Full Breakdown
German Tourist Wins Refund After Sunbed Wars at Greek Resort
5/11/2026, 2:26:58 AM
Sunbed Wars Spark Legal Action
A German family on a 2024 package holiday to the Grecotel Kos Imperial resort in Greece could not secure any pool loungers because other guests routinely marked them with towels. After repeatedly waking at 6 a.m. and spending about 20 minutes each morning searching for a free lounger, the family sued their tour operator, TUI Deutschland. The Hanover District Court ruled the holiday “defective” and awarded a refund of €986.70 (£852.89), far above the €350 (£302) initially offered by the operator.
Background: Sunbed Wars Across European Resorts
The practice of reserving sunbeds with towels—colloquially called “sunbed wars”—has spread across Mediterranean resorts. Similar disputes have been reported in Spain’s Calpe, Cyprus’s Paphos and Protaras, and French coastal camps, where hotels have begun using horn signals or numbered parasols to enforce allocation.
Key Parties
- David Eggert – 48-year-old German pilot and father of two, the plaintiff.
- TUI Deutschland – the tour operator responsible for the package.
- Grecotel Kos Imperial – the resort where the loungers were unavailable.
- Hanover District Court – the German court that issued the ruling.
Court Ruling and Compensation
The court held that, while the tour operator does not run the hotel, it must ensure a “reasonable” ratio of loungers to guests. Judges increased the refund to €986.70, citing the operator’s failure to enforce the resort’s ban on towel reservations. A U.S. outlet reported the payout as $1,200, reflecting a discrepancy in reported amounts.
Data & Statistics
- Resort capacity: ~400 loungers, all reportedly covered with towels each morning.
- Holiday cost: €7,186 (£6,211) for the family of four.
- Compensation: €986.70 (£852.89) after court adjustment.
- Reported “sunbed wars” incidents have prompted hotels in Cyprus to allocate one parasol per two guests and in Spain to impose fines up to €250 for early-morning reservations.
Official Statements & Responses
The court emphasized that travel operators are obligated to provide an organisational structure guaranteeing a reasonable number of loungers per guest. German law defines a “travel defect” when advertised amenities are not delivered, justifying the refund. No direct comment from TUI Deutschland was included in the sources.
Criticism & Opposition
Holidaymakers such as Andrew Mills (Newcastle) and Colin Davison (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) described spending most days away from pools because loungers were already claimed by 6 a.m. Some resorts have responded with strict allocation systems, while others rely on staff to remove unattended towels.
On-the-Ground Reports
- “Spent most days away from the pool” – Andrew Mills.
- “Twice a day they sound a horn and if you’re not at the lounger, all the items are removed to lost property.” – Unnamed holidaymaker, French Mediterranean camp.
- “The parasols are numbered… one per two people, at the beginning of the holiday.” – Ashley Herman (Watford).
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Compensation figures differ: €986.70 (European sources) vs. $1,200 (U.S. source).
- No public statement from TUI Deutschland clarifying its policy changes.
- Limited quantitative data on how widespread towel reservations are across the region.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The people were not actually using the loungers, and the guests went into town or went back to bed and slept.” — David Eggert, German tourist
- “If thousands of holidaymakers start suing travel companies, the costs will run into the millions,” — David Eggert
- “twice a day they sound a horn and if you're not at the lounger, all the items are removed to lost property” — Unnamed holidaymaker, French camp
- “At a hotel in Cyprus, the parasols are numbered. The hotel allocates them, one per two people, at the beginning of the holiday. Each sunbed goes either side of the parasol therefore a family of four gets two parasols and four sun beds. Voila.” — Ashley Herman, Watford holidaymaker
What’s Next
Legal experts warn that the ruling could encourage similar lawsuits, potentially prompting tour operators and resorts to adopt formal sunbed-allocation policies or enforce existing bans more rigorously. Monitoring of future court cases and industry responses will indicate whether “sunbed wars” become a settled issue or persist as a seasonal dispute.
