Part V Reading
Passage 1 Advance Reservation
Advance reservations are made in many different ways.Some people send reservation letters to the hotel.Others go directly to the hotel and make reservations in person or call the hotel and make reservations over the telephone.Sending fax is another way of reservations.With fax，the communication is instantaneous.The hotel can confirm a guest’s booking immediately with a reply fax and the incoming fax from the guest can be kept as the confirmation of the guest’s booking.
Nowadays，with the popularity of computer and the Internet，it has become a fashionable and convenient way to make advance reservations through the Internet.Information about the reservations can be sent and received from one corner of the world to another in a few seconds.Thus a lot of time and paperwork is saved.
Another development in the hotel advance reservations business is the introduction of a computerized reservation network linking the different hotels in a hotel chain with each other，with major airline seat reservation systems and with the computer terminals in the offices of important travel agencies.Now the guest can simply go to either a travel agency or an airline office or a hotel and have all his travel arrangements made.Thus the guest’s reservation is very much facilitated.
Advance reservation section belongs to the Front Office Department.The reservationist works at the Front Desk in the lobby.His/her responsibility involves answering questions concerning reservations，booking and assigning rooms for guests who request rooms in the hotel.He/she also takes reservations，cancellations and revisions，and writes and sends out the hotel’s letters of confirmation.
When a reservationist receives a reservation request，he /she first checks the hotel’s booking situation and see if the hotel has any vacancy during the specified period.If the hotel is able to accept the booking，the reservationist would fill out a reservation form and record the information in a reservation diary.
Once the information is gathered and recorded，the reservations department issues a reservation confirmation to the guest.This can be done by making confirmation telephone calls or by sending letters，E-mails，or fax of confirmation.These methods verify the information on the reservation record and the guest’s needs.
Words:
1.arrangement n.安排，排列
2.assign v.分配，指派
3.confirm v.确认，确定
4.convenient adj.方便的，便利的
5.facilitated adj.容易的，便利的
6.fashionable adj.流行的，时髦的
7.instantaneous adj.立刻的，即刻的
8.involve v.包括，包含，使卷入，使陷入
9.issue v.发出，发布
10.major adj.较大的，较多的，主要的
11.popularity n.普及，流行
12.responsibility n.责任，职责
13.specified adj.指定的，规定的
14.terminal n.终端，终点（站）
15.verify v.查证，核实
Phrases:
1.in person 亲自，当面
2.fill out 填写 fill out the form
Notes:
1.advance reservation 预订（酒店的房间）
2.The hotel can confirm a guest’s booking immediately with a reply fax and the incoming fax from the guest can be kept as the confirmation of the guest’s booking.
可译为“酒店可以立刻通过回复传真来确认客人的预订，而客人寄来的传真也能被保留作为客人预订的确认单。”
3.hotel chain 连锁酒店
4.travel agency 旅行社
5.the Front Office Department 前厅部
6.reservation diary 预订日志
Exercises:
1.Summarize the different ways of making advance reservations mentioned in the passage.Choose the one way that you prefer and state your reasons.
2.Summarize the duties of reservationists mentioned in the passage.
Passage 2
How to Get the Best Hotel Service
Paul James，global brand leader at St.Regis Hotels and Resorts，estimates that he spends no less than 150 nights a year in hotel rooms.His experience goes well beyond his own company’s brand; he often checks out the competition by staying at other hotels.
Over time，Mr.James has developed a number of tricks to make sure his hotel stays are comfortable.For instance，after booking a room online，he immediately follows up with a phone call to the hotel’s concierge.His aim:to request a room that will suit him.
“Unless you’re at an airport hotel，you’ll find that there are a vast number of shapes and designs of rooms within the raft of standard or deluxe rooms，” he says.Sometimes he wants to ensure there’s a large work table; occasionally，he wants extra room with a crib for his son.And because he’s over six feet tall，he always makes sure to ask for a king-sized bed.
“It never hurts to ask” if you have a special need in mind while checking in，whether it’s a specific view，a larger sofa，a mini refrigerator (not all hotels provide them)，or a room on the executive floor - “even if it’s just a bowl of fruit，” Mr.James says.“It’s surprising how much a hotel generally can do and can provide for you once you get there，” he says.
One key to getting what you want is making a convincing argument for it.“It’s those people who tend to have a good reason who get what they want—whether it’s getting a larger room because you’re going to be meeting some people in your room or you’re celebrating a birthday or an anniversary，” he says.
When Mr.James is checking into a hotel，he always makes sure he’s nicely dressed.Typically he’ll show up in a suit or slacks and a jacket.“If you look the part，you’ll tend to get looked after a little bit better，” he says.But he notes that some guests can look like they “just walked off the tennis court” and still get five-star treatment if they “talk and communicate” well.It helps if a guest “engages with the person that they’re talking to as a human being，being pleasant and engaging and not overly demanding or difficult or obtuse or overly distracted，” he explains.
