As a single person this is a big issue with me - i hate these single supplements!

My friend went on a Nile cruise with Archers direct - only £100 supplement not as bad as some. If im doing a city break i use http://www.ratestogo.com - just looking to book a night in Venice before i join a cruise and found a hotel for £24 single room. Also been to Paris for £30 a room which was a double.

Package hols are the worst - going DIY online seems cheapest?

Alison

Hi. We went to playa pesquero hotel in cuba (guardalavaca) last month and there was no single supplement at all. All year round too!!! Also there were quite a few people there travelling on thier own too.

Hi. I'm not sure if this is the correct Forum to be posting this thread, or if I am resurrecting an old topic, but I can't seem to find any other threads currently running on this topic. I was just wondering what other HT members thought about having to pay for an Extra Supplememt to occupy a room on your own.

I am a Single traveller and as such I always have to pay extra per night for the 'privelidge' of occupying a room on my own. Now if these rooms were of a higher grade to twin or double rooms I could understand why, but Single Rooms are often far inferior to twin/double rooms. They are usually a lot smaller, often situated at the rear of the Hotel overlooking the service yard, and as such can be very noisy with deliveries and dust carts etc.

Single Rooms rarely have a Balcony (The Rio Park Hotel in Benidorm is a prime example of just how small and inferior single rooms can be) and I siimply cannot understand why I should have to pay extra for, well less basically. Single Room supplements can range from £5.00 extra per night or more. I've personally paid up to £25 extra per night for my single room. And I simply don't see why I should

More often than not, single rooms are just that, single rooms. There is no room for an extra occupant, so the Hotel is not loosing out income from an unoccupied bed. So I do get quite when I have to pay out something like £200 or so extra for my room just to occupy it on my own. Yes, if it was a twin bedded room, then I can understand that, as they are loosing out if the bed is left empty for a fortnight, but rooms with just the one bed in them? It simply does not make any sense.

In addition to which I don't think the Hotels actually make anything from single room supplements. I think its the Tour Operators that benefit. And if thats true then I thinks its about time this practice stops. They make enough out of us anyway what with Airport Taxes, Fuel taxes etc etc.

So, if there are any other HT Members readers this that are Single Travellers, I'd be interested to hear your views. If you go DIY, do you still have to pay a single room supplement

Sorry Admin/Mods......its states my thread has been "moved". Not sure I know what that means. Moved to where please?

To General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips which you've found by clicking on the topic.

Pippy

Oh yes, thank you Pippy. Sorry, I'm still relatively new to these Forums, and I'm also not very technically minded when it comes to pc's etc.

I did say I was not sure if I had posted in the correct forum. Anyway, many thanks.

I'm still relatively new to these Forums

I don't think so Gary - only the username is new !!

David

I'm not sure whats going on with whether you are a new member or not, but anyway, in answer to your question -

If you go DIY you pay the same price for your chosen room, regardless of how many people will be staying in it. So in that respect, there are no hidden charges for you as a single traveller.

Elaine

Hello Benidorm
I travel alone somtimes, my husband has the kids while I go for a stress break. It really annoys me the way single travellers are discriminated against. I would like to sometimes to go self catering, in a small studio, but they all bang on all the supplements. Hotel rooms, smaller rooms, you still have to pay supplements for a room which only sleeps one. Its not right. These special companies that run single traveller holidays think you all want to go on touring holidays, and all get together. I am sociable but not to be in a gang all through the holiday.
Have you noticed on some of the big Tour operators' sites whenever you put in a single person is travelling the holidays are not available, but if you put in two people the rooms ARE available.
It really gets to me, if you choose or you have no choice of travelling by yourself you are treated unfairly.
Dawn

It really gets to me, if you choose or you have no choice of travelling by yourself you are treated unfairly.

Hi Dawnie-Rob. Thanks for your imput. Yes, thats my point exactley. Whether I choose to holiday with my family, or go somewhere on my own, I am a single person. I don't have a partner and therefore I have no choice but to book a single room. I have tried to book a twin/double room on my own in the hope that I can avoid single room supplements, but the Travel Agengies simply won't hear of it. At least, that has been my experience thus far.

I have no objections to paying extra if I occupy a twin room on my own, as I can appreicate that somewhere down the chain, someone is loosing out on income for the unoccupied bed, but when I am in a room all on my own with just the one bed, in what is more often than not an inferior room, ie, much smaller, maybe with a bath you can only just sit in, and with no balcony, then I really do object to paying extra.

Who actually makes a profit form these unfair charges? The Travel Ageny? The Tour Company? The Hotel? or a combination of all three?

There is no doubt about it in my humble opinion, Single Travellers are penalised against. I just think its very unfair, and I wish there was a way around it. As I have previously stated, the extra money I am forced to pay out in Single Room Supplements could buy me another week's holiday somewhere.

Have you noticed on some of the big Tour operators' sites whenever you put in a single person is travelling the holidays are not available, but if you put in two people the rooms ARE available

I must admit I have not looked into that particular point, but quite frankly I am not at all surprised. But that just goes to prove that Single Travellers are prejudiced against. How can a room not be available one minute, but its not the next?

Its just not fair.

I often take holidays on my own and have a number of strategies, used singly or in combination, for not getting stung by the single supplement.

1) Go DIY and deal direct with the hotel or letting agent for self-catering. It can be expensive when there's no one else to share the cost but you know exactly what you're getting and how much it will cost from the outset. In my experience hoteliers outside Britain couldn't reaaly care less about how many are sleeping in the room - they'll just quote you a price per night per room regardless of whether you're on your own or part of a couple. Compared to the rooms used by package TOs it generally means you get sole use of either a double or twin with all the maenities you'd expect.

