no vacancies

Meaning

A phrase indicating that a hotel, motel, or boarding house has no available rooms left for guests. It is often seen on neon signs outside lodgings or on booking websites.

Examples

• We drove past three motels, but they all had 'no vacancies' signs lit up.

  We drove past three motels, but they all had 'no vacancies' signs lit up.

• I'm sorry, but we have no vacancies tonight because of the local music festival.

  I'm sorry, but we have no vacancies tonight because of the local music festival.

• During the holidays, almost every hotel in the beach town has no vacancies.

  During the holidays, almost every hotel in the beach town has no vacancies.

• The website showed no vacancies for our selected dates, so we had to change our plans.

  The website showed no vacancies for our selected dates, so we had to change our plans.

• Even though the sign said 'no vacancies', I decided to go inside and ask anyway.

  Even though the sign said 'no vacancies', I decided to go inside and ask anyway.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The hotel is no vacancy tonight.

  ✓ The hotel has no vacancies tonight.

  Use the verb 'have/has' with the plural 'no vacancies', or say 'The "no vacancy" sign is on.'

• ✗ We couldn't find a room because of no free rooms.

  ✓ We couldn't find a room because there were no vacancies.

  'No vacancies' is the standard, natural expression used in travel and lodging contexts.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The motel had a glowing red sign that read '___'.

  💡 The sign indicating all rooms are full.

  Show answer

  no vacancies

• I tried to book a room online, but the system says there are ___.

  💡 No empty rooms left.

  Show answer

  no vacancies