A German tourist has been awarded more than €900 in compensation after claiming he was unable to get a sun lounger during a family holiday in Greece because other guests repeatedly reserved them with towels.
The man took legal action following a trip to the island of Kos in 2024, arguing that the hotel’s system for managing loungers failed to work properly. He told the court that despite waking up at 6am each morning, his family still could not secure seats by the pool.
According to the ruling, the holidaymaker paid more than €7,000 for the package trip for himself, his wife and their two children. He claimed hotel staff failed to enforce rules banning guests from reserving loungers for long periods while absent. The court heard that his children were sometimes left sitting or lying on the ground because no loungers were available.
Although the tour operator had already offered the family a partial refund of €350, judges in Hanover ruled they should receive almost €1,000 instead. The court said the company had a responsibility to ensure there were reasonable arrangements in place for guests wanting to use the sunbeds.
The so-called “sunbed wars” have become a common feature at busy holiday resorts across Europe, with tourists often placing towels on loungers early in the morning to reserve them. Some destinations in Spain have even introduced fines for people who leave loungers unattended for long periods after claiming them.
In parts of Spain, including areas popular with tourists in the Balearic Islands, local authorities can remove unattended loungers, towels and umbrellas left to reserve spots for long periods. Some coastal towns have also introduced fines of up to €250 for people who leave items unattended on beaches.
Several resorts have rules preventing tourists from reserving sunbeds before certain times in the morning. In some areas, belongings left unattended for more than three hours can also be confiscated by authorities.
In Mallorca and other Balearic destinations, many hotels have introduced their own anti-reservation policies, including removing towels left on empty loungers for too long.