The sun lounger wars could soon come to an end thanks to a precedent established by a German court ruling. A judge has ruled a family that was unable to use a sun lounger while on holiday at a resort in Rhodes, Greece, last year could receive a payout after their accommodation failed to uphold their policy.
Tour operator TUI had created a policy for its Atlantica Mikri Poli resort that meant tourists were able to reserve a lounger for 30 minutes after placing their towels on the furniture.
But the family, which had spent £4,532 on the summer getaway, argued they had failed to uphold their in-house rule at their six pools and 500 loungers.
In return, they were awarded £278 in compensation, and their case could pave the way for other holidaymakers to receive the same treatment.
The Daily Mail reports that a representative of the family won the landmark case at Hanover District Court in northern Germany last year but it is not yet legally binding, and TUI is yet to comment on the case.
The £278 in the balance represents the portion of their holiday of which they were deprived and could set a precedent for future sun lounger challenges.
British holidaymakers will be among those hoping to gain compensation for their lost lounger spots.
Families have spoken out about their difficulties finding sun loungers while on holiday in recent years, with some battles ending in tears.
The loungers have been known to attract lengthy queues, with videos and photos showing lines of people lining up to gain their place before poolsides open in the morning.
In August 2023, mum-of-one Cayleigh Tuffs described her family’s “horrendous” experience finding a space at a popular Benidorm resort.
Ms Tuffs, 37, said she watched holidaymakers at the Magic Aqua Rock Gardens in Alicante swarm “like ants” to the chairs early in the morning.
She and her husband Andrew, 37, had spent £2,000 on a Jet2 holiday to Spain with their eight-year-old daughter Charley in 2022.
But the IT manager told The Sun they were never able to recline next to the pool because desperate families would “throw towels across the pool” to reserve a space.
She said the experience left her in tears and vowed she would “never come with my family again because of how chaotic it is”.
