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.

I'd pay double to get a room to myself !

It's split by room, the same as you would if it was a hotel.

Me, dh and 2 adult dc go away. And under 16 dc that are their siblings. Accommodation is split equally 4 ways. Food - they contribute £50 each and me and dh cover the rest. Nobody has ever complained.. Me and dh plan and shop. They travel in 1 car and share costs. As do me and dh in our car. Works for us.

It should be split per room for the simplest option, but I do like the idea of the room cost and use of house cost as two separate things.

@LeQuern

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.

Would you be happy with a single room? I think the issue we had was that every room was a big double and the house was priced accordingly so the disparity was really big and imo couple B would have been subsidising the rest of us staying in this really luxurious house.

I’ve stayed in loads of shared places before and have sometimes drawn the short straw with the room, sometimes paid a bit more, probably sometimes been subsidised a bit but have never bothered before because it’s always worked out in a mostly fair way.

In this case A, C, D & E would all get lovely doubles for 500 while B get the same double for 1000. In my suggestion (option 2), C, D & E are only paying 66 more for the private double. I’m A and I don’t mind paying the extra for my child and splitting the rest between me and B.

I’d have just divided it up equally between all adults. Everyone slept comfortably, it doesn’t seem fair to penalise the single people.

Option 2 or just per room

Pay per room

No OP I would not. The couple get a nice big room, the house is a nice big house, the singles also get a nice big room. It’s the fairest way.

"£500 per single occupancy room, £750 per double occupancy room"

I think this suggestion is the best compromise between fairness and simplicity.

Another way of doing it is to split, say, half the cost by room (ie £1.5k / 5 = £300 per room) and then half the cost per person, with children half price, so £1.5k / 6.5 = £231 per adult and £115 for the child. So the single adults pay £531 each, the couple pays £762 (£381 each) and the parent sharing with child pays £646.

As in life, it's most expensive for the single parent, and cheapest for the childless couple

I went away with family last year and will be doing it again soon. We had / will have:
Double bedroom with couple
Twin bedroom with two children (of couple)
Double bedroom with couple and baby
Twin bedroom with single adult

We have split the cost by room as it seems the fairest way. Single adult pays more but also has more disposable income that the couples with children.

But in your case I don't think doing it by room was the fairest way, hence agreeing with PP who suggested a compromise.

Per room

@LawnFever but you would be getting twice as much. Couple would get half the room, half the bed and half the wardrobe as you. Honestly when my fiancé starts snoring and stealing the duvet l would love to be in my own room and bed!