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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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:
sezzer87 · 03/09/2023 17:17

We just came back from a eurocamp in Spain. Camping Cala gogo. No scramble for sun beds. Always 5 available for our family . Pool opened at 10am and shut at 8:30pm.
Beach bar and sun beds by the beach.
It was amazing and cheap. Very worthwhile.

sezzer87 · 03/09/2023 17:19

Also forgot to add that because eurocamp is cheap, they have 3 restaurants onsite serving food all day and numerous restaurants within walkable distance. We spent about £600 on food whilst we were there and the accommodation was only £1000 for the week. AL Would have cost us alot more so go cheap and eat out is a good bet.

sasamummy · 03/09/2023 17:37

I clicked on this thread in the trending box and could only see "Is it possible to have an AI holiday". Thought it was going to be a question about an artificial intelligence creating a holiday with made up beaches, sea and food, etc ! At least you could delete the in-laws and washing...

Shadowboy · 03/09/2023 18:02

We stayed in a Greek hotel. There were only 28 apartments and never couldn’t find a sun bed. There were more than enough both on the beach and round the pool. My tip is to pick a small hotel where there are 50 or fewer rooms.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 03/09/2023 21:16

Thanks again for your help. Lots of good ideas to consider.

OP posts:
Xrays · 03/09/2023 21:18

There is no way I’d wake up to get a sunbed.

We went to Tui Magic Life in Ibiza in June. Beautiful place, lovely resort, never had to worry re sun beds, absolutely tons all over the place. The food let it down a bit though so we ate out quite a lot but it was still a lovely holiday.

shakeitoffsis · 03/09/2023 21:33

Jupiter albufeira in portugal we had no issues in getting sun beds at anytime of the day. There is 4 pools to choose from. 2.5 hour flight, short transfer time.

Apricotton · 03/09/2023 21:48

Just to add, a hotel may advertise a policy of removing towels from sun beds after a period of time, but it doesn’t mean they follow their own policy. A hotel I visited in Tenerife claimed to remove towels- they very clearly didn’t.

cocksstrideintheevening · 03/09/2023 22:15

Just back from a tui Ibiza hotel, spare sun beds all day. No reserving.

EssexCat · 03/09/2023 22:40

shakeitoffsis · 03/09/2023 21:33

Jupiter albufeira in portugal we had no issues in getting sun beds at anytime of the day. There is 4 pools to choose from. 2.5 hour flight, short transfer time.

I was going to say here too. Really nice hotel as well. My children are a lot older but there were lots of little ones there and they looked like they were having a wonderful time.

Could always get sun beds too.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/09/2023 22:51

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.

That’s exactly the hotel I was going to recommend - we’ve just got back from there a couple of days ago. I think it’s a great hotel. Never any sunbed issues

I was also going to recommend a swim up room as then you’ve definitely got your sun bed reserved at all times. We had a swim up suite and it was amazing. 9 yo could just swim to his heart’s content whilst teenager and I read our books - there were other kids his age in the pool so it was perfect.

That hotel is very good for very little ones too, but equally good for any age that want to swim, read and relax. Right on the beach too.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 03/09/2023 22:52

I know you said not Greece but anywhere with a swim up would work

TheMindfulMum · 03/09/2023 23:00

Those contributing who have stayed at Canary or Balearic hotels - please can you name drop which ones? I'm looking for our family holiday next year but reviews full of sun bed issues and having to get up at the crack of dawn is removing so many options.

Johnnyfartpants · 03/09/2023 23:21

Save up for an Ikos resort - there are some in Spain now I believe, so not just Greece. Superb service, always tons of loungers. Basically heaven!

UsingChangeofName · 03/09/2023 23:41

I've managed to stay at AIs in 4 different countries, and get sunbeds and, trust me, I've NEVER got up at 6am on holiday.

BUT
I do think it would be a selling point if hotels / holiday resorts promised in their advertising to remove any towels left without people for more than an hour. That would be such a plus point, when looking.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 04/09/2023 02:04

UsingChangeofName · 03/09/2023 23:41

I've managed to stay at AIs in 4 different countries, and get sunbeds and, trust me, I've NEVER got up at 6am on holiday.

