How hotels are stopping the 'dawn dash' for sunbeds after man wins payout

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. How hotels are stopping the 'dawn dash' for sunbeds after man wins payout26 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleEwan SomervilleGetty ImagesPeople reserving sunbeds with towels is a practice at many resorts (file image)Holidaymakers have told the about ways some hotels and resorts are cracking down on people reserving sun loungers with towels, after a man won a payout over the practice. Last week, a man sued his tour operator for allowing the practice to take place while he was on holiday with his family in 2024, claiming he spent 20 minutes a day trying to find a sun lounger despite getting up at 06:00 every morning in his quest for a few rays. Judges at a district court in Hanover granted his family a €900 (£850) refund this week.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said the ruling acts as a "warning" to other tour operators and hotels that allow what is sometimes known as a "dawn dash". Some hotels are enforcing sunbed allocation rules from check-in to deal with what has been called "sunbed wars". 'Very important ruling'The man had initially paid €7,186 (£6,211) to take his wife and their two children on the package holiday to Kos, an island in Greece.

The Details

In his arguments to court, he said his tour operator had failed to enforce the resort's ban on towel reservations. He said loungers were unavailable even at 6am, and his children were forced to lie on the floor. Though the tour operator had initially given him a refund of €350 (£302), judges in Hanover ruled the family was entitled to a refund of €986.

The judges acknowledged the travel company did not run the hotel and could not ensure every customer could access a sunbed at any given time. But they said the operator did have an obligation to ensure there was an organisational structure to guarantee a "reasonable" ratio of sunbeds to guests. The man, who the Daily Mail identified as David Eggert, a 48-year-old father of two and pilot from Dusseldorf, said in an interview on Sunday: "It was a big hotel, very fancy, with about 400 loungers.

"And all 400 loungers had towels on them. "The people were not actually using the loungers, and the guests went into town or went back to bed and slept. "He said he believes it is a "very, very important ruling".

What Experts Say

"When the holiday season starts in June and July and people face the same problem, they will say: 'Look, somebody sued a tour operator over this. I'll do the same'," he said. "If thousands of holidaymakers start suing travel companies, the costs will run into the millions," he added.

Since the ruling went public earlier this week, other holidaymakers have told the they have encountered similar issues. How some hotels are tackling itAndrew Mills, from Newcastle, said he "spent most days away from the pool" on holiday in Zante last year because sunbeds "were all reserved with towels by 6am".

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.