'The single biggest thing that irks me about going on a group holiday'
Friend-Cations are the best - spending time away with mates, sharing belly laughs and creating precious new memories. You can sign me up for a group holiday – anytime!
There's just one pesky little issue that can cause friction on a friend-cation, especially when singles are travelling with their coupled friends. And that's whether to split the cost of your shared accommodation PER PERSON or PER ROOM.
It's a tricky one. Because we all know the single friend will usually get a raw deal if it's divided per room and couples will probably feel shafted, if it's split per person.
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There's one pesky little issue that can cause friction on a friend-cation. Instagram/Sami Lukis
Thankfully, a recent post on Threads has managed to settle this debate… once and for all.
In the post, one traveller asked the question: "Do you split the cost of your Airbnb rental per person or per room? Context: We have 3 rooms, with 4 people sharing: 1 couple and 2 singles. How would you split the cost?"
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It turns out people have some big feelings about this topic. The post quickly notched up more 500 comments - with plenty of passionate arguments and one clear answer.
This debate really hit a nerve with me, too, tbh - as a single person who often holidays with coupled friends.
When we split the accommodation per room, I usually end up sleeping on a single bed or crammed into the kids room on a bunk bed.
And yes, it does irk me when I've paid as much as the couple, who are sleeping in the luxurious master suite with the giant king size bed and their own ensuite.
Sami is a single person who often holidays with coupled friends. Supplied/Sami Lukis
On the flip side, we recently decided to split the cost per person, when I shared a three-bedroom apartment with a couple and one other single friend. We didn't realise until we arrived that all three rooms were exactly the same size – each with their own ensuite.
I didn't think it was fair that the couple effectively paid twice as much as I had, for the exact same room.
OK so, what's the correct protocol here? Should you split the cost of your shared accommodation Per Person or Per Room?
Well, the people of the internet have spoken – and sorry couples, but you're going to have to cough up.
There was overwhelming support for the 'per person' side of the debate, with many common sense justifications.
"You should split it per person. Because you're not just paying for the room. You're paying for the whole house and everyone's using all the facilities - water, gas, electricity, wifi etc," one person wrote.
She hosts plenty of travel groups around the world. Sami Lukis/supplied
"The whole point of renting an Airbnb is to save money by splitting expenses - evenly," another said.
"If you want to pay per room, go to a hotel," was a third opinion.
While another said: "Per Person. If all 4 people were single, and two singles shared one of the rooms, they'd split it four ways, no question. So why should being in a couple make a difference?"
Some people even seemed to take it all quite personally.
"Per Person. Just because two people are having sex, doesn't mean their trip gets sponsored by the other two," was one rather blunt comment.
"The delusion in which couples justify charging their single friends (who already pay a higher single tax for literally everything) more to participate in the same vacation as them, is literally why I have so few couple friends," said another.
And a third wrote: "Per person. Or get new friends."
How do you split the cost on a group trip? Getty
There was limited support for the 'Per Room' option, but the comments were just as impassioned.
"It should be split Per Room. Just because we're a couple doesn't mean we should pay double," one person responded.
"Per Room. Of course. This is why my husband and I only travel with other couples," another said.
"If you're staying in a hotel, you'd book 3 rooms, and pay for your own room. What's the difference here?" another argued.
But for the couples arguing that you should split the cost per room, I ask you this:
Doesn't it make sense then, that you should draw straws to decide who sleeps where?
If we're all paying the same amount for a room, regardless of how many people are sleeping in it, shouldn't it be luck of the draw to determine who gets the best one?
There was limited support for the 'Per Room' option. Supplied/Sami Lukis
And at the risk of making this even more complicated than it needs to be, some comments offered clever alternatives - which might just keep everyone happy.
"We always split the cost in two. Then half is split per person, and the other half is split per room. It seems to go over very well with both singles and couples," was one suggestion.
"We always split the cost based on how nice the bedrooms are," another offered. "A master bedroom with ensuite and king bed is going to be worth more than a tiny bedroom with a bunk bed and shared bathroom. We suggest the price breakdown upfront and then people pick the option that works best for them and/or their budget."
How do you work out who gets the nicest room? Instagram
I became so invested in this topic, I even decided to do my own snap poll with the Nine.com.au team - a bunch of experienced travellers. And it was a unanimous vote for splitting the cost 'per person' - with some interesting concessions.
"Always per person - unless someone has a considerably better/worse set up (pls no more single tax!!) and whoever booked/organised gets first dibs of rooms," Siena says.
"Per person, we're all using all the other shared spaces and amenities. If someone had to sleep on a couch or something I would reconsider," Lauren adds.
Amy also agrees per person but says it's different for family travel.
"If we're going away with childless friends who have factored in extras for our kid then we'll offer to pay more to offset her - like getting a bigger place, we'll pay more of the difference to offset it being to accommodate our family," she says.
And so, on behalf of all single travellers, I ask you coupled folk to please take note when planning your next friend-cation.
When renting an Airbnb with a group of friends, the correct thing to do (based on one completely random, unofficial survey conducted on Threads and one unsubstantiated poll conducted in the Nine office) … is to split the cost, PER PERSON.
You can follow Sami on Instagram @samilukis
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