How to split the accommodation cost?

[MangosteenSoda]

We went for a cottage break a while ago and there was a bit of tension over how to split the cost. Can you offer me your thoughts?

The cottage had 5 double bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, so all accommodations were equally nice. Trip cost 3K.

The holiday makers were:
Pair A (one adult and one child sharing a room)
Pair B (two adults sharing a room)
Person C (one adult, own room)
Person D (one adult, own room)
Person E (one adult, own room)

Cost splitting option 1:
Divide cost by each adult = 500 per adult (meaning 500 per room apart from Pair B who pay 1000).

Cost splitting option 2:
Pay per room with slight adjustment for the rooms with 2 people = 650 each for Pair A & B’s trip and 566 each for C,D & E.

Cost splitting option 3:
Pay per number of total people including child = 856 for Pairs A & B and 428 each for C,D & E.

A and B are only getting half a bedroom prr person so by room is the only sensible way!

If you book a hotel you pay for the room not per head, so I'd go with that logic.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

A and B are only getting half a bedroom prr person so by room is the only sensible way!

But for the cost of their room their getting twice the use of every other communal space

Was it discussed in advance? Or did it come up when you were there?

Who decided you needed a 5 bed place with 3 people having a room each rather than at least 2 of them sharing a twin?

Was a smaller and cheaper property looked at as an option?

Per room is fair.

@hopeishere

Was it discussed in advance? Or did it come up when you were there?

We booked it too hastily tbh. We had left things a bit late and made a snap decision. I had been looking at cheaper places, but D found the cottage and really loved it. It WAS gorgeous. I first heard about the splitting when Pair B mentioned it to me and that’s when I suggested options 2 or 3.

The whole thing never got properly resolved because some other family members ended up joining the group (closer to D & E’s side) so they were happy to share rooms and it all worked itself out. I actually wonder if D wanted the bigger place in case the others ended up joining, but then I don’t understand why they were so upset about how to share the costs.

We are normally a really close family so I was really taken aback that D & E were so pissed off and didn’t see the issue I was bothered about at all.

1/5 each between adults just split the cost between 5. Im sure other adults could share a room or bring someone else if they wanted to split the cost of their room with them.

The couple get to enjoy the whole house not just the bedroom so it’s really not fair if they pay half each of what everyone else is paying!

If they're all adults we split the bill between us equally, even though married couples share a room.

I also consider cost split across number of rooms to be fairest.

I saw a really good way of splitting it once…..

You divide the cost in two - half for “use of bedrooms” and half for “use of house”. Bedrooms is divided by room , rest of house by person.

So A pay 1/10 + 2/14 = 24%
B also pays 24%.
C, D & E each pay 1/10 + 1/14 = 17%.

Obviously need some decimal places here but you get the idea.

Arguably you should make the 5 year old “half a person” and so A pays 1/10 + 1.5/13, B is 1/10 + 2/13 and C,D & E are each 1/10 + 1/13.

@FFSFFSFFS

The couple get to enjoy the whole house not just the bedroom so it’s really not fair if they pay half each of what everyone else is paying!

That’s why I suggested the adjustment in option 2.

Having a double room as a single person (meaning a much bigger and costlier house) is also quite a luxury imo which cancels out the extra people in the communal space.

Good to get all the opinions though - thanks. It’s helped me clarify future suggestions of similar trips. I think I’m probably of the mind to avoid them because I’m a bit stressed out just thinking about this again

Mumoftwo has beaten me to it but I would also go for half and half.

We do big holiday sharing houses with around 7/8 different households (family) and we pay per rooms we want. So we want 3 rooms so pay accordingly. Other families only want 1 room. Works out for us fine.

Per adult, why should the couple pay half just because they’re a couple.

I wouldn’t charge for the child, everyone else splits the costs per head.

We go away with groups loads and always do it this way, it’s not fair for single people to pay double.

@WeThreeKingsofOrientAre

I also consider cost split across number of rooms to be fairest.

How is that fair on the single people who have to pay double?

Also agree it should be split by room, £600 per bedroom. The couple benefit financially from this but that's no different to booking a hotel room (same cost if occupied by one person or two).

@Mumoftwoinprimary

I saw a really good way of splitting it once…..

You divide the cost in two - half for “use of bedrooms” and half for “use of house”. Bedrooms is divided by room , rest of house by person.

So A pay 1/10 + 2/14 = 24%
B also pays 24%.
C, D & E each pay 1/10 + 1/14 = 17%.

Obviously need some decimal places here but you get the idea.

Arguably you should make the 5 year old “half a person” and so A pays 1/10 + 1.5/13, B is 1/10 + 2/13 and C,D & E are each 1/10 + 1/13.

This is very detailed

I like the idea. Think it might work better if we had just booked more suitable accommodation though. The house was really under occupied, so it skewed things too much. I should definitely have put more thought into it beforehand.

I assume nobody saying split by room is single? I’d refuse to go if I was a single person and expected to pay double what a couple was paying per head.

@LawnFever

I assume nobody saying split by room is single? I’d refuse to go if I was a single person and expected to pay double what a couple was paying per head.

I am single and I suggested split per room. I see that as me benefitting from having the room to myself, when presumably there is also the option to share a room with one of the other single adults and pay less. In the same way that if it was a hotel I'd pay the cost of one room to myself, whereas the couple would pay the cost of the room between them.

I’m single as well and had the same reasoning for split per room as @perimenofertility

We’ve always done it per person. As a single person, I want my own room but don’t see why I should subsidise a couple. Luckily, all friends have agreed.

Should of been split per room.

Two adults in one room £850
Adult and child in one room £650
Remaining adults £500 each