Standard service program fees generally include double-occupancy lodging. As a courtesy, we make available an option for single occupancy, on a first-requested basis, where and when it is available. The fee for a single room is displayed on each service program fee page by country. Please note that a single room can be costly, depending upon the base hotel room charge and the added cost of displacing another volunteer to provide you this option.

Because Global Volunteers is not a hotel room re-seller, we must anticipate our annual costs of single rooms and assess you a fee to cover our costs. Your patience and cooperation are neccessary to enable us to continue offering this option. In order to accommodate all team members, single rooms are possible only in lodging where such arrangements don't raise the cost of lodging for the entire team.

Not all contracted hotels are flexible enough to provide this option for you. Single room option fees are calculated in the same manner as in the tourist industry, based upon our individual vendor agreements. Please understand that we are not able to negotiate independent lodging arrangements with our lodging vendors.

Determining the availability of single occupancy rooms: As a non-profit organization, our responsibility is to manage annual program costs responsibly. Our annual program budgets are designed for double occupancy lodging. In communities where and when it is possible, we offer a single option to accomodate volunteer needs. However, it is not possible to guarantee the general availability of single rooms until the program begins because team numbers and sizes fluctuate throughout the year. Unforseen circumstances such as changes in arrangements by the hotel, program emergencies and late cancellations/additions frequently change team composition. Despite these complications, we're often able to reserve your single room, consistent with travel industry practices.

Calculating the single supplement fee: The fee to reserve an available single room on a service program is calculated up to a year in advance of the program. Your fee is assessed to cover the added single room cost plus the added cost for the single room of the volunteer you have displaced. This is different from both the rack hotel rate for a single room, and the negotiated contract rate Global Volunteers obtains from the vendor. It is possible, if not paying a single supplement fee, you can obtain a single room solely because of your application date and the default gender composition of the team. But, this is neither guaranteed nor promised. To secure a single room, you must request it at the time you apply, and pay a single room option fee. This calculation is based upon the anticipated number of single room requests in the budget year. It is our interest to cover only our added expenses, and not to generate a surplus. We're not able to operate at a loss by offering single rooms options.