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Original poster

Sun lounger towel battles in all inclusive holidays

185 replies

Gagamama2 · 26/08/2025 10:20

We are booking our first all inclusive for Oct half term. Looking at reviews many people mention having to get up at 6:30am to put towels on sunloungers in order to secure your lounger for the day. A couple of reviews said they got up at 4:30am to do it?!?

This seems completely ridiculous to me.

We have three young kids and I want some sleep / relaxing time, not to be stressing about sun loungers or having to use ones that are miles away from the pool / ones without shade, because my kids will need supervising in the pool and shade.

Are there unwritten sunlounger rules when going to these resorts or am I within my rights to remove someone’s towels and bag a lounger if they don’t seem to actually be at the sunlounger?? Like if we get down there in the morning and they aren’t to be seen for 15 mins or so, not if they just pop off to use the loo or something?

OP posts:
Original poster
Gagamama2 · 26/08/2025 11:59

Sunshineandrainbow · 26/08/2025 11:57

I read on another thread that it's best to avoid AI as those people's tend to want to stay by the pool all day to make the most of the Al perks! Doesn't really help you though.

Hmm it’s like a double edged sword because while I am annoyed at those people my kids are v excited about unlimited free ice cream / apple juice / lemonade so we may well become one of them

OP posts:
superking · 26/08/2025 12:00

I've just returned from a Eurocamp holiday where the pool area didn't open till 10am (so no one was getting up early to deposit sunloungers). By 11 most of the loungers were taken, but at a random time every day the lifeguards would blow a whistle, everyone had to get out of the water and return to their lounger, and any that remained unclaimed in the following ten minutes (so allowing for a trip to the loo, to get a drink etc) had towels removed. Loved it!

Original poster
Gagamama2 · 26/08/2025 12:02

superking · 26/08/2025 12:00

I've just returned from a Eurocamp holiday where the pool area didn't open till 10am (so no one was getting up early to deposit sunloungers). By 11 most of the loungers were taken, but at a random time every day the lifeguards would blow a whistle, everyone had to get out of the water and return to their lounger, and any that remained unclaimed in the following ten minutes (so allowing for a trip to the loo, to get a drink etc) had towels removed. Loved it!

I would find this intensely satisfying every day. Love it 🤣🤣

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 26/08/2025 12:04

I take those sand mats with me.

Get to the pool, find a space, plonk down your things, go to pool and go back to stuff when done.

Sunloungers aren’t necessary - and yes the stupids wars are ridiculous.

But if you are with 3 young children you don’t actually need sunloungers. Not if you’re supervising your children properly.

There are properties that lock them up and people will still queue for an hour beforehand.

Even if there’s loungers free I will take them to the shade and away from the pool and just use it to sit on for a drink or whatever - but it’s not a necessity.

If you had a lounger and was in the pool or 30 minutes with your children would you be happy to come back and find someone had moved your stuff??

incognitomouse · 26/08/2025 12:06

Nousernamesleftatall · 26/08/2025 10:51

I confirm in advance in writing the hotel’s policy. If they don’t adhere to the policy I go to reception and they get the pool person to find us some beds. I do it each and everyday and wish more people would to be honest.

Our hotel said they could only remove towels if they were the hotel ones. They weren't able to touch people's private property as then they become liable for it.

That said, there were plenty of sunbeds available if you weren't too precious where you wanted them.

SheWaits · 26/08/2025 12:07

Some places are just like that. If it's what everyone does, it's what everyone does in order to get a sunbed. You'll get the usual bluster of "I'd just chuck the stuff in the pool and take the beds" but frankly that's much more twattish behaviour than those who reserve early.

pontivex · 26/08/2025 12:09

superking · 26/08/2025 12:00

I've just returned from a Eurocamp holiday where the pool area didn't open till 10am (so no one was getting up early to deposit sunloungers). By 11 most of the loungers were taken, but at a random time every day the lifeguards would blow a whistle, everyone had to get out of the water and return to their lounger, and any that remained unclaimed in the following ten minutes (so allowing for a trip to the loo, to get a drink etc) had towels removed. Loved it!

Bloody hell. Some of these places sound the Gulag.

JimmyGiraffe · 26/08/2025 12:11

Gagamama2 · 26/08/2025 11:57

Excellent tip, I’ve seen those in some of the resorts we were looking at. Also these cabana things on a pier over the sea which you can book for the day which look amazing and would also solve the issue, although couldn’t afford one for more than one or two days

Show quote history

You need to do your homework with swim-up rooms though, and check you actually get the sun (unless you want all-day shade?)

Hobbitfeet32 · 26/08/2025 12:14

If the beds just have a towel on them and no other personal items I would simply move the towel and use the sunbed.

incognitomouse · 26/08/2025 12:16

superking · 26/08/2025 12:00

I've just returned from a Eurocamp holiday where the pool area didn't open till 10am (so no one was getting up early to deposit sunloungers). By 11 most of the loungers were taken, but at a random time every day the lifeguards would blow a whistle, everyone had to get out of the water and return to their lounger, and any that remained unclaimed in the following ten minutes (so allowing for a trip to the loo, to get a drink etc) had towels removed. Loved it!

That sounds bloody awful.

