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General Training Task 1 letter

IELTS General Training Letter: Complaint to a hotel

Question type: General Training Task 1: formal complaint letter

The question

You recently stayed at a hotel and were not happy with your room or the service.

Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter: - give details of your stay - explain what the problems were - say what you would like the manager to do

Write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir or Madam,

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How to approach it

  1. State the purpose (a complaint) in the first sentence.
  2. Give specific details: dates, room number, booking reference.
  3. Say clearly what you want: a refund, partial refund or apology.

Sample letter

195 words (minimum 150). Written to show the features of a Band 8-level answer.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about my recent stay at your hotel, which fell far below the standard I expected.

I stayed at the Grand Riverside Hotel from 14 to 17 March, in room 412, for a business trip. I had booked a deluxe double room with a river view through your website, at a cost of £165 per night.

Unfortunately, there were several problems. Firstly, the room overlooked the car park rather than the river, and when I asked to change rooms, I was told that none were available. Secondly, the air conditioning did not work properly, so the room was uncomfortably hot at night, even though I reported this on my first day. Finally, breakfast, which was included in the price, was served cold on two mornings, and staff seemed unwilling to help.

Given that I paid for a premium room, I would like a partial refund to cover the difference between the deluxe room and the standard room I actually received. I would also appreciate an assurance that the air conditioning problem has been fixed, as I may need to stay in the area again.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Karen Mitchell

Useful language from this answer

fell far below the standard I expected
a formal way to complain
firstly… secondly… finally…
organising several problems
seemed unwilling to help
a polite criticism of staff
given that…
because
I look forward to hearing from you
a formal closing sentence

Common mistakes with this question

  • Using informal language, such as 'Hi' or 'Thanks a lot', in a formal letter.
  • Missing one of the three bullet points. Each one must be covered clearly.
  • Ending with the wrong phrase. After 'Dear Sir or Madam', end with 'Yours faithfully'; after a name, use 'Yours sincerely'.

Now write your own answer

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This model answer was written by TestWise Prep to show the features of a high-scoring answer. It is not official IELTS material. Use it for ideas and language, not to memorise.