Hospitality English: Mastering Numbers

Welcome, Future Hospitality Professionals!

Numbers are essential in hotel work. A receptionist must say room numbers clearly, explain prices accurately, and confirm dates and times politely.

🎯 Mission 1

Read numbers from 0 to 1,000,000.

🛎️ Mission 2

Use numbers in hotel conversations.

🏆 Mission 3

Complete quizzes and team challenges.

Hotel situation:
Guest: “How much is a deluxe room?”
Receptionist: “It is seven hundred and fifty thousand rupiahs per night.”

How to use: Open each menu, study the examples, answer the questions, and check your score. You can work individually or with a partner.

1. Learning Materials

A. Cardinal numbers (jumlah/angka biasa)

Cardinal numbers tell us how many or the value of something: one, two, three, twenty, one hundred.

Number	English	Number	English
0	zero / oh	10	ten
1	one	11	eleven
2	two	12	twelve
3	three	13	thirteen
4	four	14	fourteen
5	five	15	fifteen
6	six	16	sixteen
7	seven	17	seventeen
8	eight	18	eighteen
9	nine	19	nineteen
20	twenty	30	thirty
40	forty	50	fifty
60	sixty	70	seventy
80	eighty	90	ninety

Spelling alert: 13 = thirteen, 30 = thirty; 15 = fifteen, 50 = fifty; 40 is forty, not fourty. Compound numbers use a hyphen: twenty-one, thirty-six.

B. Hundreds, thousands, and millions

Pattern: hundreds + tens/ones. In British-style English, “and” is commonly used after hundred; in American English it is often omitted. Be consistent.

Number	How to say it
105	one hundred and five
248	two hundred and forty-eight
1,000	one thousand
3,250	three thousand two hundred and fifty
25,000	twenty-five thousand
100,000	one hundred thousand
750,000	seven hundred and fifty thousand
1,000,000	one million

C. Hotel money (rupiahs)

Say the number, then the currency. In conversation, “rupiahs” or “IDR” may be used. Avoid translating each digit separately when reading a price.

Rp125,000 = one hundred and twenty-five thousand rupiahs.
Rp1,250,000 = one million two hundred and fifty thousand rupiahs.

D. Room numbers and floors

Room numbers are often read digit by digit or in convenient pairs. For clarity, digit-by-digit is useful in phone/radio communication. Floors are usually ordinal numbers.

Room 208: “Room two-oh-eight” or “Room two hundred and eight.”
Room 1412: “Room one-four-one-two.”
On the 3rd floor: “on the third floor.”

E. Ordinal numbers (urutan)

1st	first	2nd	second	3rd	third
4th	fourth	5th	fifth	8th	eighth
9th	ninth	12th	twelfth	20th	twentieth
21st	twenty-first	30th	thirtieth	31st	thirty-first

F. Months, dates, and years

Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

British format: 2 October 2026 = “the second of October, twenty twenty-six.”
American format: October 2, 2026 = “October second, twenty twenty-six.”
Years: 1998 = nineteen ninety-eight; 2005 = two thousand and five / twenty oh five; 2026 = twenty twenty-six.

G. Telling the time

Time	Expression
7:00	seven o’clock
7:15	seven fifteen / a quarter past seven
7:30	seven thirty / half past seven
7:45	seven forty-five / a quarter to eight
14:20	two twenty p.m. / fourteen twenty

In hotels, the 24-hour format can prevent confusion: 18:30 = eighteen thirty (or six thirty p.m.).

Pronunciation tips

TH in three, thirteen, thirty: place the tongue lightly between the teeth.
Distinguish -teen (often stronger at the end) from -ty: thirteen vs thirty.
Speak prices in meaningful chunks: “seven hundred / fifty thousand / rupiahs.”
Repeat and confirm important information: “That is room two-oh-eight, correct?”

2. Individual Practice

Write the English expression. Click Check to see the suggested answer.

3. Level Quiz

Choose a level. Answer all questions, then submit to see your score and feedback.

4. Group Challenge: Hotel Number Mission

Form groups of 4–5. Assign roles: receptionist, guest, observer, timekeeper, and scorekeeper. Rotate roles after each round.

Round 1: Reservation Desk

Guest requests a room for 2 nights, arriving on 14 November 2026. Receptionist confirms the date and number of guests (3).

Round 2: Room & Floor

Guest is assigned room 1208 on the 12th floor. Receptionist gives clear directions and confirms the room number.

Round 3: Payment

Room rate is Rp875,000 per night for 2 nights. Calculate the total and explain it in English.

Group worksheet

Write the date and say it aloud.
Say the room number in two ways.
Say the floor using an ordinal number.
Calculate the total payment and say it in English.
Perform a 1–2 minute hotel dialogue.

Peer assessment (1–4): Accuracy, pronunciation, clarity, teamwork, and politeness. Total: ____ / 20.

5. Remedial: Let's Try Again

For learners who need more practice. Read the number aloud three times, then complete the short check.

Focus set: 13 / 30 • 14 / 40 • 15 / 50 • 18 / 80 • 105 • 1,500 • 15,000

1. 40 =

2. 115 =

3. 2,000 =

Teacher tip: use number flashcards, choral repetition, pair dictation, and short daily 3-minute drills. Give corrective feedback gently and let students retry.

6. Enrichment: Front Office Expert

For students who finish early. Complete the challenge independently, then present your answer.

Challenge A: A guest books 3 nights at Rp1,250,000 per night. There is a 10% discount. What is the final price? Write the calculation and explain the amount in English.

Challenge B: Create a mini hotel schedule with 4 appointments between 08:15 and 17:45. Write each time in digital and spoken form.

Challenge C: Write a polite dialogue confirming guest name, room 2306, 5th floor, check-in date 21 December 2026, and payment of Rp2,450,000.