A British tourist, eager for some sunbathing during her awaited stay at a luxurious five-star resort in Egypt, took desperate measures to ensure she got a sun lounger. Mrs. May, who shares her travels on TikTok, set her alarm for an ungodly hour of 6.30 am and hurried to the poolside to secure an ideal spot. “If you can’t beat them, join them,” she said. However, upon arrival, she was taken aback to find all the loungers already taken by towels with not a single person in sight, as reported by the Mirror.
“It’s 6.30 in the morning, and already, most of these sun loungers have been taken, and there is literally not one person here,” Mrs. May shared as she captured the scene. Even at the pool, she found a similar scenario, noting, “Absolutely no-one here, just tying their towels to the sun loungers.” Realising she might have been too late, she observed, “I actually think I’m too late already. Every single sunbed on that front row has been taken. We’re going to have to go on the back row.”
Reflecting on the issue on TikTok, Mrs. May expressed frustration at the selfishness of fellow holidaymakers snatching sunbeds so early. She hinted, “Some hotels, they move them, they just get rid of them. I’m very tempted. Not to do it now, but when we come down and actually stay here for the day.” Mrs. May’s rant struck a chord with other tourists who quickly shared their own experiences of sun lounger wars. One follower proudly admitted, “I am that person who moves the towels when no one is there. I don’t care. Put them on the floor and get on with my day.”
Another discontented guest expressed, “No hotel should allow this. They should be removing the towels. I refuse to stay anywhere that permits this selfish behaviour.” A different traveller shared a solution implemented by some accommodations, stating, “I went to a hotel that had a booking system. When you arrive, you’d choose where to go, and they’d be your loungers for your entire stay.”
Recalling their previous year’s struggle, one couple on a Portugal getaway resorted to extreme measures, waking up at 1 am solely to secure their sun loungers. Aimee, aged 20, detailed the lengths they went to in order to avoid additional fees, “In the hotel we stayed at, if we didn’t get those certain sun beds, we would’ve had to pay €7.50 [£6] each for a bed. I know it’s crazy, but it’s the normal thing to do here.”
The issue of sun lounger etiquette and the early morning rush for prime spots continues to be a prevalent problem for holidaymakers. From sneaky tactics like moving towels to strict booking systems at certain establishments, each resort handles the matter differently. As more travellers share their experiences and frustrations on social media platforms like TikTok, the conversation around sunbed scarcity and courtesy towards fellow guests is sure to persist.