[Lei Lei]

Let's see if there is a dollar missing.

Let's think of the problem this way:

At the end of the day, each guest has put in $9 towards the cost of the room: 3 x $9 = $27.

Guys Paid = $30

True Room Cost = $25

Bell hop suppose to return = $5

Balance would = $0 if bell hop returned whole $5

Bell hop returned $3

Bell hop kept $2

Still leaving a total of $5 management left for change to be returned

Still leaving, that has far as the motel management is considered,

Customers paid $25

Bell hop returned $3

Bell hop kept $2

Total monies in question = $30

The bellboy has kept $2 from what the guests spent for their room: $27 - $2 = $25.

I disagree. The bellboy has kept $2 from what the guests orginially spent for their room. The guest orginally spent $30. That is why the bellboy was going to return the change

You can not take $2 out of the $27.

Or we can also take it from the other direction:

The motel has $30 and gives $5 of that to the bellboy to return to the guests: $30 - $5 = $25.

The bellboy, not knowing how to split $5 equally decides to keep $2 for himself: $5 - $2 = $3.

The men each end up with $1 each. Total it up: 3 x $1 + $2 + $25 = $30.

I agree with this.