4 replies to this topic

[Zoltar]

3 Men book into a hotel room. The room costs £30. the three men all agree to split the costs and pay £10 each.

A short time afterwards, the receptionist realises the room the three men use is on special offer for just £25 per night.

The receptionist, facing the dilemma of paying back a fiver equally to the three men, decides to pocket £2, and give each of the three men £1 back each. £3 in total.

So for these 3 men, after their £1 rebate, the room worked out at £9 each. Which equals £27. But if the receptionist only pocketed £2, then wheres the lost pound gone if the room was originally £30?

Answers please.............

[Dougsta]

It's an old one Zoltar. Basically the manipulation comes by working first forwards, then backwards to confuse you.

The three men should have paid £8.33 each for the room if it costs £25.
Each man is £1.67 out of pocket if they paid £30 for the room.
The receptionist swipes £0.67 each (total of £2), leaving them to get one pound back each.
That totals £30

You can't work forward and backward for a mathematical problem like this. It's one way or the other, but not both at the same time.

[stevedude2]

The men paid £9 each on a room that cost £25, and the receptionist kept the extra £2. There's a misdirection whereby the room is still declared to be £30 after it has changed to £25.

[jim2311]

It's an old one Zoltar.

Old indeed, when I first heard this the cost was 30 bob and they contributed 10 bob each.

[gambogaz1]

The men paid £9 each on a room that cost £25, and the receptionist kept the extra £2. There's a misdirection whereby the room is still declared to be £30 after it has changed to £25.

This is the answer, the riddle comes about because the question purposely mis-leads you. It's 3 X £9 = £27 the men pay, - £2 swiped by the receptionist = £25 room cost. The original £30 room price now has to be ignored.