Places to Stay in Great Britain

Read the text and name different types of places to stay in Britain.

You can get information about places to stay and accommodation from the BTA (British Travel Agency). Many guidebooks have advice on this too. It’s wise to book accommodation in London before you come, especially at busy times like the summer.

If you arrive in London without anywhere to stay, you can use the accommodation service at the TICs at Heathrow and Victoria. Selfridges and Harrods can also provide such information and addresses to try. The most popular places are motels, hotels, hostels and bed and breakfast (B& B).

Hotels are much the same in all countries. They are the places to go if you are looking for comfort and extra services, though, of course, they are the most expensive kind of accommodation. They often have more facilities for food than other places to stay, offering main meal and also snacks and room service.

Motels (also called motor hotels and motor inns) are hotels especially for drivers. Often they are near motorways or main roads, and there’s always lots of parking space. Some have rooms like hotel entrance, a bathroom and a place to cook or make tea or coffee (self-catering).

Guesthouses are usually smaller and cheaper than hotels and are often pleasant and friendly. Apart from the bedrooms, there will be a dining room for meals and living room that guests can use.

A popular place to stay is “B& B” – a private house or a farm which takes a few guests. They are actually like guesthouses, but they are smaller and you have the opportunity to meet some British people at home.

Inns are pubs with accommodation and meals, though these may be more like pub food than restaurant meals. Many inns are interesting old buildings which have been used for centuries by travelers, and they are often cheaper than hotels.

1. Give Russian equivalents of the following:

to book accommodation, without anywhere to stay, busy time, extra services, main meal, hotel entrance, a private house.

2. Suggest the English for:

предоставлять информацию, самое популярное место, дружелюбный, шоссе, место для парковки, принимать немного гостей, использоваться веками.

3. Match two parts of the sentence in two columns:

1. It’s preferable to book accommodation

2. Hotels are the places to go if

3. Motels (also called motor hotels and motor inns), hotels especially for drivers,

4. “B& B”

5. Guesthouses are usually smaller and cheaper than hotels and

6. Inns are pubs with accommodation and meals

a) used for centuries by travelers, and they are often cheaper than hotels.

b) are often pleasant and friendly.

c) are often near motorways or main roads.

d) is a private house or a farm which takes a few guests.

e) you are looking for comfort and extra services.

f) in London before you come

4. Finish the following statements using appropriate words and word combinations :

7. Look through the last two passages again and say what B& B and inns are like.

Use the following key-words:

a private house, smaller, an opportunity, for centuries by travelers, with accommodation and meals, British people, for centuries, interesting old buildings.