出國旅遊熱潮湧現，飯店扮演著重要的角色，在經歷了一整天的旅程後，提供了身心休憩的場所，本篇從訂房開始學習TOEIC英語來適度表達自己的需求，也能確保將來旅遊時更加愉快。
飯店訂房
訂房網站還有旅行社提供的報價都有些許不同，訂房時要注意的重點就是房間是否能夠退訂「refundable or non-refundable booking」，還有飯店的退訂規定「cancellation policy」都不盡相同。
Photo: Pixabay / 圖片來源:Pixabay 堤供
訂房時基本需要預付部分deposit「訂金」。同時也是重要的多益高頻單字。
Your deposit will be forfeited if you don’t cancel your booking.
（如果你不取消預定，你的訂金將會被沒收。）
※ forfeit (v)沒收，也是lose的意思
deposit這個字還有其他重要的用法──「存款」的意思，可做動詞或名詞用，與其相反的就是動詞withdraw和名詞withdrawal「提款」。
Please fill out the pink deposit slip and sign at the bottom.
請填粉紅色的存款單並在下面簽名。
※ 這裡的deposit slip就是「存款條或存款單」的意思。
取消訂房
如果是使用第三方的網站訂房，常常預訂時就需要先付款，這個狀況稱為prepayment (n)「預付款」，動詞為prepay，我們常聽到的電話預付卡也就是prepaid phone cards。
不管你是用什麼方式訂房，請在按下reserve now「現在就訂」前，一定要閱讀相關的terms and conditions「條款」和cancellation policy，這樣就可以避免有關退費的爭議事項。接著，就讓我們看看有關取消訂房的說明吧！
For cancellations made 2 days prior to your scheduled arrival date, one-night room rate will be charged to your credit card.
入住日兩天前才取消預定的話，我們會索取一晚的房價。
1. prior to. . . = before. . .「在…….之前」
2. arrival date = date of arrival指「抵達日期」
3. be charged = be billed
房間價格通常不用price，而是用rate，因此房價也就是room rate。rate是一個重要的多義字，除了可做「比例／率」解釋，如 interest rate「利率」和unemployment rate「失業率」，另一個解釋即是room rate的「費用」。此外，rate也可當作動詞，做「評價，評等」，如：
The hotel is rated four stars.
那個飯店被評為四星。
保留房間
然而，如果有突發狀況發生，如飛機的延誤等導致要較晚入住（late arrival）時，最好能夠事先通知飯店並告知預計會抵達的時間，這時可以說：
Can you hold my reservation / my room until 7 P.M.?
你可以幫我保留房間／訂房到晚上7點嗎？
這邊保留房間可用hold，就像電話中我們請人稍等也是可以用please hold來表示。雖然可以要求飯店保留房間，但飯店也會擔心出現房客no show的狀況，因此會要求房客在訂房時，或是在較晚入住時以信用卡保留訂房。
You can guarantee your reservation with a valid credit card.
你可以用有效的信用卡保留訂房。
guarantee可作為動詞或名詞，就是一種promise「保證」。常和guarantee混淆的字是warranty（n）「保證書」。warranty是書面的保證，因此產品的保固，保證書，都會用warranty表示。
Should I purchase an extended warranty for my laptop?
我應該要替我的筆電買延長保固嗎？
入住飯店後可能也會面對其他的情況，需要向飯店人員反應或抱怨，如空調，衛浴設施，網路等問題，此時我們可以用以下的句型來提出問題，基本上都是客氣有禮的抱怨。
Excuse me. . . (something). . . seems to be. . .
I’m sorry to bother you, but. . .
There’s a problem with. . .
I’m afraid there’s something wrong with. . .
I’m afraid I have to make a complaint. . .
特別強調以下兩種更具禮貌的表達方式：
I’m afraid. . .
Sorry to bother you, but. . .
飯店退房
最後，有些飯店check out只需把房卡（key card）還回櫃檯即可，但有些人回家後才收到飯店另外寄來的帳單，這些費用很常是房間mini bar的食物或其他的付費商品，因此請一定要認得complimentary這個字。complimentary可當形容詞用，做free of charge「免費」的解釋。所以以後入住飯店時，如果沒看到complimentary或free的字眼，就最好別碰了。
Some hotels offer complimentary breakfast.
有些飯店有提供免費早餐。
然而，近幾年來有些飯店是用所謂的automated mini bar with sensors（有自動感應器的客房小冰箱），發生了房客或許沒有真正取用，但卻因為打開冰箱時被感應到，而導致扣款的情形。因此，It’s always a good idea to ask for a receipt when you check out.
【多益模擬試題】
1. We’ll give you a __________ bottle of wine when you spend over NT$2,000 on your meal.
(A) compliment (B) complementary (C) complimentary (D) compilation
2. __________ you need to arrive late, please inform us prior to the check-in time.
(A) Should (B) Could (C) However (D) Therefore
【解析】
1. 正確答案為(C)。本題為單字題，要選擇符合句意的單字，然而這四個是容易混淆的。(A) compliment是名詞，有「讚美」之意，(B) complementary是形容詞，意思為「補充的，補足的」，而(D) compilation是名詞，是「匯編，匯集」的意思，其動詞為compile。因此符合本題題意「如果你餐點消費超過2000元，我們免費贈送你一瓶酒。」的正確答案為 (C) complimentary「免費」。
2. 正確答案為(A)。本句語意為「如果有需要較晚抵達，請在check in時間前通知我們」。本題為單字加文法題，要選擇符合句意的單字。(B) Could為助動詞在句首為問句，但整個句子並非問句。(C) However「但是」和(D) Therefore「所以」都是副詞，置於此會導致run-on sentences「連寫句」，也就是兩個以逗點連結的獨立句子，而且他們的語意也不符合句意。因此，正確答案為(A) Should，這是個省略If的句子，If you need to arrive late的意思。
SOURCE: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/five-ways-complain-hotel-services
文章由TOEIC Program Taiwan · Chun Shin提供：
www.facebook.com/ToeicProgramTaiwan
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