Early-morning races to reserve the best sunbeds by the pool with towels and personal belongings have become a common—and often irritating—habit in many holiday hotels. For some tourists, it’s part of the morning routine; for others, a source of serious frustration. Conflicts are not uncommon, and more and more hotels are trying to set limits on the arbitrary “reservation” of sunbeds. But is this legally allowed? According to a report by German travel site fvw, the answer is clear.
Yes, Hotels Can Forbid Sunbed Reservations
According to lawyer Rosbech Karimi, a tourism law expert, “Yes, of course the hotel can forbid it. It has every right to include such a rule in its operating policy,” he says, adding that this practice is no longer the exception, but often the norm.
Towels… Confiscated
The rule against reserving sunbeds too early is often enforced by removing towels and belongings from unused sunbeds if they remain unoccupied for a certain amount of time—usually around 30 minutes.
“After that, the towels are taken to a designated storage area, and guests are asked to use another available sunbed,” explains Karimi.
What If the Hotel Doesn’t Enforce Its Own Rules?
A recent case tried at the Hanover District Court highlights the legal implications of this issue. Tourists who had booked a holiday package in Rhodes reported that although the hotel had established a no-reservation rule for sunbeds, it failed to enforce it. The guests followed the rule, but claimed they were unable to find available sunbeds during the day, depriving them of a key part of their holiday.
The court ruled in their favor, declaring this a “travel defect”, and awarded them 15% of the daily accommodation cost as compensation—about €320 out of a total package of €5,260.
This decision (Case No. 553 C 5141/23) is significant because it acknowledges that a hotel’s failure to apply its own stated rules can be a legitimate reason for a refund or compensation.
Interestingly, the travel provider defended the hotel’s inaction, calling the situation a “peaceful race for the best poolside spots.” But the court disagreed, stating that having a rule means there is an obligation to enforce it.
Not Enough Sunbeds? Not Always a Valid Complaint
Unlike the failure to enforce policies, a simple lack of sunbeds compared to the number of guests is not automatically considered a travel defect. The number of sunbeds should be “reasonable,” meaning proportional to the hotel’s capacity and available space, but hotels are not legally required to have one for every guest at the same time.
What Tourists Should Know
For travelers who want to avoid the “towel war,” the best approach is to check the hotel’s sunbed reservation policy in advance. If a no-reservation policy is in place, guests have every right to expect its enforcement.
If they find that the rule is being ignored, and this prevents them from using the pool or outdoor areas, they should report it to the travel provider or hotel management. If there is no response, they may have grounds for compensation, as shown in the Rhodes case.
The “sunbed war” may sound trivial, but for thousands of travelers, it’s a meaningful part of the vacation experience—and now, part of the legal landscape of holiday packages.
