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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is the fairest way to share center parcs cost?

525 replies

needabreak5 · 23/01/2023 18:31

Am I right that this is the best way to split the cost of £1500 for a 4 bed lodge:

Room 1 - family 1: 2 adults and 1 DC (18 months) pays £375
Room 2 and 3 - family 2: 2 adults and 2 DC (age 4 and 6) pays £750
Room 4 - family 3 (parents/in-laws of adults and grandparents of all DC) pays £375

please let me know if you’d split differently?

OP posts:
TheUsualChaos · 23/01/2023 20:21

Don't get all the comparison with hotels. It's completely different to booking hotel rooms. I would feel really taken advantage of as family 2 as they are effectively subsidising the the other groups holidays. They would all be paying far more for CP if they booked accommodation separately so split it 3 ways and everyone wins.

Newmum0322 · 23/01/2023 20:22

It’s not based on rooms surely… the rooms are likely different sizes, the extra room has no more access to bathrooms, kitchen, living space than the rest?

If you aren’t going to split three ways then the fairer way to do it is to take the difference of a three bed and ask them to pay that. For example is a three bed is £1500 and the 4 bed is 1700 then family 2 pay the extra 200!

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:22

TidyDancer · 23/01/2023 18:39

How much extra is it costing to have four bedrooms instead of three? The family group requiring two rooms could pay the difference. Alternatively, give each adult a value of 2 and each child a value of 1 and divide the cost by the total number then each group pays their share accordingly.

If group two are dictating the arrangement I'd be less likely to agree to subsidise them if I was going.

I don't understand your system of 1 child = half an adult. They're not paying for food they're paying for space/beds. That's how they're being charged, for the space.
I do agree with your final suggestion. Those who ask don't get!

Bunnycat101 · 23/01/2023 20:24

I see the logic of the room split but I also don’t think it’s fair as everyone else will benefit from the additional facilities/living space etc. I think I’d do something closer to the below so base price for adults would be £200 a head getting to £1200 and then an extra £100 for the 18m old and £200 for the other two kids.

family 1 500
family 2 600
family 3 400

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 23/01/2023 20:24

Coffeellama · 23/01/2023 20:20

They already explained their POV in the post you quoted explaining that the bedrooms are a tiny bit of the experience/cost.

Show quote history

Everyone has equal access to the shared rooms and experiences regardless of costs. They are still asking others to cough up for their bedrooms.

But cheers for replying on their behalf.

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:25

Soulstirring · 23/01/2023 19:19

You must be family 1. Split by 3, price per room. All other activities and food are paid for separately anyhow.

Which, split by 3 ie a third each or by room 1:2:1

Ottil · 23/01/2023 20:26

OP, would everyone be happy with a 3 way split?

Coffeellama · 23/01/2023 20:27

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 23/01/2023 20:24

Everyone has equal access to the shared rooms and experiences regardless of costs. They are still asking others to cough up for their bedrooms.

But cheers for replying on their behalf.

Show quote history

It isn’t priced per bedroom, so no, they are not.

lifeinthehills · 23/01/2023 20:28

Getting a 4 bedroom place is more expensive than a three bedroom, so it doesn't seem unreasonable to charge per room. Using half the bedrooms = half the cost. More people will also use bathrooms, etc, more.

On the other hand, I can also see why a family would just split it in three, not worrying about the actual divide of use.

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:28

Lurchintowardsyourfavouritecity · 23/01/2023 19:49

I think this is harsh to family 2. Although, family one only get to squeeze into one room for another 6 months - will they be so keen to split this way if you all go next year and they also need 2 rooms?!

Yes, I'm sure they will. I think this is about what seems right, not what benefits who. Surely it stands to reason that a family of 4 will need to spend more on a holiday than a couple, likewise a family of 3.

Clymene · 23/01/2023 20:29

Bunnycat101 · 23/01/2023 20:24

I see the logic of the room split but I also don’t think it’s fair as everyone else will benefit from the additional facilities/living space etc. I think I’d do something closer to the below so base price for adults would be £200 a head getting to £1200 and then an extra £100 for the 18m old and £200 for the other two kids.

family 1 500
family 2 600
family 3 400

Have you ever been to centreparcs? There isn't any extra anything - just a bigger table and more cutlery/crockery.

blanketsforall · 23/01/2023 20:30

I think I'd split it:
6 adults then each child is half price so total number of places is 7.5
£1500 divided by 7.5 = £200
Family 1 = £500
Family 2 = £600
Family 3 = £400

mewkins · 23/01/2023 20:31

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:28

Yes, I'm sure they will. I think this is about what seems right, not what benefits who. Surely it stands to reason that a family of 4 will need to spend more on a holiday than a couple, likewise a family of 3.

Show quote history

And yet if you price it per room as in the op, next year family 1 and 2 will need to pay exactly the same amount (although there aren't any 5 bed places so fuck knows what will happen 😉)

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:33

senior30 · 23/01/2023 19:49

Are the children going to pay for themselves? The only fair way is to pay per adult

What a daft thing to say. No, they're not going to pay for themselves and unfortunately Centre Parks won't pay for them either. They're not buying their lunch either or paying towards the car insurance.....their parents are
But seems to me you're suggesting their Auntie and Grandparents pay for them.

