Villa split between childfree couples and families

[Adrianne1234]

Trying to organise a long weekend away (2 nights) with a group of friends for autumn and this is the group split:

Family 1: 2 adults & 2 kids
Family 2: 2 adults & 2 kids
Family 3: 2 adults & 1 kid
Family 4: 2 adults
Family 5: 2 adults

We don't seem to agree on how the total price would be split. The house has 6 bedrooms. 3 family rooms (king beds + single beds) with ensuite bathrooms, 2 standard double rooms and 1 room with 2 single beds for "extra space" (6th room is not claimed by anyone but deemed necessary by the parents to have additional space).

2/3 families seem to think the total bill should be split by couple, without considering the kids.
1/3 families and the 2 adults families think that the families should pay more because despite everyone technically occupying 1 room, some rooms are family rooms.

To state the significance of this, if we wanted to find accommodation for 10 adults, the price per couple would be around half the one we are paying to have a place that can accomodate all the kids/has the right sort of family rooms.

If it was to be split by couple, price would be £550 per couple, which seems pretty steep for families without kids (that also end up getting the crappier rooms).

Food bills will be split amongst adults so kids won't pay for that which has been agreed by everyone.

Thoughts?

Did those with kids ever say anything about it?

I just cannot imagine a situation where some ‘friends’ are expecting their mates to sub their holiday.
The child free people will be potentially getting disturbed early mornings by excited children, maybe having to have dinner earlier or other little accommodations even if they are not directly looking after the children.
Doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.

It honestly sounds like it’ll be shit for the people without kids especially if you already feel you’re overpaying. And the parents should be contributing to the food for their children. My 7yo can eat like a horse. Obviously they shouldn’t be included in any alcohol costs.

Nope I wouldn't be agreeing to this. Why should the adults without children have to slum it with smaller bedrooms and sharing a bathroom? And at £550? No way.

You need to find two separate properties - one for all the families, and one for the two couples so everyone pays accordingly.

Start as you mean to go on.If you agree to this shitshow of subsidising the families who get the best rooms and en suite facilities, they will expect it for evermore!

Sounds like a crap holiday for those without kids. I’d stay in a (child free) hotel if I were them!

The thing is those with en-suites are still 4 people to a bathroom and most childless couples won't want to share a bathroom with small kids. The whole point of these types of holidays is to be able to spend time together. If you opt for a hotel the parents will be trapped in the room from 7pm onward. There's no sitting round in the evening. Sharing a hotel is pointless pointless if you really want to be together as a group.

When there are disagreements over money this early on, I would abandon the idea. You will end up feeling resentful and it will ruin your friendship. Cabins or hotel rooms in a nice hotel or B&B is a much better idea.

We have this every time we try to go away as a group of friends cos one of the blokes thinks he shouldn’t have to pay for his kids 🙄
I think it should be split between whoever’s in a bed. Babes in travel cots are free

6th room is not claimed by anyone but deemed necessary by the parents to have additional space

Bet you anything the parents who have deemed this necessary will suddenly find their dc have fallen in love with this room and are desperate to use it and "of course no one will mind because no one is using it."

Tell one of the families that they can have the standard double, put their kids in the twin, you'll have the king size with en suite - and then see what they think about paying per room.

Split accommodation by rooms not families so any family taking 1.5 rooms or 2 rooms pay more.
Everything else split by headcount. So family of 5 pay the total bill divided by headcount multiplied by 5

Whenever we go away we always split by per head. So if we had a family of 6. We’d pay 6 for the family.

Not sure whereabouts you are thinking of, but a quick search with your criteria on Air b n b have good options at a more reasonable cost, maybe that could be an option?

We are a close family with as many couples with a mix of couples & families, harmony is kept by everyone renting separate accommodations but in the same location, usually a National Trust property type with multiple cottages. We can all meet up in a group but also have our own space when needed.

That doesn’t help when there are three nice big king size family rooms with en suites and 2 standard doubles though.

How did it go, @Adrianne1234 ?

How did your video call go @Adrianne1234 ?

Yes at first they didn’t think it was fair but then realised that it hadn’t been really fair for those without kids either. No one fell out and tbh wish we did it earlier!

This seems hard to work out really as obviously depends how much bigger/better the family rooms are. I think 50% more is probably fair. We’ve always had two rooms- one for us and one for the kids and paid per room (so we would pay more than a couple).

That sounds fantastically complicated. What happens when they all need the spare room at 3am?

I think going to butlins or center parcs might be better so they all have separate housing and can choose and pay their own bills.

As a child-free adult, I'd already be annoyed at having to contribute towards food for 5 kids, there's no way I'd be paying for part of their (better) rooms too. But I'd never share a villa with kids, sounds like hell.

Very different sharing a bathroom with your own family, than sharing it with another family.
And why would couples not want to share a bathroom with someone else's kids?
Sharing a hotel gets suggested because some parents do not understand about fairness. You seem to be one of them as you think a family with two children sharing an en suite bathroom is the same as two adult couples sharing a bathroom.

So much more peaceful for them too. Other people's kids can be annoying.

Agree, and tiring.

The 2/3 couples essentially want your child free friends to subsidise their kids. Not on. How entitled. Pay for your own kids. Your friend are already having to put up with them.

I hope you have also decided to not pay for the children's food. By the times they buy all the "treats" and child specific foods, you will find it quite expensive. The only other way that would be even slightly fair would be the parent's of the kids buy all their treats and snacks and child specific foods on their own and you all split the rest of the costs.