German tourist awarded compensation after sunbed chaos on Kos

The court in Hanover ruled that the package holiday was “defective” because hotel guests regularly reserved sun loungers with towels, something which, according to the family, made them practically unusable. This is reported by BBC.

The man, who travelled with his wife and two children during 2024, said that the family got up as early as 06:00 every morning but still had difficulty finding free sun loungers. On several occasions, the children reportedly had to lie directly on the ground.

The family had paid just over 7,100 euros for the package holiday. The tour operator initially offered compensation of 350 euros, but the court ruled that the family should instead receive almost 1,000 euros in compensation.

According to the court, the tour operator had a responsibility to ensure a “reasonable” availability of sun loungers in relation to the number of guests, even if the company did not operate the hotel itself.

The phenomenon of so-called “sun lounger wars” has become increasingly noticeable at European holiday resorts. In recent years, videos have spread on social media showing tourists running to pool areas early in the morning to reserve places with towels.

Several tour operators are now trying to find solutions. Thomas Cook is, for example, offering guests the option of pre-booking sun loungers for an additional fee.

In some parts of Spain, local authorities have meanwhile begun threatening tourists with fines if they reserve sun loungers and then leave the area for longer periods.