AIBU to whip towels of sunbeds?

[spannered]

My partner and I have just paid an arm and a leg for an all inclusive two week holiday in the Caribbean for our honeymoon, we'll also be taking our 1 year old.

I've joined a fb group about the hotel and there are lots of comments about people reserving sunbeds at the moment.

Apparently people are setting alarms at 4:30/5:00am to go and put towels out! I don't want to be getting up at that time in the morning/waking the baby in the process, simply to reserve something that I feel I should have to access anyway.

So, WIBU to remove towels from a sunbed if there is no evidence of the occupiers around (I.e no other possessions/not just in the pool)? WWYD?

It's worth saying that there are signs to say that reserving sunbeds is not allowed (although apparently staff are in on it for a tip).

Sorry, the title should say "off" not "of" but not sure how to change it.

Just pop towels to lost property...

That is a sure fire way to start some conflict with people you're going to be around quite a lot over the next however many weeks given you're all incl.

So if you're OK with that instead of waking early- go for it.

For the avoidance of doubt I agree its a shitty move, but the fact is the above is true

I wish I had the guts.

Last year in Corfu people were reserving beds. Didn’t pitch up until mid afternoon. Turned out they weren’t even staying at the hotel! Really annoys me.

It is very frustrating but I would sit there worrying about the people turning up and knowing which beds they have bagged.
This kind of thing puts me off holidays when I just want to relax all day reading and not leave the complex.

Isn't standard practice that members of staff remove them if left unattended?

I don't think you should take it upon yourself to move their belongings, no.

Absolutely ask a member of staff to do it though.

You wouldn't be unreasonable but I wouldn't have the balls.

We were on holiday last week and some were saving loungers on their way down to breakfast and then going straight to the pool so were using them by 9 / 9.30am. I don't mind that so much. It's the ones that reserve and then pitch up at lunchtime or mid afternoon that piss me off, sometimes we've been and gone by lunchtime.

I wouldn’t get worked up over this before I even arrive in the country.

See for yourself what the situation is when you get there. If you struggle to find sunbeds then just speak to the staff. You may end up “whipping” someone’s towel off and when they return they may whip you in the face. Not worth the stress.

I move them if I don’t see signs of current occupation. If they came back, I’d just feign ignorance. “Oh sorry, we’ve just got here. There weren’t towels when we arrived … are those your towels there?” I wouldn’t pick the same spot daily though and we are only usually around the pool for about an hour and a half. I’ve paid as much as others to use a sun lounger so I’m going to use it if it’s empty.

I used to be polite and share the odd unoccupied one the the whole family but started getting a bit more brazen when I realised one family had reserved 4 sun loungers in direct sun and then 4 in the shade and flitted between the two. “Oh sorry, are you not using those ones now? We can just sit there. No probs.”

Is this Hilton la Romana? I have seen several posts such as you mention, and having stayed there about six times, I think you should ignore them. We have never had a problem nor have we ever heard an alarm or set an alarm at such a ridiculous time.

If this happens to me and I also go to reception to complain and it seems to sort the problem.

No it isn't, it's a Royalton

This is for the staff to sort out, to avoid holiday guests fighting.

Yup, do it, I always do. There’s no way I’m letting a towel get a suntan whilst I stand around just because some twat thinks they can reserve a sunbed til 2pm and then stroll down to ‘their’ bed. If there’s no sign of them when I arrive then I just remove their stuff.

Seems like it wouldn't be unreasonable then, although if I got up at 5am to reserve a bed and then found someone else on it I'd be pissed off so you're all right about expecting confrontation. I'm not particularly bothered about that though, especially as it's signposted as not allowed.

I wouldn't remove personal belongings either! But I would remove a hotel beach towel. I'll have to wait and see how it goes!

Oh, ok, so we won’t be meeting on the beach. But yes, feel free to remove towels abandoned for an unreasonable time.

In a decent AI luxury resort I would be politely asking staff to help me find sunbeds if none are available. Usually they are able to assist.

If it's a problem when you get there then just go to a member of staff and say please can you sort this out as the policy is no reserving but all these appear to be reserved with no occupants.

When we went here the staff removed towels off b3ds that clearly hadn't been used.

The staff will remove towels from 'reserved' but clearly unused beds if you ask.

This. Don't get involved just ask a staff member to find you sunbeds.

I will always remember going abroad when I was younger with my Aunty. She hated anyone reserving sunbeds and would have no problem throwing towels on the floor and putting hers there. She couldn’t care less about the confrontation and would happily enjoy her holiday despite the dirty looks. She was a very loud, ballsy women. So if the potential tension really wouldn’t bother you, go for it. No one is entitled to reserve a sunbed with a towel.

I, on the other hand, could not stand the idea of getting into unnecessary conflict whilst I’m on holiday relaxing. Whether right or wrong, I’d take the high road. But I’m sure, OP, there will be sunbeds available, I’ve always found a spot, wherever I’ve been.

OK I need to know is this just a British tourist thing or do all nationalities do this. I witnessed this for the first time in Turkey this year and was gobsmacked at the sheer stupidity of it all. I removed a few and if asked just shrugged my shoulders,luckily weren't to many crazies about but I can imagine it getting to that because people were really going mad over a stupid towel and this was a 5* place.

Lay the towels flat on the floor and relocate the sunbed 😁

I find the putting towels on sunbeds at stupid o’clock very strange. We used villas mostly so never had this issue but I’ve seen footage of some holiday makers queueing to get into sun bed areas to bag a bed. I couldn’t be arsed with that tbh. The hotels we normally go to now you get allocated specific space and sunbeds on the beach for the duration of the holiday.