CharlotteUnaNatalieThompson · 26/08/2025 12:19

I can highly recommend Gloria Verde in Turkey. We've been twice. It's not cheap but food and drink are amazing and you can get a sun lounger whatever time you arrive at the pool in sun or shade. Worth checking when the end of season is though because when we tried to book October half-term a few years ago the outdoor pools were going to be shut...

KoiTetra · 26/08/2025 12:20

I have never been to a resort like that and have been going to all inclusive for years.

Admittedly I do tend to go to the very high end resorts but the last few years I have been to AI's in Mauritius where you walk up to the pool and staff instantly appear holding towels and guiding you to empty beds in the general area you say youd like to sit. If needed they will either clear a space if unattended or will move beds around to make space for you.

jeaux90 · 26/08/2025 12:20

@Gagamama2i also find the swim up rooms are great if you need to chill but the DC want to stay in the water. My DD16 loves them, she has ASD so can get a bit overwhelmed with people and noise so it’s a great place to chill. We went to the Atlantico Mare last year in Cyprus. No sunbed wars, swim up rooms were lovely.

Faceonthewrongfoot · 26/08/2025 12:26

I just returned from a hotel where they would remove hotel towels from loungers (so they wouldn't touch person towels/belongings). You could go to the 'pool concierge' if you couldn't find a lounger and he would simply walk round, take off the towels and let you have the loungers. Provided quite a bit of entertainment for the rest of us tbh...

Lakeyloo · 26/08/2025 12:28

Any of the Barut chain in Turkey are good. Excellent customer services and have never had any issues with sunbed wars (have stayed in 3 different ones and some of them twice) I don't think you can remove the towels after 15 minutes as someone may have gone back to grab something from their room/ get a drink/ use the toilet /get a late breakfast, but 45 mins or so is absolutely acceptable.

ChickalettasGiblets · 26/08/2025 12:29

Probably going to get flamed but honestly OP, you get what you pay for when it comes to all inclusive and unless it’s a bit more of a pricey/upmarket resort or the hotel has a policy around sunbeds, it could be hellish.

Since having kids, we’ve only ever been to AI’s and honestly have never had this issue. Some hotels even let you book sunbeds so they are yours for the duration of your stay. Currently at a 5* AI in Greece and no sunbed hoggers here!

ChickalettasGiblets · 26/08/2025 12:30

Probably going to get flamed but honestly OP, you get what you pay for when it comes to all inclusive and unless it’s a bit more of a pricey/upmarket resort or the hotel has a policy around sunbeds, it could be hellish.

Since having kids, we’ve only ever been to AI’s and honestly have never had this issue. Some hotels even let you book sunbeds so they are yours for the duration of your stay. Currently at a 5* AI in Greece and no sunbed hoggers here!

autienotnaughty · 26/08/2025 12:34

I stayed at a hotel in spain that locked the pool area up over night (safer too) it did mean people queing for 10 am opening but they also wanted breakfast too so it wasn’t too bad. We just got back from Bulgaria and there was a lot of sun beds. You could get a couple of beds together at anytime of day. But towels did get put down from 9ish.
We did see a 5* hotel (out of our price range ) that allocated beds for people. So you were guaranteed a bed all week.

Scottishskifun · 26/08/2025 12:35

Definitely check out Cyprus as another PP states many have a rule of no sun bed hogging it's also warm in Oct holidays.

itsgettingweird · 26/08/2025 12:39

And also ime of many years in the travel industry and holidaying in AI when people say “there was no sunbeds” what they actually mean is “I couldn’t get my sunbed right up to the pool edge for every moment the pool was open”.

I once had someone complain there weren’t sun beds when I stayed in a Spanish AI and so I pointed to 7 empty ones in the line of sight - and they actually said “but I don’t want those ones there”. 🤷‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Florally · 26/08/2025 12:40

I loathe this whole thing so much it ruins my holiday. I search ‘loungers’ and ‘sun beds’ in trip advisor reviews and won’t book anywhere unless several people have recently stated this isn’t an issue.

ChrisMartinsKisskam · 26/08/2025 12:49

Gagamama2 · 26/08/2025 11:46

If you find something good would you mind sharing it on here? After a LOT of research we were looking at Titanic Lara in Turkey but then realised the Oct half term week is the last week of their season and reviews warn that a lot of the entertainment and pools wind down / shut. It seems that’s the case with lots of resorts in that region

Show quote history

If you go to Turkey at the end of October a kid of stuff will be shutting down / facilities not available also stuff outside the resort won’t be as busy
Same for the greek islands & Balearics islands

I’ve been to Turkey & Ibiza at both the start and the end of the season and it’s pretty crap and very quiet and lots of stuff not available

if you want somewhere year round the Canary Islands are the best as they are set up for tourist all year round

Egypt is also an all year round resort

Imperativvv · 26/08/2025 12:55

We are AI beach people, so I don't have direct experience of managing this problem. But my guess is you'd do better picking somewhere as close to the sea as possible. As there's a contingent of people like my family who prefer sea to pool but also want the convenience of the catering, so they'll go for beachfront AI. Whereas the further inland you go, the less likely people are to prioritise beach over pool. That's the theory anyway!