Saving pool/beach chairs

[KINGPIN]

I have heard that some people do this , and until I started visiting travel forums recently I never knew to what extent people go to " get a spot"

I think the whole thing is soooo stupid . I understand popping of to the toilet or to get a drink at the pool bar, but not this whole waking up at 6am and setting down your stuff for the day and keeping that chair till sunset.

Is it me or am I just not getting the culture?

We never saw this in the DR last year , but then again I wasn't really looking. I have to say that if I come across this I will be moving peoples stuff period. Im sorry but its just not fair and if its a problem my DH and eldest DS will sort it out with you!!

Why cant it just be 1st come 1st seating preference.

[mickeyears]

I can't be bothered to get out of bed to do something like this :pgig: I think when we went to BB last year we had one/two loungers between 10 of us, one person in our group liked to sunbathe, and when we ate etc we all sat on these two (very cosy lol) x

[cherry pie]

i have to admit i do this but only because im a sun worshipper and an early riser. i get up put the towels out have breakfast and then im there all day. it drives me mad when people put towels out and then dony use the loungers.

[Ros & Jim]

I remember at one hotel we stayed in the Caribbean, guests were obsessed with getting up early and putting their towels out on the sunlounger. They used their own towels rather than hotels ones, so that they would know which loungers were theirs. They then happily trotted off to breakfast. However, the pool guys soon cottoned on to what they were doing and immediately came round and threw the offending towels in the pool. Guests came back to find they had no reserved lounger and soaking wet towels. They soon got the message that the "No reserving of sun loungers" sign meant what it said.

[Mishka]

I have to do this in certain places as DH needs a brolley, I get 3 for 4 of us but give one up when the kids dont use it, DD creates for her own now she's older so I after wait till she goes off to give it away. I never go off after breakfast and never save one if I were to off site. I wish we did not have to do this but DH is like a big baby in the sun and I just want to go home when he moans. If it was a genuine place and everyone stuck tot he rules that does as it says and removes towels then I would wait.

[ukdiva]

I don't really do predominately beach holidays so haven't come across this, thank God! The closest i've come to a beach holiday is Miami, and i never bothered to get down early for a lounger... luckily the hotel was right on the beach, so even if you couldn't nab a lounger by the pool, you just had a couple of 100 yards and you had a whole expanse of beach at your disposal. :)

[Mishka]

OMG I once went to Rhodes, it was a five star hotel and they were up at 5 to get a bed. The doors did not open till 6 and then they all ran. I mean really ran. They were all british all four million of them and there was nothing near the hotel what so ever to do and if you did not get a bed early you had to sit on the grass all day. It was a total nighmare. We got taxis out of there and then DH would moan it was too hot, the cicarda beetles were coming alive in their thousands and the noise was horrid. DD fell out of the bunk bed which was in the sky somewhere, I would give the hotel minus 5. Yes we did get up at 5 a few morning as there was nothing else to do. I am a early riser but when you are alarmed to get up its different, never again.

[TinkTatoo]

I've done it when we were at Vero Beach when I would need a table with an umbrella as I couldn't stay out in the sun all day. We're early risers anyway so I'd just go down and get one when the pool opens at 8am. I'd be happy to stay there all day but I have seen others come down and reserve 5 or 6 chairs at 8am then disappear for a couple of hours leaving the sunbeds with no one using them.

[carolynn38]

I have to say this was quite a problem for us last Christmas when we went to Thailand.

As it was high season, the hotel was full to capacity and this caused major problems as there was only loungers for about half the guests.

As the resort was a 'lying around the pool' type of place, it meant that if you didn't 'get' a lounger by 7.30-8am then that would be it for the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not just talking about getting a place in a good position, I am talking about getting somewhere to sit at all!!!!!!!!

I am a real HATER of people putting their towels, books etc on loungers to reserve, and then going off for a few hours and not using them, so for us to be able to sit out by the pool on any given day, I would have to get up and basically sit out from about 7.30am reading until my DBF would get up a few hours later. I admit we did then go off for brekkie but it was quite a rushed affair.

I know this sounds sad but this whole 'reserving a bed' procedure put a whole dampener on the holiday, as it meant no relaxing lie in mornings.

The amount of days also where there would be huge rows with the towel guys from guests who couldn't find anywhere to sit was unbelievable. It even got to the stage that you couldn't find a place to sit for lunch at the outside food area, as that was taken up by people camped out for the day.

