to all pay different amount for holiday villa

[joeshackers]

we are having a week in a villa there are four couples and only three bedrooms (last minute holiday couldn't get four bedroom) should the couple who end up with the sofa bed in the lounge pay less than those who have double bedroom and balcony and possibly ensuite nobody has said they will have sofa bed as yet, maybe we will draw straws. what do you think is the reasonable thing to do.

Yes, I think so - divvy up the bill - biggest for the ensuite room... and much cheaper for the sofa - it's no where near as nice to stayin a villa if you don't have your own room. Why don't you agree some prices, and then ask for preferences for all the rooms... you might find it works out perfectly... and if not, draw straws.

Yes, the couple on sofa should definitely pay less - quite a bit less.

Yes. I can't imagine anyone would volunteer to stay on the sofa if they are paying the same amount as the couple staying in the en suite!

As Venay says, price up rooms separately and draw straws if no one agrees.

The sofa bed should definitely be quite a bit cheaper. But I'm puzzled it's been booked when you don't know who is going to use the sofa bed. What happens if all 4 couples are unwilling to be the one sleeping on the sofa bed even if you draw lots?

I think both options - suggest that you draw straws and that the en-suite is priced much more expensively than the sofa bed.

Or another way you could do it is maybe that those in the nicest room swop for the sofa bed half way through.

We've kind of got a similar thing, 4 of us going to Rome. 2 reasonable beds, one sofa bed and one single bunk bed up a ladder in one of the bedrooms. It's a slightly different scenario as we are there for 3 nights only and it's all female so less of an issue about changing beds half way through.
I emailed and said that I am happy to sleep in the bunk bed but for one night only, I get up to go to the loo in the night and even if I saved a few euros I would much rather have a comfy bed, but I realise that it's not fair on the others to expect that I wouldn't take my turn.

Interestingly then one of the party got back and said they were a bit claustrophobic and weren't sure if they could sleep in the bunk which in my view meant they should have vetoed the choice of accommodation in the first place, if that is a deal breaker for them.

Hope you come up with a fair compromise.

Definitely decide on a value for each of the rooms (much higher for the one with the balcony & the ensuite! & MUCH less for the sitting room) then ask who wants which room and see if it works out, if not, draw names out of a hat.

It wouldn't really bother me to have the lounge as I can't sleep when people are still up and I'm always awake early and never sleep in the day.

Not having a bedroom to use didn't hinder me as a teenager so I'm sure I'd be fine now too

Yikes! I think the bedroom couples should suck up the cost of the villa. If I was left with the sofa bed it would ruin my holiday. Imagine wanting to go to bed and everyone else sitting around drinking for hours. And sex would be off the menu in case someone else wandered out for a glass of water! Awful idea.

The alternative is or two couples to do half a week on the sofa bed and half in one of the bedrooms - can take the same sheets and swap them over.

I probably wouldn't go if there was any possibility of ending up on the sofa bed and certainly would be upset if I was paying the same as someone with privacy and an en suite. Did you all agree that a three bed villa and four couples was a good idea?

I do appreciate that I've given a very personal view. I know some friends who would be fine with the sofa bed as long as they were paying the right amount for it.

What's the layout of the accommodation? Can the living room be closed off or is it combined with the kitchen?

There should at least be some ground rules that living room must be vacated when sofa sleepers want to go to bed, or even better that the room is used purely as a bedroom.

Actually I'm starting to go with Fanny on this one, sofa sleepers go free - but then that way the others would treat them as second class citizens and expect to use living room when they wanted it etc.

Hmm, this is why we always end up spending more on a larger apartment/villa than the travel operators allocate for groups. I HATE the sitting room being used as a bedroom - can't bear all that farting around with bedding and re-building the sofa each morning.

But I acknowledge you said a larger villa wasn't available. So yes, sofa people pay less. However, you should have the money conversation before you potentially end up being the ones to cop for it, otherwise you end up looking like a cheapskate, even if you are being totally reasonable about it.

Are there really no 4 bed villas left in a suitable location? 4 couples 3 beds sounds like a breeding ground for resentments to form.

We have stayed in similar sized accommodation when skiing with other couples, but drawn straws when we got there.

I think your idea sounds entirely reasonable - it's wretched sleeping in the living space - especially if it is open to the kitchen as you end up smelling of dinner.