The holiday sunbed war is soon to start raging and this year, it poses new challenges for hotels and tour operators after a German tourist was awarded more than 900 euros by judges after his family was left without sun loungers while on holiday in Greece because other guests had got there first.
During an 11-day holiday the family only managed to use a sunbed once and the judges at the Hanover district court ruled in the man’s favor against the tour operator, deeming the holiday defective as the family’s needs were repeatedly unmet.
Unimpressed by the reservation habits of others, he reported the issue to his tour operator but was informed that it was the hotel’s responsibility to enforce the house rules. When he attempted to contact the hotel staff with his concern that many loungers were rendered useless daily, he said he was unsuccessful.
Hotels in Mallorca, for example, began taking steps to try and control sunbed access a few years ago. One in Camp de Mar kept the doors to the pools closed until 10am, however, guests soon rumbled it and would line their towels up in the corridor leading to the exit - sparking an even more hectic rush for a sun lounger. There have even been growing complaints about similar behaviour on cruise ships.
Now, according to the BBC, a growing number of hotels across the Mediterranean, are introducing tough controls. At some, when guests check in, they are allocated sunbeds for the duration of their stay, at other towels and other objects are removed after a certain time if the sun beds are left vacant for extended periods.
And, at many other, access to sun beds is simply being restricted until, although that simply creates gridlock and pandemonium when the loungers are made available. Last year, for example, videos appeared on social media of tourists in the Canary Islands sleeping on sun loungers to avoid losing their spot by the pool. Some tourist companies are trying to combat this problem. Thomas Cook Tourism, for instance, offers clients the option to pre-book a spot by the pool – for an additional fee.