Holiday warning for Brits as poolside mistakes can leave you paying hefty fees
There's nothing quite like cooling off in the pool after basking in the sunshine while on holiday. However, Brits are being warned to stay vigilant if they step away from their sunlounger, or they could risk some hefty fees.
A travel insurance expert has warned that there are some easy mistakes we all make that quickly invalidate your travel insurance, meaning that if things do go wrong it's likely your claim will be rejected.
One of those is stepping away from your bag, even if you can see it from the pool and feel like your surroundings are fairly secure.
"Stepping away from your bag for even a few minutes can invalidate your claim," warns Niraj Mamtora, Director at Forum Insurance. "People think a quick dip or a trip to the bar is harmless, but from an insurance perspective, you've left those items unguarded. That's classed as negligence. Most policies will state clearly that unattended belongings in public areas are not covered, regardless of how short the time or how secure you felt."
It's not just about insurance either. Hotels are increasingly cracking down on people who leave their belongings unattended for a few hours, in a bid to fight back against sunbed wars. This has included introducing time limits on how long staff will leave an unattended lounger before picking up the belongings and taking them to reception, where holidaymakers can retrieve them.
'Sunbed wars' see people frantically rushing in the early hours of the morning to leave their towels on sunbeds to claim these for the day. However, tensions rise when people do this but don't return for hours at a time, leaving others unable to enjoy the pool despite there being empty beds.
Just recently, holidaymakers were spotted using a sneaky tactic before the pool staff had even laid out the loungers, with other tourists slamming the "pathetic" behaviour. Meanwhile, one British couple was recently livid when they returned to a stern warning from hotel staff after they'd left their loungers for half an hour, claiming that other holidaymakers had been away from their sunbeds for longer but not received any backlash.
If you are going to step away from your sun lounger, you may want to leave your valuables back in your room - but even then, Niraj warns that you'll want to make sure they're in the safe.
"Valuables not stored in a locked safe are rarely covered," explains the insurance expert. "If you leave your passport, jewellery, or expensive tech out on the bedside table or tucked into a suitcase, and they're taken, your insurer may argue you failed to secure them properly.
"The policy wording often requires that high-value items be locked in a hotel safe when not in use. It's a small effort that makes a big difference to whether you're covered."
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