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?

Off topic but i LOVE your user name @hwange

🇿🇼

I’d say the same. Especially if the trip was to celebrate my dad’s birthday.

Exactly. In my family the older generation would generally cover the bill for everyone.

In the GF's shoes I might consider letting OP have the better room if I didn't get the impression she felt entitled to it. That would irritate me enormously given I'd organised it and paid for my/partners' share.

the organiser is the gf whose birthday is the celebration as well…, you’re all paying equal parts, they get the best room

The organiser is also celebrating her boyfriend's milestone birthday (there is no concrete reason that 60 should trump 30) and paying her full whack. I think it's pretty nice of her to be including his parents at all. OP is on pretty thin ice and shouldn't push her luck.

I’ve never once been looking forward to a lovely family holiday and thinking ‘who should get the best room’. Who cares, have a nice time.

Just don't care. You'll only be sleeping there surely? And out most of the time enjoying the holiday.

You have no idea what the OP's family dynamics are like. You can't assume that she 'sacrificed a lot'. And to be fair about it, even if she did, so what? That's kind of what you sign up for when you have children.

OP thinks her and h should get the best room, why exactly? Nice view, it's his birthday or because they are the parents?
If I was organising I would take the best room as I've done all the work for it, no debate on the matter. As far as rooms go though, how much time will you actually be spending in them apart from sleeping?
Gazing dreamily out at the view as a gentle warm breeze drifts in blowing her long auburn hair flecked with grey highlights back from her face and her long chiffon gown clung to her body.
Husband steps up behind, encircles his arms gently round her waist and whispers in her ear. "Come on luv, I want to cut the cake and have a beer."

The organizer gets the room or you draw straws.

Surely you as a parent would want either of your sons to get the best room?

In this instance DH and I would suggest that our son and his girlfriend took the best room. His birthday and the fact that his GF had put the effort into arranging the accommodation. To be honest we would want to treat them and make things as special as possible. DH would just be very happy that all his family are around him for his 60th.
Having said that our DS and his GF would almost certainly try to persuade us to have the best room.

This.

I organised something similar for a wedding for a massive house and said I was first pick of rooms and then picking was based on who paid.

Got the money in fast I can tell you.

If I was the daughter in law I’d not want to sleep in sheets my boyfriend’s parents had used. Or are you thinking keep washing the sheets?

The reason that your son and his girlfriend would offer you the best room is because you are not like the OP.

Organiser gets first dibs as they've gone to a lot of trouble. If they choose to give you the nice room as a birthday treat for your dh then be very grateful. Next time if you want the nicest room you need to organise it.

You were happy to let your sons girlfriend do all the organising, then you expect the best room. You are greedy and entitled.
I hope your sons girlfriend, if it gets serious, knows what she us in for with you. Why when you done nothing do you think you should get the best room?

Organising trips / holidays is an effort but if you expect privileges because you’re doing it then I’d say maybe stop doing it.

We don't know that's what the gf thinks, though. All we know is that the OP thinks she should automatically get the best room despite paying the same as everyone else and not having organised it.

Older son's girlfriend should get first dibs, but if I were her I'd offer the nicest room to my parent-in-laws.

I think if I were the OP I would be paying a bit more (or actually, a lot more.. to all of it) and getting the best room. Token payment from the “children” - they sort their own travel and pay for some meals out when you are there.

I know the other two sons are adults, but I don’t think it’s unusual for the parents still to pay. It’s probably that the OP’s family gets on very well, which is lovely, but I’d worry the youngest son is a bit left out. The trip is to celebrate his brother and his father, he’s the only one not in a couple and he has the smallest and worst room. I especially wouldn’t be expecting him to pay.

Organiser, technically, but I hope the organiser would actually offer it to parents, without whom none of them would be there 👍

I would structure the pricing differently. Best room more expensive then shit room
Best room offered to either the 30th birthday or 60th

Can you articulate why you think you should get the best room? You’re paying equal and not organising. So I’m struggling to understand. If you were contributing more for your kids to be there, I’d agree, but you’re making them pay for themselves so I can’t see why you think you’re entitled to special treatment.

Huh?

😂