Why does a solo traveller pay a supplement for all inclusive?

[Nugg]

I get it from regular places because you’re obviously not going to spend as much as a couple, but surely they are saving money by having a solo person in a room?

I’ve just booked one to go in a couple of weeks because I’m exhausted and I just want some winter and to do nothing but read and swim and eat and drink my bodyweight in gin.

But I am paying more than part of a couple for the privilege and I just wondered If anyone can explain why.

Because they charge per person, so two people in that room would bring twice as much money. As a solo traveller you pay the full room rate yourself

It's to do with occupancy rate & money. Hotels want to maximise both.

Yep. Rooms are for 2 people so they would sell it for double the money.

However, readying and cleaning the room is the same for 1 or 2 people staying.

Because the hotel's fixed costs for cleaning, laundry etc stay the same per room. So if they charged 50% rates for solo travellers to stay in a double room it would be less profitable.

imagine pp price paid is £500 and average cost of food + drink consumed pp is £200, plus a fixed overhead cost per room of £100 (staff, cleaning, electricity etc).

For a couple hotel receives £1000, spends £500 on food drink.and overheads = £500 profit

For a single person they receive £500, spend £300 on food drink and overheads = £200 profit.

Hence the supplement.

Prices for a couple could be seen as a discount price.
Hotel costs are pretty much the same whether one person or two stay - same electricity, cleaning, washing.

Not savinvg money as the second person, if there was one, would be paying for their food and drink too. It’s the room you are paying the supplement for

If it’s part of a package the company would need twice the number of rooms to fill a plane if they were all single occupancy.

Or to look at another way the company only gets one air fare paid for by booking a single occupancy room.

I look on it as having the luxury of a room all to myself! (To take the sting out)

Not for AI - so the hotel would save something on the variable costs of food and drink consumption.

But fixed costs remain the same regardless of occupancy and the variable costs per person will be much less than halving the amount the hotel receives for the room.

Of course for AI, you pay a per person cost?

It is the cost of the room under occupancy. Hotels rarely have single rooms, so they will only be getting in half the cost per room unless they charge an under occupancy fee. Even if they have single rooms, the combined area of the single room and the bathroom is usually a lot more than half the area of a double room with its bathroom.

Sorry I misread your post - I thought you were making a similar point to the OP that the hotel would be saving money through not catering for an additional guest.

I checked a holiday for next year.

For 1 adult and 2 kids it was 4200
For 2 adults and 2 kids it was 3400

This was an all inclusive holiday.

Decided to add on the extra adult for a cheaper holiday.

Thanks all. I don’t mind paying supplements and I’ve travelled alone for a number of years but never done AI, and it hit me as I booked it.

it does make sense so I’m glad I asked 😃

If you are flexible on dates and happy to travel in off peak times, it's worth emailing hotelsto see if there's any particular days next month that they would be prepared to waive the single supplement.

They'll sometimes do it for a short Monday/Tuesday night break in the quieter months when their occupancy is lowest.

If you want the convenience of a package holiday then you have to also accept that as a single you will be badly ripped off.When you are a single person you subsidise the lifestyle chosen by families and couples to a degree which is shameful. This is yet anothere example. Single supplments have always angered me.

One way around it is to travel out of season and book independently. At such times hotels often have empty rooms and are prepared to negotiate. Ive often found this when travelling to less touristy destinations like Morocco, Egypt, Syria etc. The flight arrives at some weird hour so you tumble into bed in your assigend room. Next day you go to the manager and negotiate. They dont want you leaving (which you are free to do) when they have empty sooms so you can end up with a much nicer room and a better view just by doing a bit of bargaining. Needless to say haggling is customary in these countries so by all means take advantage.

Imagine you are running a hotel. A room sells for 200. This room has a double bed. Being fair, you decide that a single guest should only pay 100 as they are using half the water, toiletries and towels.

Fair?

On the face of it.

But guests would figure out very quickly that booking two rooms would cost the same as a double and they would get twice as much space. As most rooms have fixed costs to turn around, the hotel loses half its revenue by not charging a supplement to discourage the above.

I don't think single people are subsidising anyone. As other people on this thread have explained, hotels make money based on a combination of the price charged per person and occupancy. A couple will only take up one room and they will be paying twice whilst a solo traveller will take up the same room but only pay once.

Most businesses want people to buy in volume and you will notice that it's common in supermarkets with buy one get one half price etc deals or group booking discounts at attractions. It is better to view it as the people buying in bulk get a discount rather than people buying less being ripped off.

Others mentioned it's the room. However that's not all - two single travellers need more attention from staff at restaurants, check in, activity bookings etc, because a couple would ask most requests together.
Example, a couple usually orders drinks together, checks in together etc, so there's less staff needed.