Three travelers check into a hotel room that costs 30 dollars total. They each contribute 10 dollars. Later, the manager realizes there was a mistake and the room should only cost 25 dollars. He gives 5 dollars to the bellhop to return to the travelers. The dishonest bellhop pockets 2 dollars and gives 1 dollar back to each of the three travelers. Now, each traveler has paid 9 dollars (total 27 dollars), and the bellhop has 2 dollars. 27 plus 2 equals 29. Where is the missing dollar?
There is no missing dollar; adding the paid amount to the bellhop's pocket is a mathematical error in framing.
The travelers paid 27 dollars total. Of that 27 dollars, 25 dollars went to the hotel room, and 2 dollars went to the bellhop. You should not add the bellhop's 2 dollars to the 27 paid; instead, you subtract the bellhop's 2 dollars from the 27 paid to get the 25 dollars the hotel actually received (27 - 2 = 25).
About this riddle
Logic riddles give you a few facts and ask what must be true. List what you know, cross out what cannot be, and see what is left.
Difficulty: Easy. More like this: Logic riddles with answers or try Einstein's Logic Grid for a different kind of puzzle.
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