For a 5* resort it just wasn't great, but I guess that is what you have to put up with in high season.

Have never seen it as bad anywhere else, and hope not too again!!!!!!

[limmy]

We had this by our hotel pool in florida last year and we are staying at the same one this year.
It REALLY wound me up, because the people didn't seem to be there AT ALL, but there stuff stayed there ALL day!! Then we accidently left a pair of oakley glasses and by god, there were took within the 4 mins it took us to get back to the pool!!!! At this point I just flipped and said one of you is a theiving ****er and didn't go back to the pool again.
This year I will be moving stuff as I am taking my boy, and we will probably be spending a bit more time at the pool. Concidering there is about 30 loungers for 2000 people, IMO it's selfish to expect the bed to be kept just for you.

[KINGPIN]

At least I know I'm not the only one thinking that this whole thing is wrong. If you go on tripadvisor and read reviews you hear people basically devising their plan for a chair and following the trend. Alot of people on the online forum actually advocate this and then they are the first to complain when they don't get a chair.

[limmy]

To be honest though my idea of a holiday is fun, theme parks, adventure just a difference from the norm, not sat there in the sun all day on a lounger!!
Obviously some people's are different and they will revolve their holidays round it, which I think is quite sad. MY OPINION!!

[hayleyandhilda]

i am guilty of this also but main for the fact that we go away with my grand parents and the need at least a seat to sit on (in mid 70's)
so between a group of 12 of us we would get 3 loungers and 1 chair

[carolynn38]

To be honest though my idea of a holiday is fun, theme parks, adventure just a difference from the norm, not sat there in the sun all day on a lounger!!
Obviously some people's are different and they will revolve their holidays round it, which I think is quite sad. MY OPINION!!

I am quite fortunate that I like both 'on the go' holidays as well as just lounging around doing nothing, and I always try and get a good balance of both.

I have to say, I work bl**dy hard during the year and my holidays are a good escape from it all, and SOMETIMES it is nice just to be able to sit, relax, read and spend quality time with my partner.

I don't think the fact I enjoy these sedate holidays makes me 'sad' at all, and to be honest, even though it is just 'your opinion', I find it quite insulting........ :angry:

Esp since my partner has been very ill over the last 12 months, and 2 weeks just sat in the sun doing not a lot but relaxing will be a lot better for his health than rushing around.

It is possible to have fun without a theme park you know......

[paulap]

Hands up, I'm one of them. :blush: Never used to until we had kids but now prefer some shade. However, I'm not one who leaves their towel their all day. We usually find a lounger, then go to breakfast, then back to the lounger so they are only reserved for about an hour.

[limmy]

I am quite fortunate that I like both 'on the go' holidays as well as just lounging around doing nothing, and I always try and get a good balance of both.

I have to say, I work bl**dy hard during the year and my holidays are a good escape from it all, and SOMETIMES it is nice just to be able to sit, relax, read and spend quality time with my partner.

I don't think the fact I enjoy these sedate holidays makes me 'sad' at all, and to be honest, even though it is just 'your opinion', I find it quite insulting........ :angry:

Esp since my partner has been very ill over the last 12 months, and 2 weeks just sat in the sun doing not a lot but relaxing will be a lot better for his health than rushing around.

It is possible to have fun without a theme park you know......


There is nothing wrong with sitting by the pool by any means. I'm talking about the people who get up at 5am to then "relax" by the pool. People that do this and reserve chair while they then go to a park for the day don't seem to realise they are actually spoiling the hoilday for other people.
If you actually sat there, that's fine. I'm just saying it's not what i'd do. I don't know why that offends you. If everybody was the same, there wouldn't be any room at the pool for you to sit, would there??

[carolynn38]

Limmy,
I don't come on here to argue, and if I have misunderstood anything then I apologize.

I just took offense at being called 'SAD' (which I personally think is quite a derogatory term) just because I enjoy taking holidays which are all about sitting around and doing nothing.

I know each to there own and all that, but I wouldn't personally call anyone 'SAD' who have interests that differ to my own.

[limmy]

I don't come on here to argue and to be honest won't be coming on here at all as the people seem less than friendly to someone having their own opinion.
All I was saying and if you read it correctly you will see this..
People who wake up at 5am to then go and reserve a lounger they don't plan on using until midday or longer - I find that sad. As in they are meant to be on holiday and they choose to do this, which ruins other people holidays like mine, when I take my son to the pool and there are 25 loungers with towels on yet nobody in the pool and we are forced to sit on hot concrete!!

