Sun lounger wars - where to go to avoid them?

[froomeonthebroom]

We are in France at the moment and by 10.15am all the loungers around the pool have towels on them. I hate this and have taken towels off if I want to sit down, but I can't face another year of it!

I'm looking for a recommendation of where to go that has good pools with slides, accommodation that has a separate area (or two rooms) for us and 2 teenage DC but most importantly NO LOUNGER WARS!

Needs to be in the school summer holidays so probably Europe. Budget around £4k.

Interesting as we are just back from lake Garda and struggled to get sun loungers though usually managed at some point. I don't see how it's avoidable though? Unless you go somewhere close to b famous attractions so most people would be out sight seeing all day?

Beaches near where I live in Polis, Cyprus don’t have this problem. Beds available all day.

This is not helpful but I’ve found the more expensive places (like £7k for a week incl flights) have no lounger wars as you just go to the pool staff and they find you Lounger no matter what, even if it’s getting one out of a cupboard! The kind of resorts on the “who spends so much money” thread that’s on another board at the moment.

But here I think the pool attendants are your ally. Most resorts have a “no reserving” or time limit policy; get the staff to enforce it.

Italy!!! Bibione. Best place to stay with kids is "Village Turistico". It's a hotel as well as a camp site, so you have a choice at the type of accommodation you want. It's amazing with kids. It's a huge complex with lots and lots of different pools with slides and no problems getting sun beds any time of day.

Oh, and it's right on the beach

I have stayed in AI hotels in Lanzarote no issue with sunbeds.
Maybe places which attract young families? As parents with toddlers are not going to spend all day at pool. I found people took bed for the hour or two while there when leaving took bags n all.
Maybe also helps places which provide towels at pool as return to basket when leaving.

Thanks, will have a look at this

@Winkydink the French camp sites don't tend to have pool attendants unfortunately, otherwise I would certainly speak to them. It's a double edged sword really because it means that the boys can wear baggy shorts (not really allowed) which is good, but it also means people don't follow the no reserving loungers rule.

Sunrise pearl in Protaras, Cyprus reserve you specific sun loungers for your stay. You chose from what’s free on your first day and your room number is hung off them. If you wish to move later in the week you can do. An ok resort, but a lovely hotel!

I know exactly what you mean. We are very lucky to be able to spend around 6k for a week or so in the summer, so have gone for all in luxury family hotels. I have found without fail every single of these expensive 5 * resorts are the same with the same sunbed issues. Last time we’d spent more as for 2 weeks, walked down after breakfast 1st day and there was literally nowhere. I was fed up so asked the staff, beds were put out after a bit of a wait and debate, but you always feel like you are making such a fuss. The giant towel sunbed hoarders have always been Scottish, larger family groups and not there for most the day using their array of sunbeds as the ‘base’ to meet up that ‘dad’ parked ‘granny’ on at 6am. Then the ones with babies & toddlers who can’t be arsed to move their stuff about so literally leave half of mothercare over some beds while they go off for lunch/nap time etc.

Im not doing it anymore, the kids are a bit older now anyway so not stuck to resorts really. I do like not having to make much effort though as it’s a time for us to all to switch off. But also need somewhere else too OP so am watching your thread! Sorry not helpful but keen for info too!

We go somewhere that is usually pretty good, but expensive. The attendant will monitor the beds and ensure that no-one is putting their towels down before breakfast, then pissing off for the day, and not coming back until 4pm, and then getting hissy because their towel and book were moved..... I'm looking a you, you self indulgent British women.

Oh,I'm not telling you where, because you'll all want to go, but in the general region of Italy.

The other thing to do in Italy when you have access to the beach, is to go down to the nearest bagnino and book beds and an umbrella for the week. Job done.

As an example, we have just come down to the pool after an hour of very welcome rain. Almost all the beds have towels on and there are approx 30 people in the pool, mainly kids. Two women have just rocked up to claim their pitch of 6 (!) beds. All the kids have their own bed reserved but of course have gone straight in the pool. They are about 11 years old so not likely to sunbathe or need a nap. I just find it so selfish.

I think it’s as much territorial as selfish, and that makes it very difficult to challenge. The inner chimp comes out.

We went to Egypt in March and because there are no Russians or Ukraines sadly, there are an abundance of sunbeds as the hotels are below capacity.

We even moved sunbeds throughout the day.

We stayed at Pra dells torri in italy.

they had a really good sun bed system where you could rent a sun bed for the day/half day/week and it would be labelled with your details
works really well as stops people hogging sun beds for the sake of it eg we only rented one for the days we were hanging around the site, meant you could go off to the beach or back to the accommodation for a bit and not lose your place.
we’re always sunbeds free to book and if we popped down later in the day there were always some that were empty as people who booked them had gone.

I’ve been to the Rixos and Dubrovnik palace in Dubrovnik and no sunbed wars at either

Book a private villa, with a heated pool. You will never experience sun-bed wars ever again, bliss.

Never had a problem with sunloungers wherever we've been but then we do get up earlyish for breakfast.

I second this, always sun beds available on the beach in Sharm el sheik

I was also going to say Egypt. No issue when we visited in 2019 (Makadi Bay area). Loungers and parasols found for us by the pool boys and set up where we wanted.

Book a villa with a private pool. Use the money saved to eat out every night so no cooking.

It is ridiculous that people take sun loungers for children that spend most of the time in the pool. We usually have 2 (3DC) but I was usually at the pool by 8:30 as love that time of the morning but most sun loungers were usually taken by 10:30, more would become available at 1ish.

We’ve used 3 options:
villa with private pool (cheapest and preferred)
AI hotel with swim up room
Caribbean resort with allocated loungers for all residents
All within the price range and timing you’re looking at

Sorry, didn't actually answer your question. Either get up early, get a private villa or somewhere that has loads of sun loungers. It is very frustrating.

I personally have always taken the view that if a sunbed is empty I use it ! Have never had an issue ! People are cheeky because they think it’s ok !