Sunbed wars!!

[ForMintShaker]

On holiday at an all-inclusive style resort , been to different ones over the years but god I am so so over the sunbed wars. I researched for hours when booking and thought I'd booked a decent one without the sunbed problem. Me and partner here with DD (4) and basically have concluded that people are probably leaving towels here at night time for the morning after , it's bloody bonkers.
Current situation is that we came down for breakfast at 9 and managed to grab one bed , which is all we need as someone always in the pool with DD, but a row of chairs in front with adults (over 60s, no kids ) have left towels and positioned a chair blocking anyone on the other rows getting to the pool without walking all of the way around. I moved the chair to get through and then a woman put it back and has now disappeared!!!! Hasn't been back for over an hour
Anyway , petty example I know, but god it doesn't half put a dampner on the holiday itself. We wanted a holiday with mini disco etc and although I know it's possible to pay more and have private pools etc I just wish the hotels could do more. We have told reception but 'nothing we can do' is the response.
Think I might stay at home next year 🤣🤣

And the cost lol - sounds quite upmarket aka expensive.

I'm definitely going to leave a trip advisor but I've had an email from the hotel asking for a review of our experience so far and I've mentioned it there.
The woman with the chair blocking our way, I've just heard her saying to a friend that she came out here at 4am to put their towels. She still hasn't used the chair to sit on, it's definitely intentional so people don't walk past her to get to the pool.
Anyway , we're going to do a different kind of holiday next year!!

Having to walk a few metres is dampening your holiday?

@MeowCatPleaseMeowBack oh go away 🤣 intentionally picking bits of what I've said. Bore off now love.

It would if someone were disabled - as I am. And you are missing the point - entirely - entitled people "reserving" space in a public area is not on.

They say that, but it never happens in my experience!

Go out at 2am and hide the chair

Photograph it.
Email the hotel of your intention to leave a stinking review saying that the hotel is a nightmare as this sort of behaviour goes unchallenged, and it makes accessing the pool very difficult with children.

Tell them it has ruined the holiday and clearly the hotel has zero interest in families with children and your review will be long and detailed.

My friend did that several years ago at a hotel with a similar problem, including photos, and the action was so fast.

The manager apologised, gave them some vouchers and the staff collected the towels and made it clear it wouldn't be tolerated before 9am.

You have nothing to lose by taking action.

We had this last year in Cape Verde. DH routinely gets up around 6 as he's a shify worker. He'd go and put towels down about 7 and we'd be one of the last with sunbeds at the back which were fine with as older teens who can swim well.

There's a couple of hotels in Cyprus that allocate sunbeds on arrival.

We're thinking of trying there next year.

I have also thrown towels into the pool at night.

Gotta play these CF at their own game!!

What if, say, there's a single parent with a child who's in the pool? How long before they move the sunbed?

I would ask staff to move towels from a lounger that just have towels on it seem to be some across the pool
and pop out before you get ready for breakfast and bag your own lounger - put a children’s floaty or hat on it so people can see it’s for a child

Oh for goodness sake! You are annoyed because you cannot squeeze through the gap which would exist if they hadn't put the chair there? I am beginning to see why they did put it there. 'All the way round' . Just be all of a few metres!
And What has the holidaymakers age got to do with anything?

A few years ago in Egypt, 1st morning of the holiday, after breakfast went to the pool & every single bed had towels on them. I thought the hotel had put them out as they were hotel towels, jumped on 2 beds together & sat there all day. A family arrived back from the beach at 4pm & told us we had their beds! I was like wtf, you've put towels down & fucked off all day!

Got them 2 new towels & told them I wasn't moving & they were selfish for reserving beds all day & pissing off to the beach. We had filthy looks for the rest of the holiday from them

Hogging sunbeds with towels and not using them for hours is shitty behaviour, really though this chair isn’t that. I really fail to see how someone having a chair beside their sunbed is ruining your holiday.
It’s a complete non issue and doesn’t at all come across like a valid complaint to the hotel.

Never been to a place like that, it sounds awful tbh. Usually when you go to the pool they hand you a towel and ask where you would like to sit and follow you there to arrange the umbrella etc, and give you some water. When you leave the pool area they say good bye and go to collect your towel. Much better system.

You clearly stay in more high class establishments than the majority of us 😄

Maybe, but they could easily do something about the situation if they wanted to. Getting up at 4 am to go and put towels on a chair is not a holiday.

You get what you pay for.

Haha I would love to be able to afford that sort of hotel experience! It took us a good half an hour to manage to work our sunbed parasol last week

Went to a hotel last year where as part of the pool mans cleaning duty each morning, he hosed off any towel until it was dripping wet. Made me smile watching him from the breakfast table every day!

The age is usually extremely telling of anyone who thinks this kind of behaviour is ok. I’m guessing you fall into that bracket

My husband relishes confrontation with people like this. They’re so unreasonable. He’d have dumped their stuff on one of the other beds and taken it. And if they’d pushed him, probably launched their towels into the pool.

I move the towels if they don’t come back after quite a time

I wonder how often actual physical altercations break out over sunbed wars!