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?

This is what we have done in the past when going away in a mixed group of families and couples. Families should not pay the same as couples that is not fair at all.

We have 2 kids and I would never insist that we pay the same as a child free couple who have a worse room, bit embarrassing really.

Depends on room split. When we go away with friends it’s usually split by adults only (and yes we do offer to pay more!). Kids are normally in with us. I say ‘normally’ - so far they’ve been in with us every time, but they are both under 4.

Yes family rooms in hotels sometimes cost a bit more, although not in any hotels I’ve stayed in (mainly 4/5 star and airport hotels) apart from once and it had a separate bedroom so would expect to pay more for a suite type set up. I’m assuming extra cost is due to breakfasts which wouldn’t be included in self catering.

Personally, if the kids are going to need their own rooms I would split the cost by room and charge accordingly.

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"

@Adrianne1234 Are the families assuming they will get the kingsize rooms with en suites for the same price as the couples will pay for the bathroomless doubles? If so, I would put a ‘To be honest, I don’t really fancy paying £550 for 2 nights in a double room without a bathroom’ on the group chat.

I would suggest passing on that house and looking instead for different accommodation where the rooms are all the same, so everyone gets a good room and they can have their kids in with them (no spare room) or go to somewhere that you can have your own villa/pod type place.

Should add - we always stay in places where the rooms are broadly equal, eg all en-suite. Also the families should foot the bill for the empty room as they’ve insisted on having it.

No surprise the childree couple are being ripped off by the families.

Not only do they get a double room inside of king size they have to share a bathroom as its not ensuite.

So look at it look at it like this smaller room, shared bathroom and the same price as everyone else...no way!!! To top it off they are subsidising children's good too.

The childree couples should be paying less per room, they are getting less!

Divide the total by 15 and then split it based on the number of people in each family...I regularly go away with a childfree friend and my DC, and no way do I expect her to subsidise the three of us, so we divide the cost of the villa into four and then I pay 3/4 and she pays 1/4.

I disagree with the posts saying it's expensive for the adult only couples who are 'only' getting a double room. As the accommodation has to be big enough for 15 bodies instead of 10, they're presumably also getting the benefit of the larger living areas.

I don't think it's fair for children to be discounted. Similarly though, I wouldn't be happy to pay an adult price for my dc considering one of them would need to share a room with us.

I'd just count each child as 0.5.

I disagree with the posts saying it's expensive for the adult only couples who are 'only' getting a double room.

If you’re getting a smaller room and having to pay the same as a big one with a bathroom, that’s going to cause resentment as it’s not fair.

I think this house is not a good fit for this group’s holiday.

Adults pay a full price

Kids are charged as half price

Obviously the children's parents pay for their own kids

The thought of going away with this many people makes me shudder.

Agree. Not fair any other way.

The families pay more as because they have children you have had to pay extra for a bigger place

I think it’s a big problem if this can’t be sensibly and fairly agreed at this initial stage.

Of course the children should be levied at a 50% head cost. You are already agreeing no head charge for food costs. If the families with children think their children’s accommodation costs should also be substantially subsidised as well as their family food costs I would question whether this is the right group dynamic to be sharing a break away with.

It’s not exactly setting the right tone for a weekend break.

Unless the kids are toddlers or babies, then adults full price and kids are half price.

This is what we have done when going in a big family group. This is also the calculation I came up with and then saw someone else had already posted!

Adults =£220 and kids =£110.

Or you could ask in the group chat to have one of the en suite rooms.

I’m sure that will elicit a, ‘but that’s not fair’ comment from one of the families m, which will lead nicely into a discussion about what actually would be fair on everyone!

This sounds like the holiday from hell.

You can’t agree on who pays what already. Add alcohol and a lingering resentment from the “losers” and it’s a recipe for disaster once you get there.

I’d pull out now

How about something like family 1 and 2 pay 24%, the family with 1 DC pays 22% and the 2 couples pay 15%? Or something along those lines with a bit of tweaking?

We do this. Kids count as 0.5 people.

This has disaster written all over it. I’d personally count kids as half an adult, unless all rooms were of an equal size and standard, then going by bedroom would be fair I think. But this level of disagreement already, and the fact that the families are trying to stiff the childless ones into getting the shit rooms with no ensuite and paying the same, just nope. Also, unless these 5 kids are all babies on breastmilk + Ella’s pouches bought from home then the childless couples are really getting done over by subbing their food too. If you want to preserve the friendship it would be all inclusive pay per room or no group holiday for me.

How old are the children?

If I was childfree I'd rent a villa nearby so I could have peace and quiet but still be involved.

i can’t wait for all the threads that are going to drop out of this weekend away 😆