Wikipedia has a long winded rambling explanation . It just math. Simple math. Instead of adding the Bellhop's 2 bucks to the 27 paid by 3 guests, just add it to the clerk's 25 bucks. then the equation balances. Or subtract it from the guests 27 bucks - do not add it.
ie the motel has 25, the bellhop has 2 and the guests are out 27. there are 3 deep pockets - not two.
Just a word puzzle. So helps to restate the events. Or remove the Bellhop. So it is the clerk that keeps the 2 bucks. and gives the bellhop 3 bucks to refund to 3 guests. Bellhops are not too bright?
For a real life puzzle:
Pretend the Guests are TDY and filing a government voucher and get a kick back. Or they stay in same room but claim 3 rooms. Get fake bills from the motel. What happened to the Taxpayer's money?
Other puzzle is why they stay in a 5 star hotel when a 3 star motel is their standard normally. Pretend the 3 travelers are government contractors instead of government workers? haha. and triple the cost to pay for political bribes and donations to campaigns.
Again, what happens to the Taxpayers money? Palm60 (talk) 20:13, 1 March 2021 (UTC)