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Original poster

Reserving sunbeds

125 replies

OhamIreally · 29/07/2023 06:18

I have just got up and reserved two sunbeds at the resort I'm in.

I hate doing it but 25 minutes ago all the sunbeds were clear then when I looked again 10 minutes ago about 30% were reserved with towels.

Now, I am not an early riser and I fully accept that the early bird gets the worm BUT this is not early risers going for breakfast and reserving a sunbed on the way as breakfast hasn't even opened yet.

This is the last day of my holiday. Most days we haven't had sunbeds as I have refused to do the reserving thing and we have gone to the beach instead.

I'm really upset that this is a thing and that I've had to do it.

Thanks for letting me vent. Don't know what the answer is.

OP posts:
doggybootcamp · 29/07/2023 07:43

We have had this most years but for the first time this year we're staying somewhere (5*) that you can reserve sunbeds in advance- you pay a small fee but you can choose the size and location and can rock up any time of day. If you don't reserve you can pay on the day but plenty of space for towels on floor too. Made our mornings very relaxed!

Nitgel · 29/07/2023 07:48

Our hotel pool opened at 10 so you just waited then got a sunbed, lots to go round though.

Nw22 · 29/07/2023 07:51

@LizaTarbuckForQueen haha yep this is why I don’t go to large resorts.

ivykaty44 · 29/07/2023 07:52

mum11970 · 29/07/2023 07:00

Absolutely hate it when hotels allow this behaviour. Went to a 5 hotel in Turkey a few years ago and they would actually line up at the entrance to the pool area and then sprint for beds as soon as the chain was moved. Sometimes these people didn’t appear again for most of the day. Alternatively we went to a bog standard 3 in Greece a few years prior and the life guard moved any towels that were left for more than an hour. I’d only return to one of these hotels and it certainly isn’t the 5*. I now spend ages researching sunbed wars on trip advisor before I book any hotel. I refuse to book anywhere that allows this kind of behaviour.

Can you let me know a couple of the places that don’t allow sun Ed towel reservations?

MadamWhiteleigh · 29/07/2023 07:58

Surely if there’s no one on the sunbed for hours then you could just move whatever towel has been left on it?

Because unless you’ve been watching for hours, how do you know? They might be in the loo or in the pool. When you arrive at the pool, all you see is a sunbed with a towel on it, you have no context.

ivykaty44 · 29/07/2023 08:04

MadamWhiteleigh · 29/07/2023 07:58

Surely if there’s no one on the sunbed for hours then you could just move whatever towel has been left on it?

Because unless you’ve been watching for hours, how do you know? They might be in the loo or in the pool. When you arrive at the pool, all you see is a sunbed with a towel on it, you have no context.

Because you’re left on the grass behind a row of unused sun beds all morning as there are no sun beds vacant

SheRaaaaa · 29/07/2023 08:09

MadamWhiteleigh · 29/07/2023 07:58

Surely if there’s no one on the sunbed for hours then you could just move whatever towel has been left on it?

Because unless you’ve been watching for hours, how do you know? They might be in the loo or in the pool. When you arrive at the pool, all you see is a sunbed with a towel on it, you have no context.

Ask the people on the loungers around the empty ones.

Londontown12 · 29/07/2023 08:20

I think it’s rude ! I went 5* luxury resort in Greece and it was happening there !
Anyways I just removed the towels and set up camp !
when the owner of theses towels rocked up 3 hours later they were not pleased but they never said anything 😂😂😂 neither did I just acted like I had no idea 🤷‍♀️ x

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 29/07/2023 08:21

I've never experienced this (I'm not much of a sun holiday person) so these threads fascinate me.

I'd love to see the mad rush. And then the arguments. People are so weird.

larlypops · 29/07/2023 08:21

I love the hotels that remove them after an hour, no early rising, no fighting over them.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 29/07/2023 08:24

About to board our flight after 10 nights in Sorrento.

I have been absolutely gobsmacked that everyone in our hotel observed the pool area opening at 9am and not a single bed reserved before. AND in most cases where people were going out say, after lunch they pretty much always took their towel away this freeing their bed up.

