are no more cookies left? Kate must've eaten the last one.

* Note: must've can be pronounced either mustof or, more informally, musta.

Quick Quiz

Say what you think happened in each situation. Put the verb in
parentheses into the correct form with "must've":

Example:
We're lost. We _____ (take) a wrong tum somewhere.
Answer: We must've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

1. The radio isn't working anymore. It   (ran) out of batteries.

2. It's dark in the house. Somebody   (turn) out all the lights.
3. You have big bags under your eyes. You   (stay) up all night.
4. Maya's doll is missing its arms. She   (pull) them off.
5. You're all wet. You   (forget) your umbrella!
6. My laptop is missing from my office. Somebody   (steal) it!
7. I can't find my glasses. I   (leave) them at the office.
8. You got here in less than an hour. You   (drive) fast!
9. It's already 10 a.m. I   (oversleep).
10. Your French is fluent. You   (study) it in school.