I think all nationalities are the same - not just us and the Germans!
It is up to the hotels to put a stop to it, you can't say a sunbed is saved unless your bum is on it! I certainly wouldn't let a sunbed go empty for hours if I needed one!

Me either Denny - I will go down for a sunbed when I am ready to stay there for the duration of a few chapters - I think it was historical about the Brits blaming the Germans, and I meant that in a half joking way too not anything untoward

i agree with you totally, the last few years we have noticed people going to put their towels on at silly o clock and yes all english and never resurface till at least lunch time, 1 hotel we stayed at 2 years ago in zante there ended up a big row as some people(english again) put towels on at night time and obviously some who could never get beds decided to dump all the towels in the pool so then the next day there were signs all over the place not to reserve beds, even tho there were 1 or 2 signs in place anyway they got ignored at first

I have been annoyed with the stereotyping of Germans & sunbeds for years, I actually took note for a while after an experience in Cyprus 20 yrs ago!
I stayed in a hotel that had a real mix of nationalities & it was the same routine every morning. Brits & French came out about equal 1st (both really early), then it was a while before anyone else came, but out of 7 mornings the Belgians & Dutch shared 2nd place, the last to arrive every morning were the Germans!
The Brits went straight back to bed, then appeared for breakfast a couple of hours later, then finally went to use the beds they had 'reserved' about 3 hrs earlier. At least the others that reserved beds then went straight into breakfast & were out there within about half an hour. The Germans went for breakfast 1st, then out to get a bed, the way it should be!
I was so fascinated the first morning, that's what made me watch every day, I had a balcony overlooking the pool!
I had actually watched the towel laying by the Brits & French, showered, been for breakfast & gone out several days before there was any sign of the Brits that had laid claim to the best positioned beds. Maybe these sort are the ones that keep the German myth going, to cover their own behaviour, or to use it as an excuse as to why they do it?
It's an inconsiderate & ignorant thing to do no matter what nationality though.

To be honest and I say this having travelled regularly throughout the 70's with my parents.....the trend for grabbing a sunbed mega early was most definitely started by the Germans! Everyone else soon followed suit and as a result it's become a holidaymaker's favourite(?) pastime regardless of nationality

Going back a few years...the hotel we stayed at, this was going on all the time due to a significant lack of sunbeds. On our last morning I was up very early....it was still dark but I could make out towels on 2 sunbeds...as it grew lighter I could see something on the towels...lighter still I chuckled to myself as I realised the local feral cat population were making good use of the added comfort. I chuckled further still when I imagined owners of said towels later that day, eaten alive not by mozzies but by cat fleas!

I think it is something the Brits have learned from the Germans because it always used to be Germans who claimed the sunbeds but now the Brits are just as bad or even worse.

I really think hotels should put up signs saying no sunbed reserving and if people lay towels out and don't use the beds for hours the staff should remove the towels.

I just don't understand why people need to be so selfish. What particularly annoys me is people without chidlren who reserve the beds by the baby pool and then come back hours later and scowl when they get splashed

If everyone was less slefish there would be no probalem getting a sunbed anyway. And really I have better things to be thinking about while I'm on holiday than making sure I get the best spot by the pool for the day.

As an early riser I'll admit to doing a towel run, but I don't leave them empty. I've been known to be reading on the lounger with a coffee at 7am, watching places come to life. It's a lovely part of the day. When we holiday as a group of four, we're all up early and one or other of us will take towels to the pool. We then go straight to breakfast, and return to the sunbeds immediately. I'll leave the towels down when we go for lunch, but if we intend going for a walk or to the beach e.t.c then I'l always remove them. Signs around the pool are a good idea, but in my opinion, the rules are only enforced after someone complains. In Lassi last year, the pool man went round every morning, and if there were any empty towels left before 9am then they were put on a trolley at the side of the pool. Unfortunately people still didn't take any notice

Im just back from 10 days in a 98% English hotel. The towel run started as early as 7am some mornings with many bottoms not on the beds until at least 1pm Not only were they reserving beds for themselves, they were putting towels down for the kids. Now I have a 7 year old myself but never did she have a bed of her own. Whats the point when she spends most of the time in the pool The big problem was that there were not enough beds/parasols to go around so it was completely selfish reserving an extra 3 beds for kids that dont use them - just my opinion you understand. I only got up early on 2 occasions to reserve beds but on both occasions I remained with my little patch enjoying the peace until hubby and daughter joined me an hour later. One morning there were beds reserved around me - 3 beds with towels on, they didnt come down until 12 midday and also a group of 6 who didnt come down until 3pm . We usually came down around 9am and if no beds (hmm 9 out of 10 times I would say) then we headed to the beach instead.

One night whilst enjoying the entertainment, we noticed that over half of the beds were already reserved for the next day An announcement was made that if the reserving of beds didnt improve then they would be locked up until 9am and each person would be issued with one (which meant that everyone wanting a bed had to collect it themselves not hubby getting 2). It improved for a couple of days, but it still happened and slowly the time got earlier and earlier again. There were signs but they didnt make any difference.

