Newsroom
A German tourist has been awarded nearly €1,000 after a court ruled that constant competition for poolside loungers ruined his family holiday in Greece.
The case centered on a 2024 package vacation to the Greek island of Kos, where the traveler said guests regularly claimed sunbeds before sunrise by leaving towels on them for hours. According to his testimony, he woke up at 6 a.m. each morning and still spent about 20 minutes searching for available loungers. He also told the court his children sometimes had to sit or lie on the ground because no seats were free.
The man, whose identity was not released, had paid €7,186 for the trip. After returning home, he filed a lawsuit against the tour operator, arguing that the resort’s pool facilities were practically unusable because towel reservations were allowed to continue unchecked.
The company initially refunded €350, but judges at a district court in Hanover decided the compensation was insufficient. The court ruled that the family should receive €986.70 and described the holiday package as defective.
Judges said the operator knew the hotel officially banned guests from reserving loungers with towels but failed to make sure the policy was properly enforced. While the company did not directly manage the resort, the court found it still had a responsibility to ensure there were enough sunbeds available for guests.
Arguments over poolside loungers have become increasingly visible across European tourist destinations in recent years. During the summer of 2025, videos from Tenerife spread across social media showing vacationers racing to reserve chairs early in the morning. One viral clip from the Paradise Park Hotel captured tourists running around a pool area placing towels on loungers within seconds of opening.
Some parts of Spain have responded by introducing fines of up to €250 for guests who reserve sunbeds without using them, while several travel companies have reviewed their hotel policies in response to complaints from customers.
