A German vacationer who couldn’t secure a sun lounger on his holiday despite waking up early at 6am took the matter to court and successfully obtained compensation. The man, a father of two, spent approximately £6,200 (€7,186) for a family trip to Kos, a Greek island, in August 2024. Despite his efforts to find available sunbeds for his family, he often found them occupied by guests who had reserved them with towels, against hotel rules.
The frustrated father filed a lawsuit against a tour operator in Hanover, claiming that even by 6am, most sunbeds were already taken, leaving his children to sit on the floor. He also alleged that hotel staff did not enforce the policy against reserving spots in advance. The court ruled in favor of the man, stating that the package holiday was flawed in not providing the expected experience.
Although the tour operator did not manage the hotel, the judge emphasized the operator’s responsibility to ensure adequate access to sunbeds for all customers. The ruling required the operator to refund the man £850 (€986.70), initially paying only £300 (€350). This decision precedes the upcoming Summer holidays for British tourists who frequent similar pool and beach resorts.
The practice of the “dawn dash”, where guests wake up early to secure sunbeds, is not uncommon. Last year, a holidaymaker recounted how prime loungers were already taken hours before the pool opened, with people seemingly reserving them overnight. Another traveler shared their experience of waiting over an hour for a sunbed at a high-end hotel due to the ongoing “sunbed wars”. The hotel had implemented a one-hour bed reserve policy to manage the situation, indicating the challenges faced by vacationers in securing sunbeds.