Cantstandbullshitanymore · 23/01/2023 20:33

sunnydayhereandnow · 23/01/2023 18:35

I would split more evenly between the family groups. Having separate bedrooms is only a small part of the overall "value" of the holiday for the money, and it's IMHO not reasonable to ask a 4-person family to pay twice as much as a 3-person family.

Another perspective, if they went to a hotel or resort and the family of 3 got one room and the family of 4 got 2 rooms, will they pay the same price? No the family with 2 rooms will pay double.

That’s part and parcel of having older kids who need separate rooms.

Bunnycat101 · 23/01/2023 20:33

@Clymene i wasn’t sure if they had one of the bigger ones with sauna, games room etc. if that’s the case then the others would definitely benefit from the space. Maybe not for the price though as assume the executive lodges would be more than £1500 in the school holls.

JustMarriedBecca · 23/01/2023 20:33

We are Family 2 in this arrangement and would offer to pay half i.e. for two rooms - £750. Grandparents and sibling would pay quarter each but bring more booze and food.

I'd be irritated as Family One if I had to pay to have a child in my room and Family Two didn't. Having a child in your room is a pain in the neck particularly because you can't swing a cat.

Clymene · 23/01/2023 20:34

TheUsualChaos · 23/01/2023 20:21

Don't get all the comparison with hotels. It's completely different to booking hotel rooms. I would feel really taken advantage of as family 2 as they are effectively subsidising the the other groups holidays. They would all be paying far more for CP if they booked accommodation separately so split it 3 ways and everyone wins.

They're really not. If they booked 2 x two bedroom places it would be £2000 - £500 per bedroom.

This way, the couple with 2 kids get a discount of £300 for sharing with everyone else. If the OP doesn't like it, she should book her own lodge.

Ottil · 23/01/2023 20:36

I think reading this thread, the key to happiness here depends on the people involved.

If one party/person is going to kick off about how it's not fair that the sq m of bedroom 2 is unfair and bathroom one got a bigger bar of soap don't go on holiday with them then go down the route of splitting everything to within an inch of its value, in order To Be Fair.

On the other hand, if all three parties are people who just want to spend time together and have a lovely, relaxing time, then suggest a three way split and just focus on a nice holiday together.

Coffeellama · 23/01/2023 20:36

Cantstandbullshitanymore · 23/01/2023 20:33

Another perspective, if they went to a hotel or resort and the family of 3 got one room and the family of 4 got 2 rooms, will they pay the same price? No the family with 2 rooms will pay double.

That’s part and parcel of having older kids who need separate rooms.

Show quote history

No family 2 wouldn’t get 2 rooms in a hotel as their children are very young, they’d get a family room which would be more than the cost of a double, but less than the cost of 2 doubles.

JudgeRudy · 23/01/2023 20:36

Runningonjammiedodgers · 23/01/2023 19:20

I don't think it's fair. I am a single parent with two school age kids on approx £25,000 a year, my sister and her DH have one preschooler on approx £100,000 a year. My parents are retired. We divide holidays in three, even though my kids need more space I simply couldn't afford to join in on family holidays if I had to pay 50% of the cost. My family know this, and a three way split works fine for everyone, they would rather have me and my kids there then be excluded because of my income.

How much to you value time all together? More than the £300 odd you will save by choosing this as your hill to die on? Family 2 will have a more expensive holiday anyway as their kids will eat more and no doubt want to do more of the expensive extras that centre parcs offer.

Personally I would do a three way split, you will be grateful of this when you children are older and family 2's kids have left home and no longer want to join in.

That's completely different though. Your family have offered to treat you. That's not the case here. It's a group of people deciding to holiday together and agreeing a split

MargaritaRita · 23/01/2023 20:37

Divide by three or back out. If a group is going to bitch about this kind of thing, I'd be out of there no matter how disadvantaged price wise I might feel. All for one and one for all. But I would avoid group breaks like the plague anyway.

I suppose you will divide the food, cleaning up, bathroom rota etc. in a multi faceted way too.

Honestly, just do equal payments and be done with it.

YellowAndGreenToBeSeen · 23/01/2023 20:38

Coffeellama · 23/01/2023 20:27

It isn’t priced per bedroom, so no, they are not.

Show quote history

That’s the point. It should be per room.

Well, that’s what my f&f have always done. So if a family need 2 or more rooms, they pay a larger share.

For example: 2 x adults and their 2 x kids go on holiday with single grandparent / aunt / uncle / friend…

£900 a week, 3 bed house = £300 a room. Parents pay for their room & kids = £600
3rd person pays for their room = £300

Coffeellama · 23/01/2023 20:38

MargaritaRita · 23/01/2023 20:37

Divide by three or back out. If a group is going to bitch about this kind of thing, I'd be out of there no matter how disadvantaged price wise I might feel. All for one and one for all. But I would avoid group breaks like the plague anyway.

I suppose you will divide the food, cleaning up, bathroom rota etc. in a multi faceted way too.

Honestly, just do equal payments and be done with it.

Did you read all the OPs posts? Doesn’t make sense that she should pay less than she’s proposed or pull out…

Clymene · 23/01/2023 20:39

Oh sorry - got my sums wrong! By sharing with her sibling and her parents, the OP is saving £500.

Honestly if I were the other family, I'd rent a 2 bed with my parents. Much more chilled and for a £125 surcharge absolutely worth not being around kids who are at a really noisy and in your face age!