[Scotsmomma]

I've never seen this in Florida as mostly the hotel pools are pretty quiet through the day anyway.....in Spain though it's a nightmare.....we're always down for breakfast at 7 am then head straight to the pool with our towels and stay there most of the day....but you can be guaranteed someone will have sneaked down while we were eating breakfast and bagged all the best sunbeds for them and their huge family.....but they're not seen at the pool till late afternoon.....

[Baggie Bird]

I haven't really been on many "sun" holidays as I don't really like just lying in it (fair skin which burns and also I am allergic to the sun and get a nasty rash :cry: ) however, when I have been to Greece etc, I have gone by the pool to sit in some shade and read a book, if all the loungers have towels on them but there is no-one in sight I have just moved the towels onto another sunbed.

I have always been gone by the time the owners of the towels have returned but if they had come back whilst I was still there, I would just have given the lounger back.

I don't think that it is fair to put a towel down and then disappear for the best part of the day.

[KINGPIN]

I really hope no one does this in mexico because its going to a problem

[carolynn38]

When we were last in mexico (Riu palace 2005) I can honestly say it was never an issue.

I think one of the big benefits over there is that most hotels have both pool and beach. The amenricans tend to enjoy being round the beach more than the pool, so this tends to free up more pool spaces, and the beach is large enough for everyone.

I also think it depends on how busy the resort is when you get there. It is always going to be more of a problem in high season than low.

Where abouts in Mexico are you going and when?

We are heading back out in less than 3 weeks - Riu Palace Riviera maya in Playacar - can't wait!!!!!!!!

[KINGPIN]

Were staying at moon palace last week in august. Soooo excited , the first is disney for the kids and then were off to mp

[Lesley_Perschky]

Got to admit me and DH do leave our towels on the Sunloungers at BB (hope this is still allowed). As for when we stayed in hotels yes we have done that as well but we have not used them all day.

When we have finished then we move our stuff so someone else can use them.

[madwife]

Anyone staying at the Sheraton Vistana LBV in August can have all the sun chairs they wish as we won't be needing them - we'll be elsewhere. :pgig:

[stephwa]

My dad used to this on our first holidays, so about 10-14 years ago. He only ever went down at 8-9am though, not some ridiculous time. And that was again because we needed a brolley for my Mum.

I do think its stupid, but you'll never stop people doing it unless its against the hotel policy.

[mousse]

Never saw it really in Florida but then we weren't by the pool too much. The odd time we saw it the bloke who cleaned the pool and was about during the day flicked the towels off the loungers.
However we went to Fuerteventura last summer just for a week and we intended to do nothing but lie in the sun and let the kids play in the pool or go to the beach and just charge up our batteries after a difficult year. People were leaving towels all day and even all night. They were all British using the pool we stayed by and weren't just hogging one or two there were two families there hogging 10 loungers. We ended up putting out our towels on a lounger as we walked to breakfast but we were back there after breakfast and stayed all day. On the occasions we went to the beach we moved our towels which is more than others were doing. There were notices by the pool but it was ignored.

[Scotsmomma]

I think most Spanish hotels have notices around the pool now saying that you can't put your towel down to keep a lounger....but typically Brits seem to find that hard to understand and ignore it :confused2

[carolynn38]

Were staying at moon palace last week in august. Soooo excited , the first is disney for the kids and then were off to mp

You will have a fabulous time :grin:

[Heather1957]

If I go on one of these type of holidays I do tend to relax around the pool for most of the day, just taking a break for lunch. I usually get down by the pool around about 9 am and if someone has put a towel on a sunbed that I would like then I'll move it and use it myself, if you're not going to use it until after your breakfast then let someone who wants to use it immediatly have it.

Thank goodness for villas!! ;)

[carolynn38]

I think hotels need to have some sort of policy, and most importantly, enforce it.

I know many places, including the cruise we went on at Christmas, say that reserving loungers is not allowed, and if you are going to be gone for more than an hour then you will loose the right to 'your' lounger, but no-one actually enforces it.

I guess the problem is its just not towels people use, its book, inflatables etc.

Another problem is you don't know if the lounger is actually being used or not. In Thailand the resort was huge, with many interconnecting pools, swim up bars etc. Even when I did have one, mid afternoon I would go for a swim, drink etc and be gone for at least half an hour - does that mean I should give up my lounger then. I know I would be mighty mad if I got back and found my bits and pieces missing.......