He doesn’t usually request an upgrade unless something is very wrong with the room，noting that members of good loyalty programs can get regular upgrades without having to ask.
Throughout his stay，Mr.James goes out of his way to be nice to the concierge.“That’s Rule No.1，” he says，noting that he’ll often stop at the concierge desk to thank the staff after a recommendation has paid off.
Such positive reinforcement typically results in the concierge staff offering better service and sightseeing advice over the course of a trip，he says.“If you reward them with a ‘That was great —more like that，please，’ it could help open up a whole raft of new access points to the city，” he says.Your feedback will also give them more clues to what you’re looking for.
If the concierge has performed a significant task for you，it’s nice to tip him or her that day，he says，but tipping at the end of the stay is perfectly acceptable，too.
When Mr.James is staying in a U.S.hotel，he generally tips the concierge $10 to $20 a day，depending on how much he has used the service.Bellhops who carry his luggage get $2 to $5，and he always leaves $2 to $4 a day in an envelope for housekeeping.
Mr.James leaves the total tip for housekeeping in the room just before he checks out，rather than leaving it out as a daily amount.At the end，he says，“you just have a better idea of how you’ve been looked after.”
Words:
1.acceptable adj.可接受的，合意的
2.anniversary n.周年纪念(日)
3.argument n.争论，辩论，论据，论点
4.competition n.竞争，竞赛
5.convincing adj.令人信服的，有力的，令人心悦诚服的
6.distract v.分散(注意力等);使分心
7.ensure v.确保，保证，担保
8.estimate v.估计，估价，评估
9.feedback n.反馈，反应，回应
10.occasionally adv.有时候，偶尔
11.positive adj.积极的，确实的，肯定的
12.recommendation n.推荐，介绍，建议
13.regular adj.经常的，定期的，规则的
14.reward v.酬劳，奖赏 n.报酬，奖金
15.significant adj.有意义的，重大的，重要的
16.specific adj.明确的，具体的
17.staff n.全体职员
18.tip n.消费 v.给小费
19.trick n.窍门，诀窍，诡计，恶作剧
20.typically adv.典型地，有代表性地
Phrases:
1.a vast number of 许多，大量
2.depend on 取决于，依靠
3.for instance 例如
4.go out of one’s way 特意，不怕麻烦，不厌其烦
5.make sure 确保，确定
6.pay off 成功，盈利，付清，还清
7.result in 引起，导致
8.rather than 而不是，胜于
9.show up 出现，露面
10.tend to 趋向，往往
Notes:
1.St.Regis Hotels and Resorts 瑞吉酒店及度假村
瑞吉酒店（St.Regis）是世界上最高档酒店的标志，是全球酒店业的经典。
2.His experience goes well beyond his company’s brand.
可译为“他入住的不仅仅是自己公司旗下的酒店。”
3.…;he often checks out the competition by staying at other hotels.
check out 结账退房，检查，检验
在文中它的意思为“他还经常入住竞争对手的酒店以打探敌情。”
4.hotel’s concierge
concierge 来自于法语，原义为“看门人，门房”，文中指酒店的前台接待。
5.shapes and designs of rooms 房型和设计
6.the/a raft of （美国口语）许多，大量
7.foot 英尺 (pl.)feet 1 foot=12 inches=0.3048 meters
8.king-sized bed 特大号床 queen-sized bed 大号床
9.executive floor 行政楼层
10.It’s those people who tend to have a good reason who get what they want.
这是一个强调句型“It is/was…that/who….”。
可以译为“往往是那些有充分理由的人能够让自己的需要得到满足。”
11.slacks n.休闲裤
12.look the part 英语的一个习语，意为“看上去像模像样”
13.five-star treatment 五星级的待遇 five-star hotels 五星级酒店
14.…engage with the person that they’re talking to as a human being，being pleasant and engaging，and not overly demanding or difficult or obtuse or overly distracted…
可译为“跟人交谈时表现出应有的尊重，态度友善专注，不提过分的要求，不是太难伺候也不是太迟钝或特别心不在焉。”
15.That’s rule NO.1.那是最重要的原则。
Exercises:
1.Answer the following questions according to the passage.
1)Why does Paul James often stay at other hotels besides his own company’s hotels?
2)What would Paul James usually do after booking a room online?Why?
3)In Paul James’s opinion，what is the key to get what you want?
4)What is Rule No.1 when staying at hotels according to Paul James?
5)How does Paul James usually tip at hotels?
2.Summarize the tricks to get the best hotel service mentioned in the passage.