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Original poster

Is there such a thing as an AI holiday where you don't have to get up at 6 to have a sunbed?

58 replies

Tambatamba · 03/09/2023 15:54

Or do you have to accept that it's that or get a villa and cook for yourself. I don't like this daily scramble for sun beds. But I don't want to cook either!

There was one hotel in Greece that we went to a few years ago which had a rule that your towels would be removed if you weren't on the beds within half an hour. This worked great. There was always enough for everyone. But I don't want to go to Greece because I have a small child so looking at Spain, Minorca, Majorca etc for shorter flight time.

Anyone know of hotels like this?

OP posts:
TooManyClouds · 03/09/2023 15:58

There are hotels which allocate you a specific sunbeds for your entire stay when you check in, both on the beach and by the pool. The issue with this seems to be that people are staying in places that don't provide a sufficient number of sunbeds for all of their guests. That will only change, I would think, if people stop booking hotels that don't cater properly to guest's comfort.

CosyCoffee · 03/09/2023 16:01

We stayed at an AI Sensatori resort in Egypt in a swim up room with its own private terrace and patio furniture. I can't bear scrambling for loungers and don't particularly like sharing a pool (the swim ups have their own little bit outside your room).

Tatiebee · 03/09/2023 16:02

We only do villas for this reason, however the only real meal I make is breakfast. We enjoy popping to the local supermarkets and stocking up on lovely things to eat. Two of our children have additional needs so we feel safer and more relaxed in villas and we enjoy trying local restaurants.

jllll · 03/09/2023 16:06

Why does having a young child mean you don't want to go to Greece? Not being argumentative just wondering, mostly because Greece is my favourite place 🇬🇷

Reallybadidea · 03/09/2023 16:07

The last two years we've stayed in smaller hotels and sunbed-bagging just hasn't been an issue. One time we had breakfast included in the room rate and we either ate at the hotel or went to a nearby restaurant. Second time was half board. There is a middle ground between AI and self-catering!

Ilovegoldies · 03/09/2023 16:09

The mimosa in palma nova was pretty good for sunbeds. I never went without and there was never a scramble in the morning.

JessicaPeach · 03/09/2023 16:16

jllll · 03/09/2023 16:06

Why does having a young child mean you don't want to go to Greece? Not being argumentative just wondering, mostly because Greece is my favourite place 🇬🇷

Shorter flight.

GoodVibesHere · 03/09/2023 16:18

I don't understand why you think staying in a villa means that cooking is necessary?

You can stay in a villa and eat at restaurants. The cost works out the same as AI, but you get to choose where to eat.

DustyLee123 · 03/09/2023 16:21

Some of the TUI have reserved sunbeds, but I think they are mostly long haul.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 03/09/2023 16:22

Yes, shorter flight is the reason! Thanks for your replies. Some good ideas here. We have been to places before where we had a swim up room. But then I found that the children wanted to go around the main pool because they wanted to make friends etc. my youngest is 3 but my older two are 19 and 14.

OP posts:
elizabethcharlotte · 03/09/2023 16:26

We stayed at the Kiani beach resort in Crete. You could get a sun bed at anytime of the day and there was absolutely no need to reserve beds. Most mornings I strolled down around 10am and chose beds for my family of four. We had a lovely relaxing week although we thought the food could have been better!

elsieandthepooch · 03/09/2023 16:32

We stayed at a small hotel chain and you didn't have to scramble for a sunbed. I refuse to do AI at large chain ones now.

MoChridhe · 03/09/2023 16:39

Been to Crete AI a few times and never had to reserve a sunbed. Enough for everyone and we found iund that there was lots to do on the island so guests didn't hang around the pool all day.

LastMinute123 · 03/09/2023 16:45

We stayed at TUI Blue Lagoon Princess in Halkidiki last year and had a swim up room with our own terrace and Sun loungers. They also do private pool rooms which looked really good.

But the main pools always had plenty of spare loungers. There were always loads spare and we went in the school summer holidays.

ZiggZagg · 03/09/2023 16:48

I just remove towels from the beds and if people turns up kicking off, I tell them there is no reserving beds. Never had a problem!

AMuser · 03/09/2023 16:49

LastMinute123 · 03/09/2023 16:45

We stayed at TUI Blue Lagoon Princess in Halkidiki last year and had a swim up room with our own terrace and Sun loungers. They also do private pool rooms which looked really good.

But the main pools always had plenty of spare loungers. There were always loads spare and we went in the school summer holidays.

op said no to Greece due to flight time.

Ikos AI hotels - mostly in Greece but also Portugal and Spain have no issues with sun beds but insanely expensive.

Parker231 · 03/09/2023 16:49

Tatiebee · 03/09/2023 16:02

We only do villas for this reason, however the only real meal I make is breakfast. We enjoy popping to the local supermarkets and stocking up on lovely things to eat. Two of our children have additional needs so we feel safer and more relaxed in villas and we enjoy trying local restaurants.

Same here. We’ve never done a resort Mediterranean holiday. We book a villa or room only and eat out - try and find places where the locals eat - food is so much better.

BG2015 · 03/09/2023 16:51

Stayed in a few All Inclusives over the years where no one seems to reserve sunbeds, from 5 star down to 3 star hotels.

Seems to be certain hotels just don't have that culture. I'm a teacher so only go in school holidays.

ChimChimeny · 03/09/2023 16:55

When you go will surely make a difference, we stayed in a hotel in Tenerife Feb half term, plenty of sunbeds but the pool area was pretty small considering the size of the hotel so i imagine if you went over the summer hols you'd have to scramble to get loungers

Silkiebunny · 03/09/2023 16:56

We've stayed in quite a few AI hotels and never had an issue with sunbeds though we aren't sunbathers and are swimmers so more somewhere to put towels etc.

modgepodge · 03/09/2023 16:56

I just got back from a holiday where all the reviews mentioned the sun bed queue and race at 7.30am. I rolled out of bed at 9ish each day and I could see all the beds immediately next to the pool had been bagged, but there were plenty free a few rows back (about 20-30metres from the pool). It was quieter here so suited me anyway! I can see the benefit of being immediately poolside if your kids are old enough to be in the pool without you but you still want to watch, but our daughter is young enough we have to be in with her anyway so a being a few rows back was no issue for us. However based on the reviews you’d have thought getting a sun bed at all would be an issue!

this was in the canaries so no good for you. But my point is, the reviews may not tell the full story. Also, I wouldn’t be above moving someone else’s towel if they hadn’t turned up for hours and then playing dumb 😂

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 03/09/2023 16:57

I don't think people should be able to bag beds, then bugger off.

Ascendant15 · 03/09/2023 16:59

I find an number of hotels now remove them if they are being reserved. But if they don't, I do! If you clearly aren't using the lounger, then don't expect me to care about your lie in.

PrincessHoneysuckle · 03/09/2023 17:01

In Egypt if you tip the pool man at the beginning of your holiday he'll reserve your sunbeds for your stay if asked.
Everyone seemed to do this when I was there this year and last.

greyflannel · 03/09/2023 17:02

Sorry OP, was also going to say Greece. Never had a problem. Perhaps because of so many great beaches? Or a more chilled vibe.

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