Ultimately it's up to the hotels to enforce a sensible policy. I don;t mind people leaving towels for lunch/coffee breaks but it drives me nuts when they reserve from before breakfast & don't appear until after lunch....so selfish

I was very pleased during a recent stay in the Riu Seabank Hotel in Malta that they had signs up disallowing sunbed reservation: the 1st hotel I've stayed in that has done this.

We have only been abroad a few times and we enjoy being around the pool. I will (quite sadly) set the alarm to get up early to get the sunbeds and parasol. We all go for breakfast early and then we are out on the beds soon after for most of the day.

I hate getting up early on holiday though, but to get a bed in a good spot we have adapted the attitude of 'can't beat them join them'. I would really hate getting up early to be out and about around the pool to find all the beds 'claimed' with a towel by others who don't appear until after lunch.

I personally wouldn't dare to move others belongings from beds though even if I knew the owners were down the beach or still in bed! I couldn't chance the confrontation, dirty looks or tuts from others for the rest of my holiday, it would ruin it for me.

If we know we are going to the beach for most of the day then we don't even bother claiming a spot by the pool.

I must admit to getting up early, sitting on balcony and watching a few come down to poolside then I pop of down to reserve our beds.

Like others say 'if you can't beat them, join them'. It is a pain getting up early (7.30ish). Last year me and my husband took it in turns.

Usually go back upstairs, get DH & DD and go for breakfast then straight of to the pool.

The hotel we stay at has fixed umbrella's. My husband has had skin cancer so we need an umbrella, as he can no longer sit in the sun, wear's a t-shirt constantly and sits under his brolly if not in the pool.

So for us it's not such the need for get the best spot, just a bed with a brolly.