If I was in charge of sunloungers…

I'd put enough loungers out for guests at the hotel, not just two per room when a load of the rooms can sleep 3 or 4. And some special toddler arrangement that means they can sleep on that and not take up an adult-sized lounger.

Or a comedy device that tips people out into the pool when they've been on the sun lounger too long?

O wait sorry that's the opposite problem to the one you're describing.

I get round this issue by not staying in massive hotels but spending my money instead renting a nice sun lounger with a cushion on the beach for the day, where nice people will bring coffee/water/rose/cocktails as appropriate during the day and no bugger will move my towel, even if I go 20 metres to have lunch for a couple of hours. Even all the years we did Eurocamp I don't recall any sunbed stress.

All I can think after reading this OP is that my strategy of prioritising saving enough for a private villa with pool for our summer holidays has been the correct thing to do.

I've seen this done in quite a few places, but the trouble is that the staff then get screamed at by those who don't appreciate anything but having their own way at all times

It seems to work best on cruise ships though, probably because folk know they can (and do) leave anyone who gets really abusive behind in the next port

I'd give preference to those who could speak some of the local language. Such people would always get a space!

We usually avoid hotels and book villas with our own pool, other people on holiday isn’t our idea of relaxing when we’ve gone away with the dc.
Went to a hotel last time just dh and I went away and there were more than enough sunbeds, set out in 2s with a little table between although you could move them if you were in a group if you wanted. And an umbrella between each pair aswell. we went outside of ‘school holiday season’ and the hotel had 3 big pools so it was pretty quiet. Plus we only ever really do an afternoon or a morning at the pool for a few days, other than that we’re out and about. That video makes me question why people go on holiday, it looks cramped and claustrophobic, the beds are all jammed up next to each other 😱

I recently stayed at a hotel where when I would come down as the first guest (more or less) for breakfast at 8am - all of the sunbeds would already be reserved with bags and towels and things.

No one else would be at breakfast, but 50 loungers reserved.

Very boring.

People may want to swim for longer than 15 mins.
having said that, I only go places where i either have my own pool, or small hotels with sufficient sun loungers…

Sunbeds savers are the worst.

Interestingly with a room overlooking the pool, those creeping down at dawn with two towels are nearly all men…married to insistent wives I think🤔

Selfish to save a bed and disappear. Surely, if everyone used them and took their stuff when they moved…there would be no need to save them, because beds would be available.

My answer is to swap all of the saved towels around and remove some back to the ‘kiosk’, causes havoc and no one can shout at me because I'm not on someone else bed. When people return to ‘their’ bed, with someone else/someone else’s stuff on it, it is a bit like watching a game of musical chairs…just the ‘cross sunbed hogger’ version.

Might I suggest Sandals if your going to the Caribbean… get a room with a butler and they claim your chair in the morning. When you come to the pool your loungers are set up with a little cooler for juice and water.

It’s heaven.

I just remove the towel if I want to sit on it. No one has had the balls to get angry at me yet

I too get the rage when people reserve the best beds then piss off out for the whole morning expecting to rock up mid afternoon and claim their spot. If we're having a pool day, we use our beds all day but definitely spend plenty of time in the pool, or go for lunch. Sometimes away for an hour. I don't think that's unreasonable. It's just the folk that reserve beds at 7am then don't use them until after 2 that infuriate me.

Incidentally, I always find Greece much more relaxed and people don't tend to reserve beds in the same way. Most Greek hotels/resorts we've visited let anyone use the pool as long as they buy a drink from the bar.

Sorry OP but really dislike your idea.
I do however think hotels should have a booking/allocation system for loungers, I'd pay to rent a guaranteed lounger for the duration of my holiday.
I've nothing against saving a lounger while you go for breakfast/lunch, but those who bag one then decide to piss off to the beach for the day really piss me off. When i go to lunch i leave a book/inflatable/hats to show i'm coming back.
Where it's just a towel I'd guess they are away away and the towel should be removed by hotel staff.

@Curlyblondefemale Tereza's sunset hotel , Agios Stefanos , Corfu.

@AgnesX it wasn't child free when I was there last year - I took my DD who was 14 and there were younger children there - it had a small children's area at the pool.

My room was on the ground level so didn't think about accessibility - a lot of people did joke about the hill to get back from the town and the steps up from the beach being a bit of a killer - I didn't find it bad but I'm fairly fit and well used to hills and steps where I live.

Hotel we stayed at once had a policy of if a sunbed with towels on went untouched for more than 2 hours the attendant would write down all the items on the sunbed then place them neatly on the table. It was very entertaining to watch when someone else used the sunbed and the original ' occupant' came back to discover what had happened. Would watch undetected from behind my sunglasses. Whatever the system some selfish people will ignore or abuse it.

Stayed in a hotel once that had an app facility that allowed you to pre book the loungers the day before and each bed and brolly were numbered
It wasn't without its problems at times , but it seemed to work for us.

Where do you all go on holiday? I have literally never stayed at a hotel where all the loungers are taken!

At OP's pool they'll provide lockers.

This looks lovely, what hotel?

Not very accessible which is a shame. It looks lovely ( child free?).

I always go to adults in hotels and there always seem to be enough loungers. Once though we were separated from a younger couple by just one lounger (we were there first). Her parents showed up and I gathered from the conversation they were staying at another hotel. The girls father took the lounger next to us, however the mother actually sat on the end of MY lounger that I was currently lying on!!! She moved sharpish when I asked what the fuck she thought she was doing!

I’ve got an idea. Why don’t hotels just provide enough sunbeds and allocate them per room. So you know which yours is. But like others I just wouldn’t go to the type of hotel where you are fighting over sunbeds at the crack of dawn.

Failing that I like the sign idea. People should get an hour or so grace to go to lunch but no longer if sunbeds are in short supply. But no loud klaxons every 15 minutes. And if you need to watch your kids sit on the side with them - or get in. Doesn’t mean you deserve a poolside sunbed

Went to a wonderful hotel in Bangkok (Banyan Tree) where the pool was run like OP's suggestion. If a sunlounger was unused for more than 10 - 15 minutes (perfecty long enough for a dip - the pool wasn't one you'd do lengths in as it was too small), the things on it would be removed and securely stored at the staff desk. It really stopped the hoggers.