vacancy sign

Meaning

A physical sign outside a hotel, motel, or guesthouse that indicates whether there are rooms available. Usually, it glows 'Vacancy' (rooms available) or 'No Vacancy' (fully booked), often in bright neon letters.

Examples

• We kept driving through the night, searching for a motel with a bright green vacancy sign.

  We kept driving through the night, searching for a motel with a bright green vacancy sign.

• The vacancy sign was switched off, indicating that the hotel was completely full.

  The vacancy sign was switched off, indicating that the hotel was completely full.

• As soon as I saw the flashing vacancy sign, I pulled the car over to book a room.

  As soon as I saw the flashing vacancy sign, I pulled the car over to book a room.

• In old movies, you often see a flickering neon vacancy sign outside a dusty roadside motel.

  In old movies, you often see a flickering neon vacancy sign outside a dusty roadside motel.

• We didn't book ahead, but luckily the first place we saw had its vacancy sign lit up.

  We didn't book ahead, but luckily the first place we saw had its vacancy sign lit up.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ The hotel had a free rooms sign outside.

  ✓ The hotel had a vacancy sign outside.

  While 'free rooms' is understandable, the industry standard and natural term used by native speakers is 'vacancy sign'.

• ✗ I saw a vacant sign at the motel.

  ✓ I saw a vacancy sign at the motel.

  'Vacant' is an adjective (e.g., 'a vacant room'), but the sign itself uses the noun form, making it a 'vacancy sign'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• We were relieved to see the ___ glowing in the dark after driving for six hours.

  💡 The outdoor indicator showing that a hotel has open rooms.

  Show answer

  vacancy sign

• If the ___ is turned off, it means they don't have any rooms left.

  💡 The display that motels switch off when they are full.

  Show answer

  vacancy sign