Level-graded English lessons with reading, listening, activities, and discussion.
Lesson Info
Lesson Content
Warm-up, Vocab List, Reading and Audio
Understanding: True or False, Review Breakdown
Language: Words That Go Together, New Sentences
Use It: Evaluation Builder, Discussion Questions
Answers
(1) When choosing a hotel, what matters most to you: location, price, comfort, facilities, or the view? Why?
(2) Have you ever stayed somewhere that was better or worse than you expected? What was good or bad about it?
Vocab List
If you're looking for a luxury hotel in Sydney, the Park Hyatt is hard to ignore. Sitting right beside Sydney Harbor, it offers incredible views of the famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge. But with such high prices, is it really worth staying here?
The biggest attraction is definitely the location. Some rooms have private balconies where you can watch boats crossing the harbor. The hotel also has an outdoor rooftop pool, a spa, and an excellent restaurant. Breakfast is a particular highlight, with a wide choice of fresh, high-quality food.
However, not everything is perfect. Although the more expensive rooms are spacious and comfortable, some guests have complained that the standard rooms feel old and disappointing. You might even end up with a room where trees block the view!
The hotel also has a rather unusual layout. Some rooms are a long walk from the lifts, and the gym is surprisingly small for a five-star hotel. While the waterfront location is beautiful, getting to other parts of Sydney can be inconvenient.
Then there's the price. Rooms can cost hundreds of Australian dollars per night, with the best views costing even more.
Overall, I'd recommend the Park Hyatt Sydney for a romantic weekend or a special celebration, especially if you can afford a room with a harbor view. But if you're visiting Sydney to explore the city, I think there are better-value options elsewhere.
Park Hyatt Sydney Review
(1) When choosing a hotel, what matters most to you: location, price, comfort, facilities, or the view? Why?
(2) Have you ever stayed somewhere that was better or worse than you expected? What was good or bad about it?
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highlight (n.)
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spacious (adj.)
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layout (n.)
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inconvenient (adj.)
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afford (v.)
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better value (phrase)
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block the view (phrase)
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worth + -ing (phrase)
If you're looking for a luxury hotel in Sydney, the Park Hyatt is hard to ignore. Sitting right beside Sydney Harbor, it offers incredible views of the famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge. But with such high prices, is it really worth staying here?
The biggest attraction is definitely the location. Some rooms have private balconies where you can watch boats crossing the harbor. The hotel also has an outdoor rooftop pool, a spa, and an excellent restaurant. Breakfast is a particular highlight, with a wide choice of fresh, high-quality food.
However, not everything is perfect. Although the more expensive rooms are spacious and comfortable, some guests have complained that the standard rooms feel old and disappointing. You might even end up with a room where trees block the view!
The hotel also has a rather unusual layout. Some rooms are a long walk from the lifts, and the gym is surprisingly small for a five-star hotel. While the waterfront location is beautiful, getting to other parts of Sydney can be inconvenient.
Then there's the price. Rooms can cost hundreds of Australian dollars per night, with the best views costing even more.
Overall, I'd recommend the Park Hyatt Sydney for a romantic weekend or a special celebration, especially if you can afford a room with a harbor view. But if you're visiting Sydney to explore the city, I think there are better-value options elsewhere.
True or False
Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.
True or False
1. Every room at the Park Hyatt Sydney has a beautiful harbor view. TRUEFALSE False
2. The reviewer describes breakfast as one of the hotel's strongest features. TRUEFALSE True
3. Some guests have complained about the quality of the standard rooms. TRUEFALSE True
4. The reviewer recommends the hotel mainly for people who want to explore Sydney. TRUEFALSE False
Review Breakdown
Review Breakdown
Read each statement. Write the letter in the correct group below.
- The hotel is a good choice for a romantic weekend or special celebration.
- Breakfast offers a wide choice of high-quality food.
- The hotel provides free transport to the city center.
- Some rooms offer incredible views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge.
- Some rooms are a long walk from the lifts.
- The hotel is located beside Sydney Harbor.
- Some standard rooms feel old and disappointing.
- Travelers wanting to explore the city may find better value elsewhere.
- The hotel has a rooftop pool and spa.
- Every room has a private balcony.
Hotel Information:
Positive Point:
Negative Point:
Final Opinion:
Not in the Review:
Hotel Information: f i
Positive Point: b d
Negative Point: e g
Final Opinion: a h
Not in the Review: c j
Words That Go Together
Drag each word to its match below, or select a word and then select its match:
Loading vocabulary activity...
