Welcome to Accommodation (El Alojamiento)
Whether you are dreaming of a sunny holiday in Spain or preparing for your Edexcel GCSE exam, knowing how to talk about places to stay is an essential skill. In Thematic Context 6: Travel and tourism, the topic of Accommodation appears across all four exam papers (Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing).
Don't worry if learning holiday vocabulary feels overwhelming at first! In this guide, we will break down accommodation types, booking essentials, how to handle hotel problems, and the exact grammar you need to score top marks.
---1. Types of Lodging (Tipos de Alojamiento)
When travelling, where do you stay? Here are the core accommodation types you must recognise and use:
• el hotel — hotel
• el albergue juvenil — youth hostel
• el hostal — hostel / budget hotel
• el camping — campsite
• el apartamento — apartment / flat
• la casa rural — country house / cottage
• la pensión — guesthouse / boarding house
Key Verbs for Staying Somewhere
• alojarse en — to stay in / at (e.g., Me alojé en un albergue = I stayed in a youth hostel)
• quedarse en — to stay in / at (e.g., Nos quedamos en un camping = We stayed at a campsite)
• pasar la noche — to spend the night
Top Tip: Always remember to use the preposition en (in/at) with these verbs. Saying "Me quedé a un hotel" is a common error—always write "Me quedé en un hotel"!
---2. Rooms, Board Basis, and Hotel Facilities
Room Types (Las Habitaciones)
• la habitación individual — single room
• la habitación doble — double room
• con vistas al mar — with sea views
• con balcón — with a balcony
Board Types (El Régimen de Alojamiento)
When booking a room, exam texts frequently mention meal plans:
• alojamiento y desayuno — bed and breakfast (B&B)
• media pensión — half board (usually breakfast and dinner)
• pensión completa — full board (all three meals included)
• incluido / incluida — included
Facilities & Amenities (Las Instalaciones y Servicios)
• la piscina — swimming pool
• el aire acondicionado — air conditioning
• la calefacción — heating
• la conexión wifi / el wifi — Wi-Fi connection
• el ascensor — lift / elevator
• el aparcamiento / el estacionamiento — car park
• la recepción — reception desk
Key Takeaway: When describing hotel facilities, English speakers often search for a word like "facilities". In Spanish, use las instalaciones or los servicios.
---3. Booking and Checking In (Hacer una Reserva)
In Paper 1 (Speaking role-plays) and Paper 4 (Writing), you often need to make polite requests or ask questions at reception.
Polite Phrases & Enquiries
• Hacer una reserva — To make a booking / reservation
• Me gustaría reservar... — I would like to book...
• ¿Podría darme...? — Could you give me...?
• ¿Tiene una habitación libre? — Do you have a free room?
• ¿A qué hora se sirve el desayuno? — What time is breakfast served?
Understanding Register: Tú vs. Usted
When talking to hotel staff in a role-play or writing an email to a hotel, you must use the formal register (usted / ustedes).
• Formal: ¿Tiene usted una habitación? (Do you have a room?)
• Informal: ¿Tienes una habitación? (Only used with friends and family)
Examiner Warning: Pick your register and stick to it! Switching between tú (informal) and usted (formal) within the same conversation is a frequent slip-up that costs marks.
---4. Dealing with Problems and Complaints (Quejas y Problemas)
Examiners love testing your ability to solve problems at a hotel. Here is how to express that something is wrong:
Missing Items
• No hay... — There is no / there are no... (e.g., No hay toallas = There are no towels)
• Falta... / Faltan... — ...is missing / ...are missing (e.g., Falta una almohada = A pillow is missing)
Broken or Unpleasant Conditions
• no funciona — it doesn't work (e.g., El aire acondicionado no funciona = The air conditioning doesn't work)
• está roto / está rota — it is broken (e.g., La ducha está rota = The shower is broken)
• está sucio / está sucia — it is dirty (e.g., La habitación está sucia = The room is dirty)
• hace demasiado ruido — it is too noisy
Memory Trick: Think of the verb funcionar as "to function". If something no funciona, it simply doesn't function!
---5. Core Grammar for Accommodation
A. Ser vs. Estar (Essential Rule!)
Getting ser and estar right is one of the quickest ways to boost your grade:
• Use SER for permanent characteristics and descriptions:
El hotel es moderno y lujoso. (The hotel is modern and luxurious.)
• Use ESTAR for location and temporary states/conditions:
El hotel está cerca de la playa. (The hotel is near the beach — location)
El ascensor está roto. (The lift is broken — condition)
Common Error: Never say "La ducha es rota". Because being broken is a temporary condition, you must say "La ducha está rota".
B. Past Tenses: Preterite vs. Imperfect
When reviewing a past holiday stay, you need to combine two past tenses:
1. Preterite (Completed single events):
• Llegamos tarde y reservamos dos noches. (We arrived late and booked two nights.)
• Me alojé en una casa rural. (I stayed in a country cottage.)
2. Imperfect (Ongoing states, descriptions, and scenery):
• Había una piscina grande. (There was a big swimming pool.)
• El apartamento era muy acogedor y cómodo. (The apartment was very cosy and comfortable.)
C. Expressing Preferences and Opinions
• Prefiero acampar porque es más barato. (I prefer camping because it is cheaper.)
• El hostal era cómodo, acogedor y barato. (The hostel was comfortable, cosy, and cheap.)
Adjective Agreement Check: Ensure your adjectives match what you are describing. For example: Las habitaciones eran cómodas (feminine plural).
---6. Pitfalls and Common Mistakes Checklist
Before your exam, double-check that you are not falling into these common traps:
• Spelling "Apartment": In Spanish, it is el apartamento (not apartmento).
• Staying vs. Renting: Don't confuse alojarse / quedarse (to stay) with alquilar (to rent).
• Ser vs. Estar with condition: Always use está sucio/a (dirty) and está roto/a (broken), never es.
• Preposition accuracy: Remember it is alojarse en or quedarse en, not a.
Quick Summary & Key Takeaways
1. Know your lodgings: From el albergue juvenil to la casa rural, recognise all types of places to stay.
2. Master the board options: Alojamiento y desayuno (B&B), media pensión (half board), and pensión completa (full board).
3. Use formal register at reception: Use usted (e.g., ¿Podría darme...?).
4. Describe problems accurately: Use no funciona, está roto/a, and no hay / falta.
5. Apply grammar correctly: Use estar for conditions/locations, ser for characteristics, and balance Preterite and Imperfect when recounting holiday experiences.