Describe a hotel or other place where you have stayed that you liked
Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.
Practice it like the exam
Describe a hotel or other place where you have stayed that you liked.
You should say:
- where it was
- when and why you stayed there
- what it was like
and explain why you liked staying there.
Ready
1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.
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Band 8 sample answer
253 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.
I would like to talk about a small guest house that I stayed in last summer in Sary-Chelek, a nature reserve in Kyrgyzstan. I went there with three friends to hike and relax for four days, and we found the place on a travel website after reading very good reviews.
The guest house was a simple wooden building run by a local family. It had only six rooms, each with clean beds, thick blankets and a small window that looked out on the mountains. There was no air conditioning or television, but we did not need them. The family cooked all the meals for us, and everything was fresh from their garden: vegetable soup, homemade bread, honey and berries. In the evenings, we sat on the porch and talked to the owner, who told us stories about the area and gave us tips about the best trails.
I liked staying there for several reasons. The main one was the warm welcome. From the moment we arrived, the family treated us almost like relatives, and the owner's wife even washed some of our clothes without being asked. Secondly, the location was excellent, as we could walk straight from the front door to a lake in twenty minutes. It was also very cheap compared with hotels in cities. Finally, there was no noise at all at night, so I slept deeply for the first time in weeks. It felt like a home from home, and I have already recommended it to several of my classmates.
What to notice
- It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
- Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
- The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.
We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.
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Useful vocabulary
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| check in | register on arrival at a hotel |
| a spacious room | a room with a lot of space |
| a sea view | a window or balcony looking towards the sea |
| excellent value for money | very good quality for the price |
| a warm welcome | friendly greeting when you arrive |
| home from home | a place that feels as comfortable as your own home |
Plan it in one minute
Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.
Who or what you could talk about
- A small family guest house in the mountains
- A luxury hotel you stayed in for a special occasion
- A hostel where you met interesting travellers
How to spend the two minutes
- 25 swhere it was
- 25 swhen and why you stayed there
- 25 swhat it was like
- 45 sand explain why you liked staying there.
Part 3 questions
In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Accommodation and travel. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.
- What types of accommodation do people in your country choose when they travel?
- Why have rented apartments become so popular with tourists?
- What do people expect from a good hotel?
- Do you think staying with a local family is a good way to get to know a culture?
- How important is it for hotels to protect the environment?
- Will robots replace hotel staff in the future?
Keep practicing
More cue cards: Places
- Describe a quiet place that you like to go to
- Describe a bookshop that you like to visit
- Describe a city where you would like to live in the future
- Describe a famous building in your country
- Describe a place where you have watched or played a sport, such as a stadium, court or pool
- Describe a shop that you like to go to
Part 1 topics on the same subject
Frequently asked questions
How should I describe a place in an IELTS cue card?
Choose a place you have actually been to. Give its location quickly, then describe it with your senses: what you saw, heard and did there. Close with how you felt or why you would go back. A real visit gives you details that sound natural.
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