If we're intending staying around the pool for the day I'm down on the lounger by around 8.30-9am enjoying the best part of the day. When we're ready for breakfast we leave our belongings on the beds (save us carting them about with us) for about 30-45 mins and then we return until lunch time when we'll leave again for just under an hour but will then be back for the rest of the day.

I don't see anything wrong with people leaving their towels on the loungers for a short meal break but I do object to towels being on the beds before 9 and then nobody showing up until 11am or even later. That's just selfish.

gulity as charged do it every year, mum and sister go back up to room after brekkie, then I head to the terrace to grab us 3 beds, and I wait for them to come down..we normally go out for lunch so leave our towels we normally are back within the hour then stay there till 4ish depending if we are not goin the beach to sunbathe..

Kazza can I ask then if part of the group go back to the room and then some of you if not all go out later again leaving the beds with towels on, why do you need them?

We are normally up around the 9am mark, if the pool isn't too far away hubby will take a couple of towels down while I'm packing up the bag for the day. We will then go for a quick brekkie before settling on the lounger until lunchtime. Another quick break for lunch then we will be back on the lounger until around 5ish. If we had plans after lunch then we would pack up our towels to ensure somebody else could use them.

its tough isnt it- because if everyone is doing it and you dont join in then you end up with the one bed in the shade next to the loo. Now if there was an icon with a little red shameful face I would be using it here because I will admit that we have in the past adopted a if you can't beat 'em join 'em attitude. I HATE myself for it though

I prefer the beach but if I want a sun bed and there are none I wait until about 9.30am-10am after we have had breakfast then just remove the towels.
When we stayed at the Aqua hotel in 1993 a friend from work was staying at the same time and they got up at 5.30am to put their towels out. We just went to the beach as their was even a sun bed reserved every morning for a DOG.
It was a spoilt white poodle owned by a lady who would not give the sun bed up as she insisted her dog have a bed to itself!

Jay Trip - has anyone ever arrived and made a fuss because you'd moved the towels?

Hi Helen,Never!
I always ask at reception when I arrive at the hotel if it is OK to remove the towels from sunbeds that are not being used at around 10am.They have always said yes so if I anyone accuses me of stealing their bed I would just tell them that reception said it was OK to remove them.
I started to do this when necessary after a holiday in Elounda,Crete,when a couple put towels down and returned at 4pm!
I had removed the towels at lunch time when it was obvious that no one was using them.
When they returned they didnt even come to collect the towels which were neatly folded on a nearby chair,they probably sneaked out when we had gone back to our room.
We went to Side in March 2006 and the second week they put beds on the beach but just a few parasols.
One couple had 3 and were using 2 as a windbreak so I just went to them and said as they had 2 they wouldnt mind if I took one,the look on their faces was priceless
No one on here needs to worry that I will be removing their towels as I prefer the beach but just spend the odd morning at the poolside.

we are always up for 8 ish on holiday anyway, so usually dump the stuff on the sunbeds, have breakfast and return after say 20mins. The bed is then "reserved" with my bum so to speak! I also have never put beds out for the kids as they don't use them, but loads of families do, meaning others go without.

I don't think it's fair to remove towels if it was just that you presume the bed was unused - unless you know no-one has been around for a little while, how do you know they haven't just nipped in for breakfast, or the loo etc? People often join in with the activities so might just be playing archery / pool, swimming or whatever for 30 mins. Why should they be penalised when they got up early and will spend the day around the pool?
Unless you know the beds are reserved but long-time unused I wouldn't touch other peoples things, and if bags are there thats a def no no. To me thats a sign they are around somewhere.

I was in the pool once in view of my sunbed, mid afternoon, when a european couple breezed up, dumped all our stuff from our beds on the floor - towels, bags books drinks etc on the floor and plonked their butts!!! needless to say they were not there long I think this was their new solution to avoid getting up early and reserving - turn up when you like and sit in the best spot anyway!

I never use beds for my children, they just share with us if they want to sit down, which is never for very long anyway.

I'm sure Jay Trip hasn't just gone round removing towels after 10 minutes, she said that if people hadn't used then for a long time she would move them and I think that is perfectly fair. If people have left their bag then they probably haven't gone far. It is the lone towels on the bed for hours and hours that is selfish. I don't have a problem with people claiming a space then having breakfast or lunch but to reserve a sunbed with just a towel on and go out for half the day is just not fair.

thought I should just clear this up before anyone misunderstands me.... my post was not directed at jay trip personally in any way and I'm also sure they are not removing them after 10 mins.
Jay said:

"I had removed the towels at lunch time when it was obvious that no one was using them" Therefore I know they wouldn't do it after ten mins

It is just my general thoughts/rantings/experience on the topic as a whole.