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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think sunlounger reservers are the worst

81 replies

Clearlynotmyname · 21/10/2021 10:36

We're on a sun holiday which is lovely in many ways but we can't get a space for love nor money by one of the three large pools, because of people saving beds when they are not there. This morning by 9ish, all of the beds at one pool had stuff dumped on them, and there was literally one person present, everyone else had gone off to have breakfast or whatever.

This gives us the fun options of: not having a bed, moving someone's stuff and inevitably having a fight when they eventually show up, or also being dicks and rocking up at 7am with our towels.

First world problem and all that and I know I am lucky to be on holiday but perhaps precisely because it's our first proper holiday in years that it's pissing me off so much. I have spoken to reception but nothing has changed. Aibu?

OP posts:

tempchecked · 21/10/2021 13:43

I know this is going to raise the hackles of many, but I cannot think of anything worse than the sunbed samba, being surrounded by others, doing the same thing every day, stressing over finding a sunbed or being near noisy folk. Yep I am me.

So no, I don't go to to sunbed city. For those who do, it must be very stressful. Nice weather here today (on the coast near Dublin), so am sitting at my garden table, browsing, listening to a novel on Borrow Box, and enjoying the birds singing in the (Autumn) sun.

rosesinmygarden · 21/10/2021 13:48

This is why i will only book swim up rooms!

AngelsWithSilverWings · 21/10/2021 13:48

This is why we no longer do these types of holidays as it drives me mad. You pay a fortune and spend the week silently fuming!

But the worse experience I ever had of this was in Cornwall of all places.

We had rented a villa, one of about 6 situated around a hotel pool each with an open terrace area with an outdoor table set and two sun beds allocated.

A family in the opposite villa kept stealing our two beds and we kept having to steal them back.

One night I was in bed at around midnight and heard a noise so looked out and saw them dragging every bed from every villa to the space outside their villa and place towels on them.

When I got up early the next morning I just removed the towels and dragged our's back.

They then left their terrace and the reserved sun beds empty all day while they attended a wedding at the hotel and then looked really angry when they came back and realised that the occupants of the other villas had all gradually claimed their beds back.

It was all quite funny really.

BrilliantBulb · 21/10/2021 13:50

Nice weather here today (on the coast near Dublin), so am sitting at my garden table, browsing, listening to a novel on Borrow Box, and enjoying the birds singing in the (Autumn) sun.
That sounds so lovely.

BrilliantBulb · 21/10/2021 13:52

@Bluntness100

Personally I think if you reserve and then go to brekkie and come back and use the beds for an extended period I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I think it’s a big deal if you don’t intend to use it for hours.

I agree. If you’re off out all morning and only plan to be poolside in the afternoon for a few hours then you absolutely shouldn’t be ‘reserving’ anything.

Trying2611 · 21/10/2021 14:01

I personally just move the stuff neatly folding it under the 'DO NOT RESERVE SUNBEDS' Signs (if they have them) usually does the trick

Point them in the direction of it when they come over :)

CounsellorTroi · 21/10/2021 14:02

We don’t really do this kind of ho,I day either. Nice to get a hotel with a pool, go out sightseeing/exploring, come back and have a pre dinner swim and sunbathe.

Jenjenn · 21/10/2021 14:05

Hate this! During our last holiday, the hotel staff bagged up everything used to "reserve" and left a voucher pinned to the lounger one morning at 9am. Everyone who wanted their towels back had to queue up . The hotel provides beach towels but there's a 20e deposit that will be taken per towel if you lose it (or are too ashamed to queue up). They only had to do the bagging up once at the start of the week to solve the problem.

MagpieMary · 21/10/2021 14:05

I’ve just come back from Greece and this was a big issue. People would put towels on the sun beds about 8 am and some would never appear or appear at lunchtime. So annoying.

Original poster

Clearlynotmyname · 21/10/2021 14:38

Jenjenn that is a great idea. I may suggest it to the hotel because they seem to have no clue

OP posts:

Leftbutcameback · 21/10/2021 14:44

Is it too simplistic to think that a hotel should be able to provide enough sunloungers for all guests? I've stayed at places where you go to the pool hut, and they give you a towel and put out a lounger for you rather than them all being out all the time. They also helped with putting the heavy parasol up. I didn't want to be near the pool, happy to be on the lovely garden bit further away, so there was plenty of space. Sounds very stressful OP!

buffyajp · 21/10/2021 14:48

@Bluntness100

The worst I saw was a family came down, moved someone’s stuff off of the sun beds and used the beds, I knew it was going to be an issue as I’d seen the family pop down with their towels and knew when they left they would not be long, but sort of lay there watching as I didn’t wish to get involved.

