To be annoyed at this child and family (on holiday)

It is very tempting to buy the biggest supersoaker and spray the parents straight in the face when they least expect it. Hey it's pool, what do you expect? But I wouldn't do that, then it will be tit for tat and you'll lose your moral high ground.
Yes complaints book, review about how useless hotel is dealing with problematic guests, tour agency if any. Can also bring up the recent case from Germany where it was decided you should be compensated if you are unable to reasonably enjoy your holiday due to hotel being ineffective.

The chalet is unacceptable. The pool area is different. I expect to be splashed occasionally at the pool by random blasters of water. You can choose a lounger further from the pool, I wouldn’t be policing children playing with a squirter.
They’ve no idea that you have a phobia.
My children are older, they don’t use water toys, not old enough for an adult only hotel so for now it’s part of the package on a poolside trip.

Went and when are two completely different words.

Surely you’re not sitting by a pool all week?! What a waste of a holiday! Go out and explore the local area and make the most of your time there

In Spain ask for the complaints book. It will then be taken seriously as these complaints have to be notified to the authorities and they won't want that and will do something. Google Spain complaints book for more info.

Actually I don't think it is ridiculous to treat this behaviour as criminal. It's tipped over to bullying/harassment and the parents are shits not to dealt with their kids properly. I'd have been hauled away by mum or dad, given a talking to, had the water gun confiscated and thrown away and been made to apologise to the people I'd upset. But then I wouldn't have done it in the first place as I knew from a young age that it wasn't acceptable.

The hotel will not do anything much. They don’t want to argue with the dad built like a brick lavatory. And clearly unwilling to stop his children behaving in such a way. They know people are there for a limited amount of time.
I am afraid the first time the children got a reaction from anyone was the response they were after. So they do it some more to get another.
You can buy a water pistol yourself and do it back. That might work. But be prepared for Dad to suddenly feel it is unfair. His children doing it you are an adult etc.
Or try not to mind. That sounds hard but in reality if the children don’t get a response eventually they will give up.
Or go somewhere away from the pool for a while. You have two days left now.
Is there a beach nearby ? Or ask the hotel if there is another pool that you could use ( could they arrange with a close by hotel to let you in to use ) etc.

I'd be escalating it to the rep then directly to the holiday company if there is one.

I’ve so glad to hear you mention this.

It gives me the rage and I very nearly started an AIBU thread about it it (but wasn’t brave enough 🤣)

Is that true for local laws? I think it's ridiculous to treat behaviour like this as criminal, complaints to the hotel and a review that they don't deal with bad behaviour should be sufficient.

It’s not about the water.

It’s about the fact that people should be able to walk around the resort without being squirted with water.

And it’s actually common assault. The people are fearful of being “attacked” due to intimidating behaviour.

But I fear anyone saying anything on help because people like this family get off on the frat and intimidation they cause. Why else would you keep behaving so socially unacceptably even when it’s pointed out to you. They’ve even got the hotel staff intimidated which is why they won’t deal with it.

OP if you’re with a holiday company report to them. Alan to be lived or the guests are reminded make sure it’s all logged and say that if you cannot enjoy you’re holiday you’ll be seeking a refund in return.

You know which villa is theirs now, that was a bit of a rookie error…

But in all seriousness I agree with posters saying people like this will really make your life a misery if you retaliate.

Complain complain complain and insist you will not stop complaining until the water squirters taken away or the family are banned from the pool.

Haha I was doing the same thing! I thought it was a jokey metaphor saying they're to parenting what squash is to the drink world (i.e. rubbish) - like when people say "if you were a meal deal you'd be a ham sandwich and a water!"

Thank you! That’s a new one by me, was mentally trying to piece together a new squash hierarchy…good parents give Ribena, bad parents give Sunny D…🤣

If you’ve booked a package don’t forget to lodge a complaint with them too. You may be owed compensation.

There's a Robinsons squash advert where a teacher speaks to a parent about their child's bad behaviour at school and the mum goes home and giggles with the child about it while they drink squash. ie. Useless parenting/ Parents encouraging bad behaviour.

The problem is that Spanish law does not class this as an assault in the same way that English law does. The solution is for a group of you to speak with the manager, but keep it calm, no raised voices, etc.

You really need the staff to confiscate their toys until the end of their holiday.

I do wonder if you might be able to have a word with the mother and explain your phobia. You shouldn't have to and it probably won't achieve anything if their parents didn't do anything about you being sprayed directly in the face or about you being attacked as you returned to the hotel.

What on Earth are ‘Robinson squash parents’?

Check the time on your watch when one of them is walking past and accidentally elbow one right in the face

Not the point I know, but oh dear, how embarrassing.

This!

Complain to manager it is assault and you don't know it is water in the gun.
Say if they don't do anything it will be the police and you will review it on the sites
Get it logged and threatwn you will go to tour company
The fact someone recently got compensation for sun beds and the fact the hotel took no action on multiple assaults will make them taks notice

spwak to manager again and say that you will leave a bad review unless they sort it. If you see the toy again take it off the kid. Or better still, break it.

They sound like brainless Robinson squash parents who are incapable of teaching their kids basic decency.

How old are they? If young enough I would start by saying Santa isn’t real and then I would merrily teach them lots of swear words.