Reservation of sunbeds

ProStuart

Every year (prior to Covid of course), I find myself in a race to get sunbeds for my family of 5 - we typically have only reserved 4 and as the kids get older, we'll probably drop down to 3 at some point.

It really frustrates me (and most people I talk to) that some people put towels on sunbeds as early as 1am and then don't actually use them until past lunch time.  I've tended to try for 7am - I then stay on one of the beds till the family starts to wake up and join me.  Even at that time, I see people putting their towels down and then you don't see them till early afternoon.

I wanted to see what people think - do we continue as is and the race gets earlier and earlier or do we change and say that if it's just towels on the beds and nobody is there within 30 minutes, move the towels to a sensible spot and take the beds for yourself?

Brie

If there's nothing other than towels on the beds, move the towels to a clean/dry area and take the sunbeds for yourself

Used to have someone at the gym who would put her wet towel in the sauna to dry and to make sure the seat wasn't too hot for her to sit on.  I always acted like someone had forgotten it and put it outside on the rail to the ice bath.  Sometimes it fell in the water.  Oops!

Sea_Shell

If anyone's got any better suggestions, please post!!!

Other

It shouldn't be up to guests to "police" this.

The hotels etc should have a written and displayed policy that they actually enforce, allowing guests to report reservations and action taken.

It is very annoying, especially those that don't turn up until after lunch!! 😡

The flip side of this is.... how can you both go for a morning swim, without risk of your stuff being removed!! 😉

ProStuart

If there's nothing other than towels on the beds, move the towels to a clean/dry area and take the sunbeds for yourself

Agree with you Sea_Shell - unfortunately, every holiday I've ever been on has signs up informing guests no sunbed reservation allowed yet none of them ever seem to enforce it.

As for going for a swim - if there's bags/other items on/next to the sunbeds, fair enough - you can see people are using them.  It's the ones where it's just towels there for hours on end that drives me nuts!!

Alfrescodave

Hotels should have a reservation and charge system like it used to be for deckchairs on the beach-could be quite a money earner.  
Should say that I'm not a pool sitter so this has never been a problem for me but can understand how it might annoy others.

Sandtree

Alfrescodave said:

Hotels should have a reservation and charge system like it used to be for deckchairs on the beach-could be quite a money earner.

Depending on the resort, their policies etc it can already be a bit of an earner for the staff.

In recent years have been to a few places where they were fairly good at policing unoccupied reserved beds however after a day or two of being a good tipper the staff that deal with the beach towels start asking what time you're coming down tomorrow and do the reserving for you. 

TELLIT01

Many hotels have signs up saying sunbeds cannot be reserved, but do nothing to actually enforce their rules.  I have stayed at places where towels have been removed if placed before a certain time.  Trying to check how long a bed has been unoccupied, if the towel is placed after a set time is much more difficult.  Staff may see a bed unoccupied but don't know if the owner is in the pool, nipped of to the toilet......

elsien

If you’re going to reserve sun beds while the rest of your family have a long lie in, doesn’t really make you much different to anyone else hogging them, as far as I can see. 

Sorry, but you asked the question. 

ProStuart

If there's nothing other than towels on the beds, move the towels to a clean/dry area and take the sunbeds for yourself

elsien - thanks for the feedback - I'm mainly talking about the people who reserve sunbeds and don't use them until past midday - leaving them empty for hours and hours on end.  My family joins me 1 by 1 until by about 9 (hardly a long lie-in!) when all 4 will be occupied & our 5th family member will get the suncream on whilst sharing one of them.  At this time of day, you're still looking at around 50% of the sunbeds being empty gradually increasing to 75% by about 11.

Pollycat

I've never stayed anywhere where getting a sunbed has been a problem.
Maybe that's because we tend to stay in small self catering accommodation (usually with a pool) or boutique hotels.
And there are only 2 of us.

The idea of getting up at 7am (or even earlier) to bag a sunbed is awful to me.

Personally, I think hotels where reserving sunbeds and not using them is a problem, the hotel should sort it out. 

zagfles

ProStuart said:

elsien - thanks for the feedback - I'm mainly talking about the people who reserve sunbeds and don't use them until past midday - leaving them empty for hours and hours on end.  My family joins me 1 by 1 until by about 9 (hardly a long lie-in!) when all 4 will be occupied & our 5th family member will get the suncream on whilst sharing one of them.  At this time of day, you're still looking at around 50% of the sunbeds being empty gradually increasing to 75% by about 11.

If they're 50% empty at 9 why are you sat there alone from 7?

I'd agree with "if nobody is there within 30 minutes, move the towels to a sensible spot and take the beds for yourself". But applied to all beds, even those "reserved" by one family member for others who haven't yet turned up.

But personally it's never really been an issue for us, as we don't tend to sit around the pool much on holiday. We'll go for a swim but if no loungers it's no biggie. But wouldn't hesitate to move towels off loungers that are obviously unused for a long time.