# Describe a hotel you know: IELTS Speaking sample answers

Speaking Part 2 - Places

Describe a hotel you know.

You should say:
- where it is
- how you know about it
- what it is like
- and explain whether you would recommend it to others

Source: Sample answers and examiner notes are written by Testmigo.

## Band 7 sample

I'd like to talk about a hotel in the mountains in the north of my country, where I stayed with my family about two years ago. It's in a small village near a national park, and you need to drive on a narrow, winding road for about an hour for getting there from the nearest town.

I knew about it because my father's friend recommended it. He goes there every year for hiking, and he showed us photos, so my parents decided to book it for our summer holiday.

The hotel is quite old, I think it was a farmhouse before, and it's made of stone and wood. It only has about fifteen rooms, so it feels more like a big family house than a hotel. Our room was simple but very clean, and it had a small balcony with an amazing view of the valley. The best thing was the food. The owners grow a lot of the vegetables themselves, and every evening they cooked a traditional dinner, which all the guests ate together at long tables. There was no TV in the rooms and the Wi-Fi was quite weak, which at first I didn't like it, but after one or two days I didn't mind at all.

Would I recommend it? Yes, definitely, but not for everyone. If you like peace and quiet, nature and home-cooked food, it's perfect. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the price was reasonable. But if you want a swimming pool, nightlife or lots of facilities, it's probably not the right place, because there's not much to do in the evenings except to talk and look at the stars.

**Examiner notes.** This Band 7 answer covers all four points with clear, relevant detail and gives a balanced recommendation, explaining who the hotel would and wouldn't suit. Vocabulary like "winding road", "peace and quiet" and "home-cooked food" is used well. Some vocabulary is common ("very clean", "amazing view"), and there are typical errors: "for getting there" (rather than "to get there") and "which at first I didn't like it", where the extra "it" repeats the object of the relative clause. For Band 8, the speaker would use more precise and idiomatic vocabulary to capture the atmosphere and develop the evaluation with more nuance.

The Band 8 sample is free with an account on the [topic page](https://testmigo.com/ielts/speaking/topics/describe-a-hotel-you-know).

## Common questions

### How long should an IELTS Speaking Part 2 answer be?

You get one minute to prepare and then speak for up to two minutes; the examiner stops you at two. Aim to keep talking for the full time, which is usually 220 to 300 words.

### Can I use these sample answers in my test?

No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and a learned script is marked down. Use the samples to see what each band does, then answer in your own words.