AIBU to whip towels of sunbeds?

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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).

This seems like an overreaction based on some fb posts. Don’t stress about it until you see what it’s really like. Yes there are always people who do this but in my experience it works itself out in the end.

Your options are as follows

• Worry about this now and stress yourself unnecessarily before, what I’m assuming, is a long overdue relaxing and fun trip
• Make your DH get up in the morning and reserve your chairs in the “If you can’t beat them…Join them” approach. Chair reserving at the crack ass of dawn is firmly in the DH list of expectations… this universally known
• Find the young shifty looking pool attendant when you get there. There is always one. You’ll recognize him because he has the best weed to sell and everyone knows his name. Tip him to reserve your chairs for you
• On your first day go crazy yelling and throwing abandoned towels everywhere. Nobody will mess with you after you that.
• Do the boring stuff that others have already mentioned

Clearly a lot of this was said tongue-in-cheek… but there’s a bit of truth to them all. Especially the DH thing and the pool attendant one.

It’s more than a bit mad that you’re getting this exercised about rumoured illicit reservation of sunbeds on a holiday you’re not going on for months.

Anyway, as far as I can see this is considered a legitimate holiday pastime by a certain type of person. Though on the other hand, you may well be the person awake at 4.30 with a baby, so why not join in?

We move the towels then if we can move the beds a bit!

In my experience it isn’t limited to Brits, but there’s a certain umm aggressiveness with how Brits do it. It’s like you all let loose with pent up queuing rage on holiday when faced with a sun bed shortage 🤣

if you can’t beat them, join them it’s just how it is. It is annoying when people don’t show for most of the day but at the same time, how do you know they aren’t having breakfast, getting a drink or in the pool. I do however draw the line at reserving tables for the night time entertainment with towels and would happily remove those (well get my parter to do it)

If it's not allowed it's not allowed, so do what you think best.

We were at royalton splash in Mexico last year. As an early bird I noticed the pool staff putting towels on all the chairs then taking tips from people to get chairs. It was so brazen as at first glance it looked like all were taken in reality none were until you flashed the cash

We stayed in Costa Adeje in Tenerife for a few days in November and thankfully the staff were really good at patrolling the pool area, removing towels. One day we took two beds after breakfast and were still there in the afternoon when a couple walked up to us and said that we were on their beds. The pool guy had previously removed their towels and put them in a table, with a sign explaining why they'd been moved. She was NOT happy and lobbed the sign. Her husband was more laid back about it and knew it wasn't our fault. The woman said they'd only been gone a couple of hours but it was at least 5 hours since we'd been there

This is what I do.

My sister and I did this last summer after hanging about for around half an hour waiting for a lounger. Towels were left without belongings and owners blatantly not around. We dumped the towels at poolside restaurant.
It did take the shine off the holiday - villa or beach holiday next time.

You need to do this OP and let us know how you get on. Don't just move the towels on your bed though. Move them for all the surrounding beds so it doesn't feel sus.
The first people to come up and complain, use their description for the second lot. Say you saw the first lot come up and move them
ALL.
Cause a riot.
But post it here so we can all join in

I read this about the hotel I was due to go to but there wasn't an issue, at no point was their a sunbed shortage and people weren't reserving them

Reading the comments to see if it was the Royalton 🤭

We're going at Easter. Did you enjoy it ?

It was ok but very very remote kind of stuck there but did enjoy

Is it royalton Punta Cana?? If so the staff are really good at removing towels of the sunbeds if no one has been there for a while, or if there is no other belongings (beach bag.. flip flops .. sunscreen) I live here In Punta Cana so no longer go to resorts (2 big dogs and they are not welcome at most resorts) but my fav resort is actually next door to the royalton PC. Bahia Ambar.Once I saw the funniest thing. I was having my tea and reading my book at around 7 am at the pool, a man walked the whole way around the very large pool. He took all towels that were reserving chairs with no bums in them.. and tossed them in the pool!!! there must have been 50 towels in that pool lol. I would not have the nerve but I did laugh

When I book a holiday I always stress about sunbeds. Last November we stayed in costa Adeje (Tenerife) for a few days. It was a 4 star place and quite posh. Their policy was to walk around, removing towels from beds that clearly weren't being used and leaving them on a side table with a laminated note. One day we took two beds straight after breakfast, about half 8/9am, and noticed some towels on the side with the dreaded note. Hours later (1-2pm?) an Irish couple came up to us and said our towels were theirs and that they'd put them out then just popped out for an hour. I pointed behind me and said 'are those yours? They've left you a note to explain. You can't reserve beds. These beds were empty when we had them'. She went up the wall and stropped, lobbed the note in the hedge, swore and said she wasn't going to read it, her husband was more pragmatic and said no problem, they'd go find beds elsewhere. It was lovely to see the rule being strongly enforced.

do you really have the time to stand for say 30 minutes watching towels on a sunbed to see if they have been 'reserved' or not? you've spend a lot of money booking this holiday, i am fairly sure there will be sunbeds somewhere for you, agreed they might not be right next to the pool or the bar.. but they will be there.. we cruise alot, and the main topic of conversation with people is 'saving sunbeds'.. its exhausting

Chuck as many as you can in pool it’s so selfish - if people used them only when at pool would be so much better.

I always "hand them in" these have been left.

this is all well and good until its the hotel towels that are being thrown in the pool.. not only are you making more work for the hotel staff.... random towels floating round in a swimming pool make for a hazard... it always amazes me why people say 'oh chuck the towels in the pool'...

Also wondering how you would know if you've just turned up if they have been left empty for ages. We are always out straight from breakfast and will go for our dinner. Would we return to no towels even though we have been using them all morning?

I’m guessing she’s probably on honeymoon now as this is a couple of weeks old. But these stories of throwing the towel in the pool always makes me think of ‘Inbetweeners’, bloody hilarious.

We went to Lanzarote several years ago, where we could never get seats at the pool, even at 7 or 8am. One morning, my little one needed some help on the toilet at 4 or 5am—I was awake by that point, so I popped my head out to see what was going on at the pool—loads of dads on the loungers, reserving 4 seats each. I have no clue what time they were turning up every morning!!!!!