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How to Write a Hotel Booking Letter in Italian Posted by on Apr 14, 2014 in Grammar, Italian Language

Thinking about taking a well deserved holiday in Italy? Perhaps it’s time to start booking that hotel.

Hotel-Santa-Caterina-of-Amalfi-Coast-Italy

Last week we looked at how to structure a formal letter in Italian, so let’s expand on that by concentrating on the corpo (content) of a hotel booking letter. The sample letter below contains a range of questions that you might want to ask. Simply pick those which are relevant to your situation:


Pontremoli, 14 aprile 2014

Spettabile Villa Albicocca
Via Francigena, 9
55100 Pontetetto (LU)

Oggetto: Prenotazione
Subject: Booking

Gentile Direttore,
Dear manager,

Vorrei prenotare una camera singola/matrimoniale/doppia (plurale: due camere singole/matrimoniali/doppie)
I’d like to book a single/double bedded/twin bedded room (plural: two single/double bedded/twin bedded rooms)

per X notti, dal 28 maggio al 1 giugno
for X nights, from 28th May to 1st June

Vorrei inoltre sapere …
I’d also like to know …

… a che ora è aperta la reception per la registrazione.
… what time the reception is open for checking-in.

… per che ora dobbiamo lasciare le camere?
… at what time do we have to leave the rooms?

… c’è il ristorante in albergo?
… does the hotel have a restaurant?

… a che ora servite la colazione?
… what time is breakfast served?

… c’è un ristorante/pizzeria/supermercato vicino all’albergo?
… is there a restaurant/pizzeria/supermarket near the hotel?

… quanto dista l’albergo dal centro?
… how far is the hotel from the town centre?

… ci sono mezzi di trasporto vicino all’albergo? 
… is there public transport close to the hotel?

… fate servizio di lavanderia?
… do you have a laundry service?

… c’è la piscina?
… is there a swimming pool?

Arriveremo dopo le 23.00. Spero che questo non Vi crei alcun problema.
We’ll be arriving after 11 p.m. I hope this won’t be a problem for you.

La prego di comunicarmi i Vostri dati per poter effettuare il bonifico per il deposito.
Please send me your bank details so that I can make a deposit.

È possibile pagare il saldo con la carta di credito?
Is it possible to pay the balance with a credit card?

In attesa di una Sua pronta risposta, La saluto cordialmente
Awaiting your reply, yours sincerely

Sig.ra S Cricorian
Piazza Giulio Cesare, 12
54027 Pontremoli (MS)
Tel. 0123 456789
e.mail: mimìlagatta@catmail.it

luxury-hotels-tuscany

Grammar Notes:

In the second part of the letter I wrote “La prego di comunicarmi i Vostri dati per poter effettuare il bonifico per il deposito”. Notice that I used the singular direct object personal pronoun ‘La’ (you formal) because I’m writing to the director. However, in the same sentence I used the possessive adjective in the plural form, i.e. ‘i Vostri dati’ (your data), because I’m asking for the bank details of the hotel, not the director’s personal bank details! I know it sounds confusing, but whenever we refer to the business as an entity we use the plural form. For the same reason I also used the plural ‘Vi’ in the sentence “Spero che questo non Vi crei alcun problema” (I hope this won’t be a problem for you plural). The ‘Vi’ here refers not only to the director, but to any member of staff that might be on duty that evening. N.B. in formal letters we usually write personal pronouns with the capital letter: La, Le, Sua, Vostri, Vi etc.

Is there anything else that you’d like to add to your booking letter? Let us know.

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Comments:

  1. Robin:

    As ever Serena, another immensely helpful post. I have a couple of questions and wonder if you can answer them.

    1. Why is it “c’è IL ristorante in albergo?” AND NOT “c’è UN ristorante in albergo?” or “c’è la piscina?” BUT NOT “c’è UNA piscina?” (by contract, you say “c’è UN ristorante/pizzeria/supermercato vicino all’albergo?”)

    2. what is the difference between using “DISTA” and “DISTANZA” (in “quanto dista l’albergo dal centro?”)?

    Many thanks in anticipo
    Robin

    • Serena:

      @Robin Salve Robin! Grazie per i complimenti.
      Se non ti dispiace ti rispondo in italiano, è più facile per me.

      1. Why is it “c’è IL ristorante in albergo?” AND NOT “c’è UN ristorante in albergo?” or “c’è la piscina?” BUT NOT “c’è UNA piscina?” (by contract, you say “c’è UN ristorante/pizzeria/supermercato vicino all’albergo?”)
      Tutte e due le forme vanno benissimo: il/un ristorante, la/una piscina. E’ una questione di stile personale: normalmente in un albergo (non mega galattico!) c’è un solo ristorante e una sola piscina, per cui ‘il ristorante’ e ‘la piscina’. Infatti si dice: ‘il ristorante dell’albergo è aperto …’ Mentre nella domanda “c’è UN ristorante/pizzeria/supermercato vicino all’albergo?” ho usato ‘un’ perché nelle vicinaze ci può essere più di un ristorante/pizzeria/supermercato. A me ne interessa ‘uno’ in generale.

      2. what is the difference between using “DISTA” and “DISTANZA” (in “quanto dista l’albergo dal centro?”)?
      ‘dista’ is the third person singular from the verb ‘distare’ (to be far/away): ‘Pontremoli dista 35 km da La Spezia’.
      ‘distanza’ is a noun: ‘la distanza da Pontremoli a La Spezia è di 35 km’

      Spero di essere stata chiara

      Tanti saluti
      Serena

  2. Robin:

    Grazie mille Serena.

  3. Guest:

    Thanks for this useful article. I would love to have some notes on how to write emails. Are they as formal? Or do you even have set rules. Also is email a masculine or feminine noun? I have seen it written both ways.


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