We need to talk about people who reserve their spot by the pool with their towel
Is your idea of a relaxing holiday lying on the beach under a palm tree with a cool drink? Or do you relax more when you put your beach towel and flip-flops on a sun lounger by the pool at seven in the morning, so you know for sure you’ll have a good spot for the day? It’s unbelievable, but there are still plenty of hotels where it’s a daily game of ‘putting out your towel’ every morning.
Jostling at the gate, counting down on the stairs to the pool. Three, two, one… and off they go. The holidaymakers race towards the sun loungers by the pool, towel on top, magazine beside it and a pair of flip-flops under the chair. And after that exciting conquest, it’s time for a relaxing hour at the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet.
The best spot
Perfectly logical, says Jos van der Sterren, director of NHTV Breda (tourism studies), to NOS. ‘You mainly see this at all inclusive hotels. You pay a relatively low price for the whole package. If your idea of a holiday is spending your days by the pool, then you want the best spot. Having to run for it is part of the experience. Especially when there’s a shortage.’
Get rid of that towel
What happens when you arrive at the pool around ten o’clock, where there are lots of empty loungers but each one has a ‘reserved’ towel on it? The Sunweb blogger has a good solution: simply fold the towel neatly and put it aside, then make yourself comfortable with your magazine, sunscreen and towel. That way, she had a relaxed day by the pool in a nice spot. ‘It wasn’t until I was back upstairs on my balcony that I saw people walking towards the lounger. The next day I did it again, and then the towel owners came by while I was still lying there. They picked up their towels and left.’
Locust plague
Other holidaymakers complain about it. ‘Unbelievable, I’ve never seen anything like it,’ reads one comment beneath a video on YouTube. ‘It looks like a locust plague. And when I think that I did the same thing to claim a spot, I feel like such a loser. It really ruins my holiday.’ Within three minutes, all the loungers at the hotel pool in Gran Canaria are occupied. ‘The sun lounger dash’ is what an ironic Brit calls the daily race for the sun loungers at his hotel. ‘The Germans have won again,’ he cheers, ‘and they’re heading straight to the breakfast buffet to be the first there too.’
Lifeguard steps in
Hotels have rules: a towel may be left unattended on a lounger for only one hour; otherwise, the lifeguards remove it. At this hotel in Tenerife, all towels placed before ten o’clock are removed. And that also produces some hilarious TikTok videos.
@mandsandrands #tenerife #pool #sunbedsaving #towelson sunbeds #hotelsecurity #GranHotelCostaAdeje #granhoteltenerife ♬ Unstoppable – Sia
Read also:
- I’m going on holiday and taking with me…
- 7 reasons why you actually shouldn’t take food home as a holiday souvenir
- Feeling the holiday itch? These are the 10 most expensive hotels in the world
Source: Bored Panda, image: YouTube, TikTok
