Ah, vacation. You sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head to the pool — only to not find an available lounge chair in sight. But there are only a few people splashing and sunning, so this shortage isn’t because of crowding. No, this is because all of the available loungers have been “reserved” by other guests, who rushed out early in the morning to mark their territory with towels and other accoutrements — guests who may not show up for hours, if at all. It’s called “pool chair-hogging,” and some hotels and cruise ships are finally beginning to crack down on the towel wars. Here’s what travelers need to know.

The Rise of Pool Chair-Hogging

While many resort pools have signs informing guests that belongings used to “hold” sun loungers will be removed after a set period of time (usually 30 minutes to an hour), few have actually empowered their employees to enforce the rule. But a recent court decision may give hoteliers a financial incentive. 

A German tourist was recently awarded more than 900 euros (about $1,100 USD) when his family was left lounger-less on vacation in Kos, Greece. In the suit, the vacationer claimed that the tour operator and the resort failed to crack down on lounge chair hoggers, depriving the family of four of sunbeds during their stay.

Why do people make dawn raids to reserve a chair they won’t use until afternoon anyway? Clinical psychologist Augusto Blanco attributes this behavior to anxiety and entitlement. “Some people have a scarcity mindset that makes them anxious about finding available space, and they decide to hog chairs or sunbeds even if they won’t use them for hours on end,” he told us. “Another reason is entitlement, really. ‘I’ve paid for this, therefore I want the best spots available’ is something that can cross the mind of some guests.”

Author Julie Blouin agrees: “Reserving a pool chair isn’t really about the chair. It’s about the perceived fear of scarcity. When people believe resources are limited, they often prioritize certainty over courtesy, even if it comes at the expense of others. The towel isn’t claiming the chair. The person is trying to claim peace of mind. When we fear missing out, we often seek control in ways that unintentionally create frustration for everyone else.”

Regardless of rationale, most travelers can probably agree that the behavior is rude. Jo Hayes, founder of EtiquetteExpert.org, implores vacationers to consider the Golden Rule. “Would you like it if someone ‘reserved’ a swag of sunbeds, then left them unoccupied for hours, while fellow vacationers were left sunbed-less?” she said. “That sunbed-less vacationer being you? Then, don’t do this to others.”

What’s the Solution?

Hayes also offered a solution to hotels and resorts seeking to curb this behavior: dividing their sunbeds into two separate sections. “One lot is unreservable — available on a first-in, first-served basis, but only for those actually using the pool area. So you can’t ‘reserve’ with a towel or other belongings, and come back in a few hours, after you’ve taken a long lunch.”

Hayes proposed that “the other 50% can be reserved for, say, two-hour periods. Guests can book for, say, 10 a.m. to noon, and be guaranteed their sunbed will be available to them during that period. But if they fail to show within 15 minutes of their booking, the booking is canceled, and the sunbed is made available to another guest, if all other unreservable sunbeds are taken.”

In the wake of the recent court ruling, some hotels, such as the St. George Beach Hotel & Spa Resort in Creete, Greece, are assigning spots, while others are cracking down on guests who camp out with a few towels and beach bags. For example, at the Gloria Palace San Agustin resort in Spain’s Canary Islands, guests are required to be physically present on lounge chairs by the pool before 10 a.m., or their towel may be removed by staff, according to recent guest reports. 

Cruise lines are also getting in on the action: Carnival Cruise Line has implemented a timed sticker system. If staff observe an unoccupied pool lounger with only a towel or personal belongings, they can place a sticker on the chair with a timestamp. If it’s unoccupied 40 minutes later, the towel or belongings will be removed. 

And as with almost everything else, there’s an app that helps solve this problem: Services like Solay and Reservato allow users to reserve a spot to sunbathe right from their phones at participating properties.

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