You might be able to figure this out if you read carefully.

Three men went to a motel. The motel manager said a room cost $30, so each man put up $10 and went to their room. A little while later the manager realized the room was only $25, so he sent the bellhop back to the three guys' room with $5. On the way to the room the bellhop couldn't figure out how to split the $5 between the 3 men, so he gave each one of them $1 and he kept the other $2.

This meant that the 3 men paid $9 each for the room for a total of $27. Add the $2 that the bellhop kept = $29.

Where did the other dollar go?
Now see the answer below:












Answer to The Missing Dollar
The answer is in the way the question is worded. You cannot add what one person HAS to what someone else has PAID and come up with any kind of a meaningful number, you have to subtract.
Each man has paid $9.
The bellhop has $2.
Difference $9 x 3 = $27
2
$25
The hotel clerk has the other 25 dollars.

To look at it from the standpoint of the original $30.
Each man has $1.
The bellhop has $2.
The hotel clerk has $25.
Total $1 x 3 = $3
2
25
$30

Author unknown