A father from Germany, who filed a lawsuit following a dispute over sunbeds at a luxurious five-star hotel, has criticized tourists who reserved loungers early in the morning and then disappeared for hours. David Eggert, aged 48, took legal action against his holiday tour operator after his children were left without a place to relax by the pool on a Greek island resort in Kos. Despite paying over £6,200 for the trip in 2024, Eggert succeeded in his legal claim this month, winning £770.
Narrating his experience, David, a resident of Dusseldorf, revealed that guests at the Grecotel Kos Imperial resort would secure sunbeds with towels in the early hours and leave them unused while they went back to bed or explored the town, disregarding warnings against this behavior. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he described his unsuccessful attempts to secure a spot by the pool each day during their ten-night stay, leaving his children to lie on the hard ground due to the unavailability of sunbeds.
The issue of ‘towel-wars’ at hotels, where guests rush to reserve sun loungers before breakfast, has been a longstanding challenge across European resorts. David decided to take legal action when both the hotel and tour operator failed to address the problem despite his complaints. The court in Hanover ruled in his favor, ordering the tour operator to refund him £851.75.
While acknowledging his participation in the controversial practice on previous vacations, David emphasized the dilemma faced by parents with children who require supervision near the pool. He highlighted the necessity of being close to the water for safety reasons, even if it meant engaging in the frowned-upon act of reserving sunbeds with towels.
David warned that the issue was not exclusive to a specific nationality but a common concern for families throughout Europe. He likened the situation to a friendly football rivalry, where blame is shifted between parties, calling it a “funny tradition between friends” rather than a cultural clash. The court’s decision underscored the responsibility of tour operators to ensure a fair system for sunbed allocation to prevent conflicts among guests.
With his case setting a precedent, David cautioned that the travel industry could face significant financial repercussions if more tourists pursued legal action against companies over the ‘dawn dash’ for sunbeds. He stressed the need for hotels to establish clear guidelines and enforcement mechanisms to prevent such disputes. While there is no specific law against the practice, hotels commonly issue warnings about reserving sunbeds with towels, leading to potential conflicts among guests.