2) Focus you're holiday search on those areas where the hotel costs are always low anyway. Anywhere in mainland Europe and the TOs pile on the single supplements, whereas in Tunisia it is nearly always possible to get sole use of a double or twin either with no single supplement at all or a very nominal one, even form the big TOs.

3) Don't travel in the school holidays when TOs and hoteliers are trying to capitalise on their prime season and will do anything to maximise profits. Out side of the school holidays they're much more likely to just make sure that the room is being occupied and making some money rather than being empty and losing them money.

4) Leave it until the last minute when again they'll be more prepared to negotiate a good deal rather than lose the booking.

SM

To add to this discussion:

Some years ago I used to travel on my own quite often and I always managed to find a hotel in the brochures that offered a no single supplement during a certain time of the year.

These days, browsing through the brochures, such deals are more difficult to find, if they are available at all.

Either the TO's have wised up to this, or the hotels themselves have found that such offers are not financially viable anymore

Mark

Just thought I'd take a minute to throw my halfpenny-worth in on this one!

As a travel writer, I spend a great deal of time travelling round the world on my own. Thankfully I usually book my flights and accommodation separately, and direct with the airlines and accommodation owners... unless they want to offer me free flights or accommodation of course which is great!

But this topic is one that crops up time and time again. Morally, not only is it wrong to charge a single guest an additional supplement to spend a night (or a week or a fortnight) in a room that can only sleep one person anyway, but I would go even further. It's equally wrong to charge a single guest ANYTHING more than half the price of a couple in a double/twin room.

Obviously there are exceptions. Self catering accommodation being the obvious one, where the tariff is often (and understandably) quoted per unit rather than per person.

But it's a problem unique to people who decide to book with one of the large glossy-brochured Tour Operators. Quite often (if you can be bothered) you can contact the hotels in the brochures directly by phone or e-mail, and book your accommodation without single room supplements, and (equally quite often) at considerably less per room per night, than you're getting charged by buying the package.

But this topic is one that crops up time and time again. Morally, not only is it wrong to charge a single guest an additional supplement to spend a night (or a week or a fortnight) in a room that can only sleep one person anyway, but I would go even further. It's equally wrong to charge a single guest ANYTHING more than half the price of a couple in a double/twin room.

Hello and many thanks for that very helpful post. You have given me lots of food for thought now.

It's equally wrong to charge a single guest ANYTHING more than half the price of a couple in a double/twin room.

I had actually never looked at it from that angle, but you make a very valid point. Unfortunately, although it may be wrong to make these charges, I'm assuming it is not illegal. Sorry if that sounds a bit naieve. Its just I do get a wee bit when I know I have spent an additional £200, £250, £300 more on my holiday for the priviledge of occupying a small and inferior room on my own, but what other choice do I have apart from the very good suggestions to make in your post, which I now intend to look into with some serious homework.

I have not yet booked my holidays for this year, which is somewhat unusual for me, but methinks I am going to give the Travel Agency a wide berth this time and do it myself on the Internet direct with the Airline and the Hotelier. Thank you Manx Fella, I really appreicate your comments, they have been a big help.

Hi, I have travelled to Bulgaria using Balkan Holidays twice a year for past 7 years and do not pay supplements, In their Brochure look under the Heading "Spice of Life" Ignore any remarks about age, my adopted granddaughter has been going since she was 18 years old we both get our own double rooms, granted it is up to 2nd week in June and from Sept onwards, One of the few companies still doing it. Tonyt

I couldn't agree more it is a farce to be paying single supplements when you only occupy a single room, I can see why we singles have to pay if you are occupying a double room. The bargain I got was in Corfu a few years ago when I booked through teletext not knowing where I was going, but didn't get charged any supplement and ended up in an apartment for 6 people with a fantastic view! Made the most of that one. Doesn't happen that often! Bobby

it is a farce to be paying single supplements when you only occupy a single room,

Precisely. As I have previously stated, I think, I have no objections whatsover if I am charged a 'single room' supplement, if I know in advance that my accomodation is going to be a double or twin room that I alone will be occupying. Someone along the line will be missing out on the 'income' from that unoccupied bed. But that surely cannot be so if I am allocated a small single room with one small single bed, and no room for cot space etc.

I was hoping that there might be some response from HT members 'in the travel industry' using these boards who could explain this very unfair charge for me. Just WHY do us single traveller's have to pay extra for SINGLE rooms. WHAT exactley are we paying for? Thats my gripe basically.

Because we choose to travel alone, WHY are we penalised in this way? Does it cost the tour company, or the Hotel Operator more to accomodate the single traveller?

It really is about time this unfair charge was scrapped.

I totally agree with you, when i last stayed in the Ambassador Playa in Benidorm a friend of mine was staying there and she showed me her single room, all i can say is i was shocked! it was more like a broom cupboard, tini, no window and just a single bed, it really is not fair and cannot see the sence in it
Crystal xxx

I've just come back from Majorca with married friends (quick break and my hubby was working). Anyway.........

We had 2 x 1 bedroomed apartments and paid exactly the same ie £36 for 3 nights per apartment. So I had a 1 bedroomed apartment to myself

We booked through Thomson's accommodation only BUT for the same period we could have gone half board for 3 nights 4 star for £99 per room. Now even though the 3 of us could have stayed in one room ie £33 each for 3 nights, my having a room of my own was going to cost £99 same as the married couple.

I wouldn't have minded paying half as there was food involved but we all objected to my having to pay the full £99 when there would only be one of me eating compared to their 2 and compared to all 3 of us eating had I shared a room with the couple.

We understood cleaning costs etc but not the exact same price when half board is included.