And bang on time the displaced family came back about five mins later, literally and to be fair they had only been gone about twenty to thirty mins.

After a bit of an argument the displaced family said fair enough and then proceeded to lay their towels out and sit on the ground right next to the couple who had displaced them who were laying on their beds. It was so so awkward. Eventually the couple who moved their stuff moved off.

That’s the fundamental issue, you don’t know how long someone has been gone or when they are coming back

Tough luck to the displaced couple. I wouldn’t have moved from the sun beds no matter how much they tried to make me feel guilty. It’s irrelevant how long they were away for. If your not using it there and then it’s fair game as far as I am concerned.

DressedUpAtAnIvy · 21/10/2021 14:48

Where there have been hotel/bar/restaurant closures there are more new inexperienced staff now after reopening than you might usually find.
You might need to go higher than the receptionist.

DriftingBlue · 21/10/2021 14:53

Some hotels do have a service that will reserve your sunbeds for the day. It tends to come with upper level rooms so it’s a huge Indulgence. We did it for our honeymoon trip and it was absolutely worth the expense. I probably wouldn’t bother for a holiday with the kids since reading my book and sipping my cocktail for hours on end with the occasional cool off in the water isn’t as likely, but if DH and I ever get a week just to ourselves, it’s really tempting.

TinnedPotatoesRock · 21/10/2021 14:54

@buffyajp I agree with you, it's really selfish to reserve it if you're not intending to use it straightaway. I don't think it should be allowed and think the resort/hotel should stop this

PissyMum · 21/10/2021 14:57

Why do people think it’s not an issue to go off for breakfast/ lunch and expect to return to ‘their’ beds afterwards? They’re not being used and people want to use them. The best are places that only allow hotel towels by the pool. As soon as they see a used towel on an unattended bed they just get scooped up so other people can use it.

gogohm · 21/10/2021 15:07

We are off in 3 weeks and it mentioned on trip advisor that people are reserving sunbeds at 6am so we are taking mats with us ... I don't do bun fights for loungers

Shmithecat2 · 21/10/2021 15:14

I've never done it. Before this week. After 2 days of not being able to secure 2 sunbeds with some shade/a parasol, and a good view of the pool (to keep an eye on DS, I've no need to be near it, just in my line of sight) I have today, and will continue to come down early (7am ish) to 'reserve' some. There do seem to be the right amount of beds, but shades and parasols are severely lacking. We go for breakfast about 8.30, and are on our lounges by about 9am. It's shit and I know it's irritating, but so is being stuck inside all day because there's nowhere to shade from the sun outside - kind of misses the point of holidaying in a sunny place in October.

Polmuggle · 21/10/2021 15:27

If we want two beds, I move the towels off about 10/20 so that it looks like the staff did it :)

PissyMum · 21/10/2021 15:55

shmithecat2 where on earth are you on holiday where the only choices of activity are sit by the pool all day or be stuck inside? It sounds miserable

Leftbutcameback · 21/10/2021 16:18

@Polmuggle that is a genius idea!

Blackmagicqueen · 21/10/2021 16:24

'We only use adult only hotels so don't see this, but when we went to places with kids we did'

Why does it have to be a hotel with kids for this tp happen? IME it happens all over; adults are ignorant with or without dc.

DentalWorries · 21/10/2021 16:25

I agree! Our hotel in Greece this year was the first adults only I had stayed in and by far the worst for this behaviour

Shmithecat2 · 21/10/2021 16:28

@PissyMum

shmithecat2 where on earth are you on holiday where the only choices of activity are sit by the pool all day or be stuck inside? It sounds miserable

Far from it, its wonderful here, but it's huge family resort/hotel, mainly outdoor swimming pools and splash parks - the very reason we booked it as my son is a total water baby. He's only 6 and is probably way behind on developing cultural interests in comparison to many MNers kids, he's still all about the swimming and ice cream... if he wanted to do inside crafts and games all day, we could've stayed at home.

MrsPnut · 21/10/2021 16:31

The place we stayed at in the south of France last summer rang the bell mid morning and mid afternoon. Everyone had to go to their Sun lounger and any loungers with towels on and no person were cleared and the belongings taken to the lost property.

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