بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

each person paid 9 dollars=27 dollars

they paid 25 to the manager and 2 dollars to the bellhop, and the bellhop returned 3 dollars to the bellhop

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you said that:the three men paid 9 $ and thats a total of 27 plus the 2 dollars the bellhop kept and that makes it 29 $

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that's not right, the three men paid 27 dollars and thats 25 to the manager and two to the bellhop!!! so what u have mentioned in the riddle is actually wrong!!

because they only paid 27 dollars and not 29 dollars

and if we added the three returned dollars to the 27 dollars it will give us 30 and not 29!!!

hope its clear now!!!!!