Puzzles/Arithmetical puzzles/Hotel Refund

Puzzles | Arithmetical puzzles | Hotel refund

Three men stop at a hotel. There's only one room left, so they agree to share. The desk clerk charges them thirty dollars, and they each give him ten dollars.

Later, the clerk realizes he's over-charged them by five dollars. He gives the bell-boy five one-dollar bills, and tells him to return the money to the three men. The bell-boy keeps two dollars for himself, and gives one dollar to each of the three men.

So, the men paid nine dollars each for the room, for a total of twenty-seven dollars. The bell-hop has two dollars, and that makes twenty-nine. What happened to the other dollar?

And another thing. Two men stop at the same hotel. There's only one room left, so they agree to share. The desk clerk charges them thirty dollars, and they each give him fifteen dollars.

Later, the clerk realizes that once again he has over-charged by five dollars. He gives the bell-boy five one-dollar bills, and tells him to return the money to the two men. The bell-boy, feeling slightly more daring, keeps three dollars for himself, and gives one dollar to each of the two men.

So, the men paid fourteen dollars each for the room, for a total of twenty-eight dollars. The bell-boy has three dollars, and that makes thirty-one. Where did the other dollar come from? And, no, you better not answer that it came from the first puzzle.

solution

(Source: CarTalk is the only place I've heard the second one MikeBorkowski)