In trouble, I grabbed the best room!

[Singletraveller]

I'm on holiday with a group of mates; they have partners and I dont. Last time we went away together the couple that arrived first at the cottage grabbed the best room, with no shame or negotiation! We all ended up joking that this time round we would race eachother for the best room...all a bit whacky races and jovial! Anyway, I got there well before anyone else for various travel related reasons, so grabbed the best room. Big with an ensuite. The other rooms were nice just a bit smaller...one didnt have an ensuite. Anyhow, one of the couples has kicked off - because Im single, I shouldn't have the biggest room apparently. Given they're all essentially nice rooms, this feels a bit shitty...should I have quietly taken a 'lesser' room just because I'm a solo traveller?? All so petty I know, but peed off at the sour atmosphere after all the joking about rooms in the run up.

I used to do a fair bitvof travel on my own. It always seemed that the single travellers were expected to have the worst rooms. Being stuck in a small room at the back looking out over the bins and the flue from the kitchen. No thanks. If you have a nice room then enjoy it, you're just as entitled to a pleasant break as anyone else.

It depends if you’re paying the same as the couples? If so then you have just as much right to the best room. If not, I would have taken the smallest en suite room.

It’s kind that your friends gave you a discount or a room because you’re single. It’s sad that you then take advantage of that.

I thought this too.

I suspect they also may be thinking that you made a deliberate plan to arrive way before everyone else so you could do it.

I can see why there's resentment.

How petty. Who cares, have you not all gone away to spend time together and go off having adventures together. Who the hell is sitting in their room long enough to care?!

Your friends should have the insight to realise that single ppl get bad deal and should enjoy treating you to the best room for once. Enjoy it. (I'm part of a couple, my dh gets all pissy about these things but I don't care)

When we go away as a group we split the price per person, and then cut cards for the rooms.

I think yabu. I wish there was voting on this post though because I'm interested to see a quick overview of who thinks what.

Re the missing en-suite. The person booking should make sure all the rooms have an en-suite. When I did my big birthday thing it took ages but I found somewhere where all the rooms had an en-suite, so no one moaned (and my bedroom was the biggest btw by a long way, but I was paying for everyone!)

This is something I personally couldn't give a rats arse about if I tried if I was there, to me as long as people are comfortable and warm etc, there's no drama, but I'm just hoping the atmosphere has calmed down for you @Singletraveller 💖

You snooze = you lose!

But it’s a bit more tricky if you paid less

Then you shouldn't have the best room.

I'd have nabbed a smaller room but with an ensuite. And the one furthest away from couples - they tend to be noisier than singletons. Why on earth would I need the 'biggest' room if there's only me in it? When the better room might be smaller.

I'd be pissed off with me if I'd pulled a stunt like that on my mates - unless of course I was pulling a joke, which would be funny - for about 20 minutes.

Maybe, but that sounds a bit complicated tbh

Despite the joviality, it breaks all social convention for OP not to offer a couple the biggest room.

Like if OP's friend said 'does anyone want the last piece of cake?' that would absolutely not be an invitation for OP to take the last piece of cake.

Re the missing en-suite. The person booking should make sure all the rooms have an en-suite.

Easier said than done, unless you go for separate rooms in a Premier Inn or something like that. Most houses that are being used as Air BnBs/holiday lets will have originally been designed for families - and most typical family homes don't have an en-suite for every room.

There's nothing actually remiss about accommodation that doesn't have an en-suite for every (or even any) room. Plenty of people don't care about them and some actively dislike them.

In restaurants, the table nearest the toilet is usually looked down on; yet en-suite fans prefer to poo right next door to their bedroom.

It's different when it's a hotel full of strangers, but most people don't overly mind sharing a bathroom(s) with family or friends.

YABU. You could have had a smaller room with an ensuite. Dick move.

You’re perfectly entitled to that lovely room but should take the worst room next time.

the couple with the best room last time need to take the worst room this time.

You should take the cheapest room with grace.

And there we have it. Because @Singletraveller is single, she should take the shittest room.

sounds like you have crap friends and I would never go away with them ever again

Unless you paid by room (which you didn't) the other couples are subsiding your room. If you all paid for a room each it would be fine, but you are benefitted for them all paying more to facilitate you getting a more reasonable rate, and you have taken the biggest room dispute not paying for a room to yourself. Obviously you are being unreasonable.

And there we have it. Because @Singletravelleris single, she should take the shittest room.

Or maybe because she has paid the least for her room - and doesn't even have to share it with somebody else, unlike the people in couples?

This thread is reminding me of the one a while back, about staying with family, where OP's SIL insisted that her own DS have the room with a double bed in it to himself whilst OP, OP's DH and their baby had the smaller room with the single bed in it.

You KNOW either of the couples had arrived first, they would have taken the best room with no qualms.

You know if you'd arrive last, you'd have had the shit no en-suite room.

If they want fairness over rooms, sort it some other way, in advance.

This. Ask the couple who are complaining, what they would have done if they'd arrived first. I'd bet they'd have taken the nicest room.

And let's remember people, that in a holiday house situation, it's not just the bedrooms guests pay for. Couple take up twice the space in the shared areas.

If you’re there with mates who the fuck cares! Does a few extra square foot of space really make a difference when the main point is spending time with the people you are with?

Space is not the be all and end all of a nice room. One might feel cosier. Another might have a nicer view. It is a minor issue.

Not at all. She paid less for her room therefore she should get the smallest room. Had she paid the same for her room, ie double the amount the couples paid, she would have been perfectly entitled to take the best room on a first come first served basis.