BUT
I do think it would be a selling point if hotels / holiday resorts promised in their advertising to remove any towels left without people for more than an hour. That would be such a plus point, when looking.

I agree!

OP posts:
Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 04/09/2023 09:18

I’ve never been to a hotel where there is a scrabble for su beds. But then I’ve never been to a big AI.

we do b&b in smaller hotels (mostly Greece, but wouldn’t have to be) and then just eat out. It costs less than a reasonable AI even with the spending money and so much more relaxed. You can get a sun bed at any time of day.

Original poster
Tambatamba · 04/09/2023 09:43

Ah yes. I'm obviously a bit dim because I guess the reason it's hard to get beds an AI is because people have paid for the AI had therefore don't leave the hotel. I wonder why this didn't occur to me before? 😂🙈

OP posts:
PricklyWhenWet · 04/09/2023 10:28

We’ve stayed in a lot of AI over the years and generally find the sun beds immediately by the pool get snapped up but further back not an issue. Also where there are several pools, it’s the big one with music and activities that tends to be busiest and the quieter pools have more availability. Swim up rooms are the best though and we have stayed in some beautiful ones with Tui.

DinnaeFashYersel · 04/09/2023 15:46

More expensive ones have enough sun beds and it's not an issue.

gogomoto · 04/09/2023 16:02

@GoodVibesHere

It doesn't cost anything near similar, ai is a lot cheaper than eating out every night. I've just priced it up and ai is only £300 more than b&b - we can't buy lunches, evening meals and drinks for 7 days for that

gogomoto · 04/09/2023 16:09

@TheMindfulMum

Had no issues at magic life fuerterentura but we rolled out of bed just before breakfast ended (or missed it and got pastries from the bar) then went about 11am or later to the pool by which time those with little ones were going back in for naps (we also avoided the kids pool area) this was term time so mostly under 5's child wise and it's very international, lovely mix actually, all guests seemed fluent in English though

pollykitty · 04/09/2023 16:12

I've only been on a few AI holidays but have always wondered why people are so polite about the towels left on sun loungers' approach. My approach: I went down to the pool when I felt like it, and if it was only towels on the beds, and nothing else, I just took them if they were where I wanted to sit. Only once did someone come by, literally after about an hour, and say 'those are our sun loungers, we left towels.' I just said 'Sorry mate, I didn't see any. Also, it's not allowed to save loungers, so maybe they removed them.' They didn't argue and moved on.
This past April we went to a huge pool complex in Germany and you could pay to reserve sun loungers. We loved it. I don't understand why more hotels don't do this.

Ionapussy · 04/09/2023 16:15

I've just returned from Holiday Village Costa Del Sol in Benalmádena. The front few rows of sunloungers are fenced off until 10.00am. It also has a waterpark which doesn't open until 10.00am. So, no point in rising early to put towels down however people will be in the queue for the park/fence to open for approx 9.45 if they want specific sunloungers. People still complained about that but I liked it. We could always find sunloungers no matter what time but not necessarily with a parasol.

Your 3 year old would love it but it isn't the most exciting place for teenagers. (short flight to malaga - I'm with you on that!)

greyflannel · 04/09/2023 18:02

pollykitty · 04/09/2023 16:12

I've only been on a few AI holidays but have always wondered why people are so polite about the towels left on sun loungers' approach. My approach: I went down to the pool when I felt like it, and if it was only towels on the beds, and nothing else, I just took them if they were where I wanted to sit. Only once did someone come by, literally after about an hour, and say 'those are our sun loungers, we left towels.' I just said 'Sorry mate, I didn't see any. Also, it's not allowed to save loungers, so maybe they removed them.' They didn't argue and moved on.
This past April we went to a huge pool complex in Germany and you could pay to reserve sun loungers. We loved it. I don't understand why more hotels don't do this.

That's very Ryanair.