make up the room

Meaning

This phrasal verb means to clean, tidy, and prepare a hotel room for a guest. It typically involves making the bed with fresh sheets, replacing towels, vacuuming, and cleaning the bathroom.

Examples

• Could you please make up the room while we are out for lunch?

  Could you please make up the room while we are out for lunch?

• Housekeeping comes to make up the room every day before noon.

  Housekeeping comes to make up the room every day before noon.

• We don't need you to make up the room today, thank you.

  We don't need you to make up the room today, thank you.

• The receptionist asked if we wanted them to make up the room.

  The receptionist asked if we wanted them to make up the room.

• Please hang the sign on the door if you want them to make up the room.

  Please hang the sign on the door if you want them to make up the room.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Can you make my room?

  ✓ Can you make up my room?

  Without the preposition 'up', 'make a room' sounds incomplete or implies physical construction. 'Make up the room' is the standard hotel term.

• ✗ They came to do up the room.

  ✓ They came to make up the room.

  'Do up' means to renovate or decorate. Use 'make up' for cleaning and tidying a hotel room.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I will leave the 'Please Clean' sign so they can ___.

  💡 Housekeeping cleans and tidies.

  Show answer

  make up the room

• Would you like us to ___ now or later this afternoon?

  💡 Clean and prepare the hotel room.

  Show answer

  make up the room