This has never happened in all the years I've holidayed abroad and was a very pleasant suprise

Flossflower · 29/07/2023 08:24

If we can’t find sun beds I will ask the pool attendant and they will usually move towels from sun beds. I give a tip but it nearly always works.

tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz · 29/07/2023 08:25

tonystarksrighthand · 29/07/2023 07:05

We are in an alleged 5* resort now and this happening. Watched a family put their towels on beds at 9pm last night!!

These people really piss me off. Entitled prats

JengaNonConfirming · 29/07/2023 08:26

I don't sleep in very late on holiday, so I usually go down just after 8 to get loungers for me and my daughter. I actually sit there and read though, I enjoy an hour of peace before breakfast and it is usually cooler.

7eleven · 29/07/2023 08:29

At my favourite resort they hose all the sunloungers down at about 7:30am. This stops the 6am towel placers in their tracks!

forgotmyusername1 · 29/07/2023 08:30

What would make sense to me is

Some kind of token placed on unoccupied sun beds at random times

If still unoccupied an hour later then towels get taken

If the owner is back then they give the token back to the staff member.

Kind of like with traffic wardens

Sparklfairy · 29/07/2023 08:30

I can never understand this, and I blame the hotels. They know their max capacity. Just buy enough sunbeds?!

ShiteRider · 29/07/2023 08:31

There have been a lot of threads recently about camping and how awful it is, how people can’t understand why someone would go camping and not to a hotel.

You’ve just reminded me of some of the things that I hate about hotel / package holidays. The squeeze everyone in mentality, the pre set-up sun beds with umbrellas, the breakfast at a certain time. I just don’t understand the appeal.

switswoo81 · 29/07/2023 08:31

I went on holiday start of July and the resort had a huge amount of sunbeds. We never got up before 10:30 am. And you could move pools during the day and get a bed. Hotels especially AI where people leave the resort less should plan beds according to the amount of rooms
I never took beds for my kids though they didn't spend long enough out of the pool to warrant a bed.

CurlsandCurves · 29/07/2023 08:33

One hotel we stayed at, any unoccupied towels on sun beds before 8am were removed and placed on the entertainment stage for collection.

People were still very annoyed when…. the security guards actually implemented this rule every day and it was not just an idle threat.

And yes, it is Olympic Lagoon in Cyprus where you get allocated beds.

Crocksnsocks · 29/07/2023 08:36

Fortunately I’ve never stayed anywhere like this and hope I never do. I know would remove the towels and this would probably end up in an awkward confrontation.

I’d rather be at the beach anyway.

Catspyjamas17 · 29/07/2023 08:38

I try and book places where they have enough sunbeds for the guests. Most places like that if you get there before midday it's fine. Sometimes we've put towels down, leaving someone with them, after breakfast at about 9.30am if we wanted a particular spot.

Parker231 · 29/07/2023 08:39

Crocksnsocks · 29/07/2023 08:36

Fortunately I’ve never stayed anywhere like this and hope I never do. I know would remove the towels and this would probably end up in an awkward confrontation.

I’d rather be at the beach anyway.

I’ve also not stayed anywhere with this problem but I would move a towel so I could use the sunbed. If you’ve gone for lunch, the sunbed is no longer yours.

PumpkinPie2016 · 29/07/2023 08:40

I find this behaviour quite strange to be honest. I honestly couldn't be bothered with stressing over getting up early on holiday to place towels on sunbeds.

I know relatives who have experienced this on holiday and it is frustrating when people just reserve beds with towels and then don't return for hours. If everyone just occupied beds when they needed them, with people coming and going, there would most likely be enough space for everyone 🤷‍♀️

We don't do big resorts/AI though so less of a problem. This year, we are doing a hotel holiday but it's a small hotel, not AI and not really a lie by the pool all day place (Austrian Alps). We will definitely use the pool, particularly with DS being 9 but we will also go out a lot so won't bother about having loungers.