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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:
CountryQueen · 30/08/2025 10:12

JimmyGiraffe · 30/08/2025 08:44

I’m not sure why you think that makes a difference, surely the hotel has a specific amount of sunbeds and this isn’t affected by how the guests book their travel arrangements?

Show quote history

Well, if it’s not available to those looking on the big package holiday sites it stands to reason it might be a bit quieter.

CountryQueen · 30/08/2025 10:13

Whatafustercluck · 30/08/2025 09:35

Not all inclusive, but we've stayed on a couple of sites in France where the lifeguards blow their whistles twice a day to get everyone out of the water and sitting on their sunbeds. They then go around removing all the towels from sunbeds that aren't being used. People are very supportive of this.

We stayed at a very quiet, peaceful resort this year in Tenerife and people were still at it - up at 8am to mark their territory, not showing up till mid afternoon. It didn't matter so much because empty sunbeds could be found, it was just a pain that the ones in the shade were generally taken.

Edited

Nobody is supportive of the whistle blowing shite. They do it because otherwise you’re getting kicked out of the pool area. Tiresome

Whatafustercluck · 30/08/2025 10:14

CountryQueen · 30/08/2025 10:13

Nobody is supportive of the whistle blowing shite. They do it because otherwise you’re getting kicked out of the pool area. Tiresome

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I can assure you that people clapped when towels were taken away.

CountryQueen · 30/08/2025 10:38

Whatafustercluck · 30/08/2025 10:14

I can assure you that people clapped when towels were taken away.

Show quote history

That does not make it sound any better 😅

Rocknrollstar · 30/08/2025 10:40

Are you going with children? Many of the AI now have rules. For example, at Tui Blue Suite Princess on Gran Canaria you can’t reserve beds before 10.00am and if beds are unoccupied they confiscate the towels and sell them back to you.

SwirlingWater · 30/08/2025 11:02

Never had this issue

Millions of free beds or a ticket & towel allocation

pontivex · 31/08/2025 14:22

CountryQueen · 30/08/2025 10:38

That does not make it sound any better 😅

Show quote history

Exactly. How are any of these experiences considered to be holidays?
How wonderfully relaxing when at any point a whistle might be blown which requires you to scramble to your last known landside checkpoint whereupon you are investigated for being absent for an indeterminate period of time. Moreover if it turns out you were gone too long then the whole gulag applauds the fact you will be punished for time based towel location misdemeanours.

And this is considered a better situation than towel sized land grabs around sunrise when one usually wouldn’t even be up for work.

MyElatedUmberFinch · 31/08/2025 15:24

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?

No you can’t do that.

WhenYouSayNothingAtAll · 31/08/2025 15:55

pontivex · 31/08/2025 14:22

Exactly. How are any of these experiences considered to be holidays?
How wonderfully relaxing when at any point a whistle might be blown which requires you to scramble to your last known landside checkpoint whereupon you are investigated for being absent for an indeterminate period of time. Moreover if it turns out you were gone too long then the whole gulag applauds the fact you will be punished for time based towel location misdemeanours.

And this is considered a better situation than towel sized land grabs around sunrise when one usually wouldn’t even be up for work.

Show quote history

Yup, I’d much rather have one sun lounger or none at all than having to get out of whatever pool I’m in , or leave my lunch and rush to the whistle. Ffs.

Thickasabrick89 · 31/08/2025 15:58

I've never experienced this sunbed wars you hear about. We go to IKOS for all inclusive in Europe.

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