Words That Go Together
Match each word with the words it goes with:
1. Offerf) incredible views
2. Watche) boats crossing the harbor
3. Blockd) the view
4. Feelc) old and disappointing
5. Costb) hundreds of dollars per night
6. Explorea) the city
a) the city
b) hundreds of dollars per night
c) old and disappointing
d) the view
e) boats crossing the harbor
f) incredible views
New Sentences
Choose the best word for each new sentence.
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The {blank} of our trip was seeing dolphins swimming beside the boat.
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Their new apartment is bright and {blank}, with room for a large dining table.
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The office has a strange {blank}, so visitors often get lost.
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The early train is {blank} because I have to leave home before six.
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I would love to travel first class, but I cannot {blank} the ticket.
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This laptop is {blank} than the other one because it offers the same features at a lower price.
New Sentences
afford / better value / block the view / highlight / inconvenient / layout / spacious
- The of our trip was seeing dolphins swimming beside the boat.
- Their new apartment is bright and , with room for a large dining table.
- The office has a strange , so visitors often get lost.
- The early train is because I have to leave home before six.
- I would love to travel first class, but I cannot the ticket.
- This laptop is than the other one because it offers the same features at a lower price.
Evaluation Builder
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Some rooms have private balconies with views of Sydney Harbor.
This appeals / doesn't appeal to me because .
This appeals to me because I enjoy relaxing outside and looking at the water.
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Some standard rooms feel old and disappointing.
This might be a problem for because .
This might be a problem for guests paying full price because they expect excellent quality.
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The hotel has a beautiful waterfront location, but getting to other parts of Sydney can be inconvenient.
For me, this trade-off matters / doesn't matter because .
For me, this trade-off matters because I would spend most of my holiday sightseeing.
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Who would the Park Hyatt Sydney suit best?
I think it would suit someone who because .
I think it would suit someone who is celebrating a special occasion because the harbor views make the stay memorable.
Evaluation Builder
-
Some rooms have private balconies with views of Sydney Harbor.
This appeals / doesn't appeal to me because .
-
Some standard rooms feel old and disappointing.
This might be a problem for because .
-
The hotel has a beautiful waterfront location, but getting to other parts of Sydney can be inconvenient.
For me, this trade-off matters / doesn't matter because .
-
Who would the Park Hyatt Sydney suit best?
I think it would suit someone who because .
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever stayed in a luxury hotel? What was the experience like?
- Would you pay extra for a hotel room with a beautiful view? Why or why not?
- Which hotel facilities are most important to you? Which ones do you rarely use?
- How important is a good hotel breakfast to you?
- Would you prefer to stay in a beautiful, quiet location or somewhere convenient for sightseeing? Why?
- Based on the review, would you consider staying at the Park Hyatt Sydney? Why or why not?
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever stayed in a luxury hotel? What was the experience like?
- Would you pay extra for a hotel room with a beautiful view? Why or why not?
- Which hotel facilities are most important to you? Which ones do you rarely use?
- How important is a good hotel breakfast to you?
- Would you prefer to stay in a beautiful, quiet location or somewhere convenient for sightseeing? Why?
- Based on the review, would you consider staying at the Park Hyatt Sydney? Why or why not?
Answers
True or False:
- False. Some rooms have views blocked by trees.
- True. Breakfast is described as a particular highlight, with a wide choice of high-quality food.
- True. The review says some guests find the standard rooms old and disappointing.
- False. The reviewer recommends it for romantic weekends or special celebrations, particularly with a harbor-view room.
Review Breakdown:
Hotel Information: f i
Positive Point: b d
Negative Point: e g
Final Opinion: a h
Not in the Review: c j
Vocabulary:
- Offer: incredible views
- Watch: boats crossing the harbor
- Block: the view
- Feel: old and disappointing
- Cost: hundreds of dollars per night
- Explore: the city
New Sentences: 1. highlight; 2. spacious; 3. layout; 4. inconvenient; 5. afford; 6. better value
Evaluation Builder examples:
- This appeals to me because I enjoy relaxing outside and looking at the water.
- This might be a problem for guests paying full price because they expect excellent quality.
- For me, this trade-off matters because I would spend most of my holiday sightseeing.
- I think it would suit someone who is celebrating a special occasion because the harbor views make the stay memorable.