Sunbed wars 'like scene out of Hunger Games' as frantic tourists rush to bag loungers
Holidaymakers at a £336-a-night luxury resort were seen sprinting for poolside sunbeds in scenes reminiscent of The Hunger Games.
One guest, Sue Herrijgers, 17, and her older brother Matt, 25, had anticipated a relaxed summer break at the Akasha Beach Hotel and Spa in Crete. However, instead of tranquillity and pampering, the siblings were left gobsmacked as fellow guests staged a daily 9am rush to secure the best loungers.
Sue even captured the mayhem from her balcony, showing holidaymakers dashing like Olympians the moment the pool opened. A swarm of guests descended around the pool and claimed the luxurious beds, some of which were perched over the water. They marked their territory by leaving their towels on the sunbeds for the day. "It's like watching The Hunger Games with a bed as a trophy," Sue, from the Netherlands, joked to Luxury Travel Daily.
Sue and Matt often travel together with their mum Judith, who uses a wheelchair, and expressed their disappointment at seeing their favourite hotel overrun by ruthless sunbed hunters.
Judith commented: "As you can see, it was a real struggle to get a sunbed. A few years ago, when Sue and her brother were also staying there, guests weren't leaving towels or other items. There were always beds available, even though the hotel was fully booked."
She stated: "The bad behaviour of other hotel guests with the sunbeds can really have a negative impact on others' holidays. It's a five star hotel, so what they booked was a luxurious and quite expensive stay."
Unfortunately for holidaymakers, 'sunbed wars' have become part and parcel of holidays across Europe in recent years, with countless videos surfacing of people frantically rushing to place their towels down on sunbeds and unofficially 'reserve' them for the day. For example, holidaymakers were spotted using a sneaky tactic which others dubbed as "pathetic", before the pool staff had even laid out the loungers.
Tensions are caused when people do this but don't return for sometimes hours at a time, meaning the sunbeds are empty but other holidaymakers can't use them.
As a result, hotels have been trying to put in strict rules to try and mitigate the chaos. One couple was recently left furious after leaving their sunbeds and coming back to find a stern note from staff warning them that their belongings could be removed if left unattended for too long.
Meanwhile in Spain, there have been a number of measures introduced to stop the practice on beaches including hefty fines for rule-breakers. In popular spots such as Barcelona and Costa Blanca, beachgoers can be fined €250 for reserving sunbeds, following numerous complaints about sunbeds being reserved for hours with no one in sight.
Police have the power to remove unattended sunbeds or towels on the beach before 9.30am, with people's belongings being placed in a municipal depot. Rule-breakers will then have to head to the depot to get their stuff back, and pay the £210 fine in the process. The rules aren't just for tourists who lay out a towel; anyone who leaves their spot unattended for over three hours will also be subject to the same regulations.
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