General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to a Hotel Manager Requesting Private Room

You are going to have a family party in a private room in a hotel.

Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter:

why do you need to use this private room?
what you need them to provide for the party
inquire about the price of the food you are ordering

Write at least 150 words. You do not need to write any addresses. Begin your letter: Dear ...,

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing to enquire about booking a private room at your hotel for a forthcoming family celebration. We are planning to host a golden wedding anniversary for my parents on the 15th of next month, and we require a quiet, exclusive space to accommodate approximately thirty guests.

Regarding the room requirements, we would appreciate a setup that includes a projector and screen for a short slideshow presentation. Furthermore, as there will be several elderly relatives attending, it is essential that the room is easily accessible and equipped with comfortable seating arrangements that allow for easy movement.

Could you also please provide a detailed quote for a three-course meal? We are leaning towards a buffet-style service and would like to know the cost per head, including service charges and VAT. If you have any sample menus available, I would be grateful if you could forward these to me at your earliest convenience.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding availability and pricing.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan Sterling

170 words. Names and details are invented; write your own.

Why this scores well

This response achieves Band 8 by addressing all three bullet points with specific, natural details while maintaining a consistently formal tone. A common mistake for Band 6 candidates is failing to ask for the specific price details or providing an overly simplistic list of requirements without explaining the context.

Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.
If you know the person's surname, use Dear Mr or Ms and close with Yours sincerely.
No contractions, no slang; polite indirect requests such as I would be grateful if you could.

Useful phrases from the letter

forthcoming: happening or appearing in the near future
exclusive: restricted to a particular group of people
accommodate: to provide enough space for someone or something
accessible: easy to enter or reach for everyone
at your earliest convenience: as soon as it is easy for you
VAT: a tax added to the price of goods

Write your own and get a band

Answer this prompt in a timed General Training writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS General writing

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Frequently asked questions

Is this letter formal or informal?

Formal. Write to an organisation or someone you do not know: open with Dear Sir or Madam, close with Yours faithfully.

How long should an IELTS General Training letter be?

At least 150 words, and 160 to 200 is the comfortable range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.