Divide the price of each extra by the number of times you will really use it, then compare that figure with what you would pay to do the same thing yourselves. Extras with a low price per use and a real wish behind them are worth keeping. The rest are padding.
This guide is part of our decision methods topic. It pairs with package versus paying extras separately.
What is the four-column method?
Make a table with one row per extra. Fill each column honestly.
| Extra | Price you are paying | Times you will use it | Price per use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spa credit | |||
| Candlelight dinner | |||
| Flower decoration | |||
| Late checkout |
For a package, the price you are paying is the gap between the package and the same room without the extra. Ask the resort for that room-only price.
How does a worked example look?
Imagine a spa credit is priced at 100 units and you will use it once. Its price per use is 100 units. Now imagine a late checkout priced at 40 units, used once. Its price per use is 40 units.
These are made-up units to show the arithmetic, not real prices. The point is that the same ordinary cost can look small inside a package and large when you divide it by real use.
Which extras need a second look?
Some extras are easy to overvalue because they sit on a pretty list.
- One-off decoration. Used once, then gone.
- Credits that must be spent in full. A credit bigger than you need becomes a push to spend.
- Set dinners that you cannot change. Check halal status and menu limits.
- Drinks you will not order. If neither of you drinks alcohol, a bar credit is worth nothing.
Our guide on which package extras just pad the price looks at these in more detail.
Which extras earn their place?
Extras that you would buy anyway, at a price you can confirm, are the strongest. A transfer you need, a breakfast you will eat, or a late checkout that rescues a flight home tend to pass.
Check what a honeymoon package really includes to see which items are fixed and which are discretionary.
What about value you cannot count?
Some extras are worth it because they make a moment feel special. That is a fair reason. Write a short note next to the row: “worth it for the feeling.” This keeps the decision honest.
If you are not sure, ask yourselves: would we book it separately at this price? If yes, keep it.
How do we use the result?
Rank the extras by price per use and by how much you want them. Keep the ones in the top half on both lists. Ask the resort whether the package can drop the rest at a lower price.
Use the honeymoon package comparer to line up two packages with the same table.
What should we do next?
- Copy the extras from the package into the table.
- Ask for the room-only price to find what the extras add.
- Fill in times used and price per use.
- Mark the extras you want for the feeling.
- Send us the package list, and we will compare it with a room-only quote, with the totals for two.