What was once limited to early morning dashes and poolside arguments in destinations like Tenerife has taken a significant legal turn. A recent ruling by German justice, based on an incident in Greece, has established a crucial precedent: tourists affected by the practice of reserving sunbeds with towels can now seek financial compensation.
This phenomenon, labeled as incivility, generates considerable indignation each summer in places like the Canary Islands. The discontent has reached such a level that some guests have resorted to taking matters into their own hands in island resorts.
Social media has become a barometer for this frustration. Recently, a video shared on TikTok by a user staying at a hotel in southern Tenerife went viral. The tourist recorded herself removing towels left by other guests early in the morning to secure their spots, explaining that the same individuals monopolized the relaxation areas throughout the week.
“"All week the same people would bag their spot by the pool. So today we decided to give them a little surprise and take them."
The international turning point occurred at the District Court of Hannover. A German family sued their travel agency after a holiday package on the island of Kos, Greece, where the pool was covered with towels before dawn. The father testified that, due to the hotel's inaction in removing the illegal reservations, his young children had to lie directly on the concrete pavement surrounding the pool.
The court decisively classified these holidays as 'defective.' While the agency initially offered a symbolic refund of 350 euros, the final ruling mandates the company to return 986.70 euros to the family for moral damages and breach of promised conditions.
