General Training Writing Task 1 · formal · request

Letter to Hotel Manager Booking Weekend Accommodation

You are planning a weekend trip and need to book accommodation.

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

state the dates you wish to stay
specify the type of room you require
ask about the availability of parking and breakfast

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

Band 8 sample letter

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to enquire about booking a room at your hotel for an upcoming weekend trip to the city. I intend to stay from Friday, 15 November, until Sunday, 17 November.

Regarding my accommodation requirements, I would like to reserve a deluxe double room. It is essential that the room is quiet and overlooks the garden, as I am hoping for a peaceful retreat. Please confirm if such a room is available for those specific dates.

Additionally, I would appreciate it if you could clarify your parking situation. I will be travelling by car and need to know if there is a secure on-site facility available for guests, and whether any associated charges apply. Furthermore, I would like to know if breakfast is included in the room rate or if it is served as an optional extra in your dining room. If it is available, could you please provide a brief overview of the options provided?

Thank you for your assistance with this enquiry. I look forward to receiving your confirmation.

Yours faithfully,

Arthur Pendelton

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

Why this scores well

A Band 8 response ensures all bullet points are addressed with specific, relevant details while maintaining a consistently professional tone throughout. A common Band 6 error is failing to ask about both parking and breakfast, or providing an overly brief request that lacks necessary detail.

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

enquire: to ask for information about something
deluxe: of a higher quality or more expensive
essential: something that is absolutely necessary or required
clarify: to make a statement or situation less confused
facility: a place or equipment provided for a purpose
optional extra: something that can be chosen but is not mandatory

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

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

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.