Hotels Move to End ‘Sunbed Wars’ After Court Ruling

Hotels and holiday resorts are tightening rules on reserving poolside loungers after a court awarded compensation to a tourist who complained he could not access a sunbed during a family holiday.

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The ruling, issued by a district court in Hanover, Germany, granted a refund of about £850 to a holidaymaker who argued that towel reservations meant he spent part of each morning searching for a free lounger.

The decision has prompted renewed attention on what many travellers call the “dawn dash”, where guests place towels on sunbeds early in the morning to reserve them for later use.

Court backs complaint over unavailable loungers

The man had booked a package holiday to the Greek island of Kos in 2024, paying €7,186 (£6,211) for a trip with his wife and two children.

In court, he argued that his tour operator had failed to enforce the hotel’s rule against reserving sunbeds with towels. According to his claim, loungers were already taken even when he arrived at the pool area at 06:00.

He said he spent around 20 minutes each day trying to find a place to sit and that, at times, his children had to lie on the floor because no loungers were available.

Although the tour operator had already offered a partial refund of €350 (£302), judges ruled that the family should receive €986.70 (£852.89).

The court acknowledged that the operator did not manage the hotel directly and could not guarantee a sunbed would always be available. However, judges said the company still had a responsibility to ensure there was an organisational system that provided a reasonable number of loungers for guests.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the man said he hoped the decision would act as a warning to travel companies that allow the practice.

Guests report widespread problem

Other holidaymakers say competition for poolside loungers has become a familiar part of some resort holidays.

Andrew Mills, from Newcastle, told the BBC he avoided the pool area during a trip to the Greek island of Zante because loungers were already reserved by early morning.

Another traveller said the same issue affected his recent holiday in Antalya, Turkey, adding that the situation had “taken the shine out of the trip”.

Some guests said they had witnessed towels being placed on loungers overnight in order to secure a spot the following day.

Resorts introduce stricter systems

In response, some hotels have introduced measures to discourage early reservations.

At two holiday camps on France’s Mediterranean coast, one visitor said staff sounded a horn twice a day and removed belongings left on unattended loungers, placing them in lost property if no one returned.

Other resorts have introduced allocation systems designed to prevent competition for poolside space.

At a hotel in Protaras, Cyprus, guests are assigned a specific sunbed when they check in and can request their preferred location for the duration of their stay.

A similar system operates at a resort in Paphos, Cyprus, according to holidaymaker Colin Davison from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who described it as effective.

Another traveller said a hotel in Cyprus allocated numbered parasols and loungers to guests at the start of their holiday, typically assigning one parasol for every two people.

Informal tactics also reported

Some holidaymakers say they have witnessed less official attempts to tackle the issue.

One traveller said that during a trip to Ibiza, guests who were frustrated by overnight towel reservations began removing them and throwing them into the swimming pool.

Such actions are not recommended by resorts, which increasingly prefer formal policies to manage the demand for poolside seating.

The recent court ruling has highlighted the issue for both travellers and tour operators as the summer holiday season approaches.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 12 May 2026