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.

Of course everyone understands the difference between a couple sharing a room and two friends or family members sharing a room. And I don't think anyone is saying that a single person can't choose not to share if that's what they want. But it's spectacularly entitled to expect other people to subsidise your choices.

I don't actually think it's more expensive for singles to holiday than families. Singles generally have 1 salary per person, where as often families have 1 salary or 1.5 salaries supporting a family of 4 or 5 (and far more expenses).

But in any case, marital status, family size etc are irrelevant. You make your choice and you pay accordingly. Want a double room to yourself? Pay for a double room. Don't want to share with your kids and want 2 double rooms? Pay for 2 double rooms. Happy to share a double room? Split the cost of a double room. It's not rocket science

Do you not like your family members? Your DH? Saying that would just kill off the holiday by being petulant. Yes it's lovely to have your own room etc. but you also are physically 2x people in the house, using space in the fridge, seats on the sofa, hogging up the bathroom. You can't ask single people not part of a usual family to share with other single adults, its very uncomfortable and against social norms.

Rooms in a holiday home are never equal anyway. Some have a view or ensuite, some are the reduced head height pokey rooms in the eaves. You know the single person is not getting the nicest double with an ensuite. Truth be told they'd just as likely end up sleeping whatever is left, like on the bottom of some bunk beds or a pullout sofa bed.

I don't actually think it's more expensive for singles to holiday than families. Singles generally have 1 salary per person, where as often families have 1 salary or 1.5 salaries supporting a family of 4 or 5 (and far more expenses)

I didn't mention children. I was comparing the accomodation costs of an individual versus a couple.

If you want to compare family costs for single parents versus parents in a couple then try and make that work financially in the single person's favour!

I don't actually think it's more expensive for singles to holiday than families. Singles generally have 1 salary per person, where as often families have 1 salary or 1.5 salaries supporting a family of 4 or 5 (and far more expenses).

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As someone who has chosen, and likes, to travel solo for 40+ years it’s not as cost effective as you think.

I recall a single mum with 3 DC who had flown the nest stating with genuine surprise how expensive solo travel is. To be clear they paid for their DC and would book 2 rooms so when they travelled solo expected the cost to be about 25/30% of what they paid for 4 and found it was more like 45-50%.

But you presumably have one salary per family member, unlike families who like have half a salary or less per family member.

And yes, of course the cost of 1 room would be about half the cost of 2 rooms. Wouldn't imagine anything else.

Again you ignore single parent families
If a couple has chosen to have one non-working parent that's a luxury single parents don't have as an option

The accommodation cost for a shared double room is obviously less per person than the accommodation cost of a two person room all to yourself. How can that surprise you? This is why friends or family members often opt to share a room to save money. No one is saying they have to, they are welcome to a double room to themselves, but if they opt not to share, they have no one to share costs with so they need to pay for the room by themselves. The issue comes when they expect others, who are sharing, to subsidise their choice not to share.

What's frustrating is your refusal to acknowledge that the experience of the 2 individuals sharing a room is completely different to your experience sharing a room with your chosen life partner. The cost is identical but the experience is completely different. And holidays are all about having a pleasant experience!

Part of the issue is single people have higher costs in general that eat into the single salary leaving less disposable income.

Not necessarily if they have one salary supporting one person versus one salary supporting a family of four or five with much larger expenses. Honestly, the period I had the most disposable income was when I was single, and my salary only had to cover my own expenses, not those of dependent children as well. My children are nearly ready to fly the nest, and hopefully I will feel that well off again soon with money just for myself (just in time to retire on a reduced income!)

I acknowledge it, and have repeatedly done so. I support the right for a single person to not want to share, and choose a whole double room to themselves. I just think it's their responsibility to pay for the room they are using in full, and not expect those sharing a room to subsise their choice.

You may be slightly surprised that the costs of running your house do not reduce by as much as you think.

There's a missed element here of expenses as a couple without children.

Im single without children and it's a struggle financially even on an ok wage. I have a full mortgage to pay alone, all repairs are down to me, I can't share a car, food is cheaper per persob when you cook for more people, I only get 25% council tax reduction so essentially I'm paying 75% whereas a couple would pay 50% each, I have to pay for all hotel accommodation myself rather than it being shared, heating, water, Internet etc is only on my wage not shared etc. If I shared my life with another I'd be a couple of thousand per month better off approx. It's tough going a lot of the time.

You said I'll have my own double room then, please, as will DH

So you absolutely don't acknowledge the difference.

You think sharing a room with your spouse is the same as sharing a room with any other person on the trip. 🙄 It's completely different.

What? We'd prefer 2 rooms for the same cost as 1 room, obviously. Much nicer to have more space.

When I go away with DH, I am happy to share a room with him in order to reduce costs

When I go away with my girlfriends, I choose a room to myself, and I expect to pay for the full room myself, and don't expect the sharers to subsidise my choice.

Thats why you pay per room not per person. Shitty room is cheap . Master en suite is expensive.
The problem of not having enough decent sized rooms is down to who ever is booking the accommodation though.

Per room

We go away as a big group and the first thing we do is work out how many rooms each family unit would like - we then find a house that will accommodate us and split the cost per room per family.
In over 20 years no one has moaned about having a smaller bedroom, one without an en-suite, moaned that someone had a better view etc. we are a group of about 25 - we are just happy to be away together!

Accommodation cost seven ways but teenager stays in parents' room and pays 1/8 of the food cost.
Couples have first choice of ensuited rooms.
Assuming 5 bedrooms and two or three bathrooms.

They might not have moaned out loud but it doesn't mean they don't feel sidelined as they, for the 20th time, end up in a box room. I've never moaned outloud about it but I do feel it.

This is not fair AT ALL. Three people crammed into a double room paying twice as much for their room compared to one person having the luxury of a whole double room to themselves. No way.

If you charge per person, then either everyone gets a room each, or everyone shares.

If you charge per room (adjusting for size and facilities), everyone can choose and pay for the room(s) they want based on their own preferences.

I agree, but then those single adults shouldn’t be expected to subsidise anyone’s children

I agree with that too. I don't think I've ever indicated otherwise. Pay for what you/your family use.

If sharing is such a simple solution, as a couple would you happily share with a single person in a triple room or another couple, it’s exactly the same suggestion.

The single person paying by the room is paying double, per head what a couple is paying, they are the ones subsidising the costs in your suggestion.

No one is saying that a single person has to share. Just that if they (quite reasonably) choose not to share, then they need to be prepared to pay for the whole of the room they are using.

I've never come across a couple trying to argue they should only pay 2/3 of their double room because 3 singles are sharing a triple room!

Split between adults is the worst of all worlds. Couples without children are then being expected to subsidise familiescand subsidise single people.