General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · making arrangements

Letter to Hotel Manager Booking Family Holiday Accommodation

You want to book a hotel that one of your friends recommended to you for a family holiday at the seaside.

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

explain what accommodation you require and when you want to stay
ask what will be included in the price
enquire about activities and places of interest near the hotel

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 book accommodation for my upcoming family holiday at the seaside, following a glowing recommendation from a close friend who stayed at your hotel last summer.

We are a family of four—two adults and two children—and require a suite or two adjoining rooms with sea views. We intend to stay for seven nights, checking in on 15th July and departing on 22nd July. Please confirm if you have availability for these dates.

Could you kindly clarify what is included in the quoted price? Specifically, I would like to know if breakfast is provided and whether access to the swimming pool and fitness centre is complimentary for guests. Additionally, please inform me if there are any seasonal surcharges during the month of July.

Finally, could you suggest any local activities or places of interest nearby suitable for young children? We are particularly interested in nature trails or historical sites within a short driving distance.

I look forward to your prompt response regarding the booking procedure and total costs.

Yours sincerely,

Julian Thorne

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

Why this scores well

This response earns a Band 8 by addressing all bullet points clearly with a professional tone and cohesive structure. A common Band 6 mistake is failing to ask about both activities and local places, or using overly repetitive opening phrases.

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

glowing recommendation: Highly positive praise or endorsement from someone else.
adjoining rooms: Two hotel rooms connected by a private door.
complimentary: Given or provided free of charge.
seasonal surcharges: Extra fees added during popular or busy times.
places of interest: Tourist attractions or notable sites worth visiting.
prompt response: A reply sent quickly and without delay.

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.