Coscan

Per-Person Room Charges: A Europe-Only Travel Annoyance?

There are hundreds of travel annoyances out there. Scams, overpriced services, and downright unethical marketing tactics cause stress and financial pain for millions of travellers annually, and with internet advertising tricks making even the shadiest business a ‘worldwide’ presence, things don’t appear to be getting any better.

One travel industry business practice that’s drawn a large amount of disdain is the single-person supplement often assigned to single travellers booking hotel rooms and other forms of lodging. A phenomenon seemingly limited to European travel destinations, the single-person room charges and extra fees have been a burden for solo travellers for decades.

Unfortunately, things don’t appear to be improving. Despite a range of specialist travel agents offering ‘improved’ pricing and special deals for solo travellers, it appears that rates and added fees still exist in most European hotels. While occasionally disguised as added room fees or costs built into the room rate, single-person fees are still an expense that many travellers are forced to deal with.

Fortunately, the phenomenon appears to be limited to European hotels. Accommodation throughout Asia, North America, and Oceania – at least at relatively high-end levels – has long been without excessive service charges and per-person room rates. The vast majority of international hotels offer lodging on a per-room rate, statistics show, rather than the per-person rates often advertised throughout continental Europe.

While many travel-related annoyances have disappeared with the arrival of greater technology, old fashioned habits certainly don’t appear to be dying out. If you’re hit by unethical excess fees or deceptive hotel marketing practices, don’t let it slide. New technology can and will be used for bad, but it also gives you a chance to voice your story. Let others know exactly how per-person rates and hidden charges have affected you, and ensure that other solo travellers can avoid them.