How would you split the cost of a holiday cottage for family. Per person or room.

[MeMyselfAndIris]

I’m looking at potential holiday rentals for family get together. Do you split the cost per person or per room. For example a single person in one single room V 2 parents and one child in one triple room. Also single adult in double room. The party is made up of 3 single adults all wanting own room, couple with child (who would also like own room but tricky due to expense) and another couple.

You pay for what you use, not who you are. So per room.

That's how accommodation costs always work.

A single person booking a two bed flat for just themselves pays the same as a family of four.

A single won't pay double! They will pay for what they get. They can double up and share like the couple if they want, or they can pay for the whole room if they don't. They just can't expect s 50% discount on a double room subsidised by the sharers.

If everyone is arguing about costs already, it is going to be a nightmare. Fake jury duty or something and stay at home.

(But, IMO, per room. With everything else - food, etc, per person, inc 16yo, unless there is loads of booze)

Per person but not include the child (unless they had their own room).

In this example nobody is chipping in to help the parents, quite the reverse - the singles get far and away the best deal if it's per adult.

An adult sized teenager and two parents sharing a room will pay 2/7 of the price and get one room to share, a couple sharing a room pay the same 2/7 and share one room - the singles are the ones being subsided, paying 1/7 of the price each and each having a room entirely to themselves.

Given this is the case, they pay the single person premium and you charge by room.

If they were willing to share it would be per person. And tbh given it's a 16 year old Id charge them per person in this scenario. Given that 16 year old is sharing with parents by room seems fairest.

If the singletons want to double up with the 16 year old and parents are willing to pay a little more then you could do a deal on that.

If the singletons were going anywhere else they'd have to pay single person premium.

Half the price per room and half the price per person. If family we have always ignored children sharing with parents (though older DC, especially boys, get counted in the food budget split). We have also finagled things sometimes if someone is in a difficult financial position.

Think how a hotel does it, there is usually a single occupancy supplement, but they don't pay the same room cost, but the sharers effectively get a discount.

They have made a choice not to share. If they wanted to stay somewhere else they'd have to pay the single person premium on a room. If they don't like it they can source their own accommodation rather than leave it to the OP.

Per head unless you’re not doing joint catering

Per person but if a single person has a double room to themselves and the other single person has a single room I would expect the person on their own in a double to pay a bit more.

We split per room. Some families wanted two rooms, one for adults and one for children. Total cost was divided by number of rooms, you then paid for each room you were using.

This isn’t a hotel though, that’s the entire point.

Sharing a room as a couple isn’t necessarily an inconvenience, not in the same way as staying with a friend or family member is.

Thank you so much for all the contributions. We are a loving family with no conflict and have had many lovely cottage holidays. I have always happily subsidised these holidays for my sister and partner but my children are now adults and I wanted to work out an equitable way for them to contribute. I will cover all food and drink.

It depends who the single people are, and the entire point is that this isn’t a hotel so how that would be charged is irrelevant.

If child shares with parents then split the property cost per adult, and the room with 2 adults and child should be the biggest and preferably en suite. That is still a worse deal than someone getting a double bed to themselves.

If child has own room then per person, though again any room with 2 people in has effectively cost twice as much so should get preferential choice if the rooms are unequal.

Except of course it is.

They can book separately if they don't like it.

The people sharing are couples, who will effectively pay half the price each that a solo person would, it’s typically only ever people in long term relationships who have lived together for years who fail to understand that this kind of maths is really unfair on single people.

Couples wouldn’t typically want individual rooms in any case, and if they did they’d complain about paying twice 😆

Per adult.

If I was a single person and my family was trying to rip me off like this I’d not want to go anyway, I’d save my money for a different trip.

It's utterly ridiculous for 3 people squashed into one room to be expected to pay three times the price of the single person having the luxury of the whole room to themselves.

If it's a per person rate, the 16yo needs his own room, and sharers get the best rooms, reflecting they're paying double per room. It's still families subsidising the singles as always.

Per room rate, with uplift in cost for the best room/facilities is always fairer.

Per room and then a more for the family in a room and a bit less for the couple.

Per room. Load the rooms accordingly, such as a small single being cheaper than a large double with ensuite. Doing it per person causes angst when you have 2 singles crammed into a more basic room and a couple sharing a bed in a larger room with ensuite yet all paying the same price per person. That’s why hotels charge per room with different room rates.

As for food, that should be split per person.

always split per person. You can’t expect two adults (who aren’t a couple) unless they’re best mates to share a room.

The couple pay half the price each for half the room each.

Two singles sharing pay half the price each for half the room each.

One single wanting a double room to themselves has to pay the whole price for the whole room.

There is no reason why a person with a whole room to themselves should not expect to pay for the whole room that they are occupying.