To think we should get the best room in a villa?

[hwange]

We’re going away as a family to celebrate two birthdays: my husband’s 60th and our son’s 30th. There will be five adults: me, my husband, our two sons (30 and 28) and older son’s partner.

We’ve rented a five-bedroom holiday house. The plan is:

• One room for me and my husband
• One room for our older son and his girlfriend
• One room for our younger son
• Two smaller spare rooms

Everyone is paying an equal share, and our older son’s girlfriend organised the whole booking.

All the bedrooms are nice, but one is clearly the best (great view and a fancy bed), one is also very good, and one is more basic but has a small kitchen.

What’s the fairest way to decide who gets which room?

The OP' post is literally "AIBU to think we should get the best room"!

But they’re going for the son’s 30th as well. It says it right there in the first post. If you read the whole post then you’ll know exactly what the situation is here, so that you can offer helpful advice.

See the title.

I always pay more (we can afford more) and I generally organize so we get the best room. I actually prefer it this way so that I can get the best room. Had an argument with my mum about it last time as she felt that she and my dad should get the best room simply because they are the ‘parents’.

Family holidays on unequal incomes / lifestyles have become more and more of a problem for us as a group and so we go on less holidays together. I’m just over staying in rubbish accommodation that suits everyone’s budget just so that we can spend time together. It’s been quite liberating not people pleasing any longer.

The fact that you’re quibbling this already - even if only on here - shows you’re being hard work. Why can’t you just allow the organiser to choose and be grateful for the lovely memories with your two sons? That should be more than enough. Plenty of people don’t get to spend do much time with their grown up children. I’d be happy to sleep in either room if it were me.

My adult and teenage children also do things for me to express their gratitude for everything I have done for them. This is their choice though, not an obligation or something I consider myself automatically entitled to. It is all the more precious and appreciated for that too.

Move the sheets if possible, wash if not. No big deal really if one room is so much better than the rest, seems only fair.

What a pain in the arse to keep washing/moving sheets and moving your clothes and other belongings from room to room.

“I don’t think the op has expressed that she feels she should get the best room”

Well her op was titled “AIBU to think we should get the best room” so yes, she has expressed that feeling.

This would never be a problem in my family because we're very British and polite and would all offer each other the best room and feel mortified if somehow we did end up in the best room because we'd rather sleep in the garden than make a fuss or appear entitled. So I would offer everyone else the best room (but they'd also offer it to me). I think the girlfriend has strongest claim as both organiser and family outsider (so therefore needs her own space to escape to more than the others)

We have this every time when we go to ski chalets, rooms always different. We pay for everyone so get the best room and the others draw from a hat. If we weren’t paying though we’d most certainly all draw from the hat!

I know it’s only a room but if you want them investing in holidays with you in future you definitely don’t want bad feeling.

Can’t believe the entitled responses here. Of course the parents are offered the best room. It’s the respectful thing to do. Why would that even be a question? I’d be mortified if my gf/bf thought that we should have the best room above my parent (or their parents) let alone was celebrating a milestone. Makes me so sad that people think like this.

I'm still amazed at the number of posters thinking this is a binary choice between the parents and the younger couple, as though the younger son is somehow less worthy of consideration for the nicer room just because he doesn't have a partner in tow.

Offered the best room, yes. Automatically entitled to it, as the OP suggests? No.

Son's girlfriend organized, so she and son have 'first dibs' on the room. However, they offer it to son's parents, the 'elders' of the group, just cos it's a nice thing to do.
Quite straightforward to understand that?! 🤷

God only knows why. Some people are so entitled! Must think she's special.

It is the ‘without whom none of them would be there’ that doesn’t make sense. none of them would be there without the organiser.

It is the ‘without whom none of them would be there’ that doesn’t make sense. none of them would be there without the organiser.

I think either you or your son and GF get the best room. Interesting to see how many people think the organiser should get the best room, last time we went on holiday with my family DH and I ended up with the smallest room despite doing all the organisation and (single) DB was given the biggest double room that was the only one with an en suite which took out that bathroom from general use. I was not happy but DM had decided so that was that. Good to have my view validated though, I think we should have had it then us and our DC could have used that bathroom instead of just DB.

This wouldn’t arise in our family.

Honestly, as soon as any squabbling or resentment about room allocation begins, the whole thing is doomed.

You are going to celebrate birthdays. To enjoy bring together as a family and hopefully enjoy the area you are going to.

Not to play competitive bedrooms and all sit in your beds admiring the bedroom decor (or not).

What’s going on here?

I meant 'exist', as in they brought the two sons into existence 🙂

This is their choice though, not an obligation or something I consider myself automatically entitled to.
Agree never said it wasn't their choice but pleased they do because I feel I must have had a positive impact on them because they choose to, as I do for my parents.

I'm presuming that because the OP kids are choosing to holiday with them and have organised it they also must have a positive relationship with them otherwise they wouldn't bother or want to.

What’s going on here?

My guess is that OP doesn't like her son's girlfriend and wants to cement her position in the pecking order...

They get the best room because they had sex and made children. Lol. 🤪

Organiser gets to choose.

As an aside are you short of money becuase if that was us we'd pay for the accommodation for us and our dc, not get everyone chipping in.