Complete the text with suitable words and expressions from the box.

a.corporate clients	b.weekly rate	c.basic rate
d.contract	e.a corporate rate	f.Free Sale Agents
g.commission	h.release	i.Fully Inclusive Tariff rates
j.rate policy	k.a 10% discount	l.Allocation Holders

Our room ¹⁾ ______ is quite complicated. We have a basic room rate for all our room types, but the way that we sell our rooms means that we often charge a different rate from this. This is because our Sales and Marketing Department has negotiated different rates with different agents, ²⁾ ______, and other clients.

We have a Standard room which contains all the basic facilities, such as private bath, TV, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and the ³⁾ ______ for the double is £85 a night. Our Luxury rooms, or Executive Plus as some of them are called, contain a little bit extra: they’re a bit more spacious, have better views and so on - they’re £115 a night. Then we also have suites, which vary a lot in price.

We also offer different discounts. We have special weekend rates: two nights, either Friday/ Saturday or Saturday/Sunday will get ⁴⁾ ______. That’s to encourage a two-night booking even though weekends can be our busiest time. And our ⁵⁾ ______ is calculated on the basis of seven nights for the price of six.

Like most hotels of our size, individual bookings paying the full room rate are a minority. Most of our guests come through some other source, either as part of a tour, through a tour operator, or a corporate guest. We get lots of repeat guests from particular companies and they obviously have a ⁶⁾ ______ with us. There’s ⁷⁾ ______, but there are also special rates negotiated and arranged with the Sales and Marketing Department, who enter them onto the computer for the Reservation and Front Office to access whenever an enquiry or reservation comes in.

In addition, a lot of our rooms are sold through agents and representatives: these are either ⁸⁾ _____ or ⁹⁾ ______. Allocation Holders are agents who have a certain number of rooms that they agree to sell in our hotel. They normally sell on FIT rates – ¹⁰⁾ ______ - which are from the leisure side of the business and are cheaper than corporate rates. The customer pays them directly, they get ¹¹⁾_______ and pass on what is left to the hotel. The rate is agreed with the Sales and Marketing Department. An Allocation Holder usually has up to twenty rooms over a weekend, on a seventy-two hour ¹²⁾ ______ - in other words, by Wednesday, the hotel can take the rooms back and re-sell them.

Writing

Read this letter sent to the group of three couples mentioned in Ex. 13 (1).

Grand Hotel

Seafront Villas Westbourne bnci ihi Vill a

Tel: D273 624999 Fax: 0273 624831

10^th August 20__

Mr and Mrs Davies

16 Hill Street

London N16 1BV

Dear Mr and Mrs Davies,

Thank you for your letter of 5th August regarding a possible reservation for three rooms for two nights for the weekend of 14th/16th October.

We can offer either our Luxury double room at £115 per night, or our Standard double at £85. All our rooms have private bathrooms, television, tea- and coffee- making facilities, and other features designed to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

Furthermore, we are able to offer you a special 10% weekend discount on these rates. The total for the three doubles will therefore be £469 for the Standard rooms or £621 for the Luxury rooms.

I would be grateful if you could confirm your reservation as soon as possible and tell us which type of room you would prefer. We accept all major credit cards or, if you prefer, you can secure your reservation by sending a 25% deposit.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Barnes

Reservations Manager

18.Now write a similar letter in answer to the enquiry in 13 (2) or 13 (3). Use the updated information from Listening and follow this structure:

Paragraph 1: Thank the enquirer for their letter

Paragraph 2: Explain the basic room rate

Paragraph 3: Explain details of any discount you are able to offer

Paragraph 4: Ask for confirmation

Paragraph 5: Closing remark

Project work

Plan the pricing strategy of an imaginary hotel in your home town, and prepare a promotional leaflet giving information on prices and special offers including your policy on group discounts.

· What are your basic rates going to be?

· What inclusive packages (e.g. weekend rates; dinner, bed and breakfast rates) will you offer?

· Also plan a series of special offers, bargain breaks and speciality holidays (e.g. golf weekends). Who will they appeal to?

Writing