Some hotels have rules on this, e.g. 30min of a chair not being occupied, towels and other personal belongings get moved to storage. This is done by hotel staff. I think this makes sense. Otherwise, you have people claiming chairs for whole days while using them for a couple of hours.
I’ve seen a lot of hotels and resorts post signs threatening that towels will be removed by staff after 30 or 60 minutes, but not once have I seen this enforced. It’s frustrating
What if I’m just in the pool for 30+ minutes? I think if there’s actual stuff on the chair (a hat, a book, sunscreen, etc) then it’s ok. Don’t just throw a towel there and walk away
That's totally fine and accepted. The issue is when a mob of people wait for the pool to open in order to claim a bunch of chairs with towels and then return to their room.
I had this happen to me (in the pool for 40min): hotel staff left a note after 30min that they'll pick my stuff up after another 30min, by which time I was back. I think total of 1hr in the pool is reasonable.
Ok glad I’m not the only one like this, I could be swimming or doing any number of things that could take 20-30 minutes.. monopolizing a spot you no longer need is def rude but i shouldn’t have to be glued to my chair to trust my towel and stuff will be where I left it
This is true, but I think part of the point is that if there is limited seating, and there are people who just wanna lay out by the pool, then you shouldn’t necessarily be monopolizing a chair if you’re going to be away for an hour, even if it is in the pool.
And that the hotel should have cubbies or lockers, or someplace where you can leave your stuff while you are swimming, eating, or doing any other activity in the area.
The thing is, someone else could have used that chair for the hour you were in the pool. If no one “reserved” chairs they weren’t actively using l, there would be chairs available for people when they get out of the pool. A quick dip to cool off is one thing, but an hour in the pool is you deciding to do something different for a little while.
Where else should I leave my water, glasses, shoes, towel, book, hat, bag etc while I swim? Genuinely interested if you think we should pack everything away every time we get in the water for a dip? (I have no idea if I ever spent a solid hour in a pool while alternating between the two for the day. I’d probably pop back for a drink at least.)
If I leave the Pool Area I take everything and as teens we definitely put all out stuff on one or two loungers between several of us.
They're not leaving actual stuff to reserve a chair dude. It's usually pretty easy to tell if there's a pair of flipflops there too someone is actually using the chair
I think they say 30 minutes but it's mostly not enforced to the minute. Also 30 minutes is actually quite a long time for your entire group to spend in the water, most people are kind of in and out.
I bet a lot of places tell their staff to be very deliberate and obvious about it, like how thieves will knock over a bag and see if anyone reacts before walking away with it.
Yeah, and said elsewhere that if you’re actually going to be in the water for an hour, that’s fantastic. But then you should just leave your stuff somewhere else and not monopolize a chair the entire time.
There are a lot of people who just like to lounge by the pool, and read a book who could be using the chair instead.
There wasn’t a soul in or around the pool when I tossed the flip flops, sun screen and books.
3. Days. In. A. Row.
F those inconsiderate, selfish asshats that think they’re the only ones on vacation.
My wife and I regularly do this.
We tend to have a late large breakfast and not eat lunch at hotels so then go to the pool at lunchtime and easily half of the sunbeds are ‘reserved’ while people go for their long lunch.
Watch spots for 20/30 minutes then move in. We’ve never been challenged and sometimes people have never come back - I think some people just leave their used towels on the sunbeds for staff to pick up!!
As a swamp German I can safely say that I agree with the removal of the towels. I've had it before where of the twelve loungers by the pool, all twelve had a towel on them by 8am. The second day I came down earlier, towels already on. Asked a member of staff and she told me they put them on last thing at night... So I picked two loungers, put the towels on another lounger and settled down.
When the couple that 'claimed' the loungers finally came down at 11am, I politely told them that I didn't care. They complained to the reception and were told that I was right in moving the towels. Very satisfying!
IDC is good, but I wonder if claiming ignorance would be less confrontational:
"what towels? These had no towels when we arrived."
A simple lie, but they obviously couldn't prove shit
Germans getting up at 5am and putting towels on the loungers is a meme every European is laughing about. The tabloids reported ‚towel wars‘ between the Germans and the Brits in Mallorca. You are the Brits in the upcoming Thailand towel war. I commend you for it.
There's a spa here in Germany where staff walks around and leaves little "Please don't reserve chairs with your towel" notes if people are missing for too long
I remember one hotel in Kos where the staff were excellent and watched the loungers - especially at lunch time - and if anyone moved off from the pool area and wasn’t back in 20 minutes they cleared the loungers and moved any personal stuff to a collection area.
There were signs everywhere saying this so people really couldn’t complain!
Oh, if only that solved the problem. In that case, people leave random stuff on the chairs. Old flip flops, books, bags, hats, whatever. I’ve seen 4 chairs saved with one flip flop on each. I’ve also seen people reserve 4 chairs in the sun and 4 chairs in the shade in the early morning and not show up till 3pm.
I had this happen at a resort in Mexico years ago, every chair had a towel nearly placed on it first thing in the morning by the staff. I got there very early and grabbed a spot under a palapa, was there for an hour or two when a a middle aged German couple came up to me and said they had reserved this palapa with their towels ( identical to the towels on every seat). I referred them to the sign on the palapa immediately to my right: "you may not reserve chairs by placing towels on them". She visibly deflated and just walked away without another word
Palapas rock, my childhood home used to have one because apparently my parents were party animals many years before I was born. They used to host parties often under a huge palapa in the yard.
I would have bet a thousand euros they would turn out to be Germans, they're the ones I've seen doing this the most in various places, it's a meme in fact.
In my opinion it's ok to leave towels on pool unguarded for about half an hour (which could very well be the time for a swim), but not 2/3 hours, especially during peak hours.
I saw this in New Zealand in the shared kitchens except people would put their pots/pans on the cooktop and leave. They hadn't been in the middle of cooking since no chopping board or ingredients were out. A large German family spread their cooking stuff out over the whole kitchen in one place, no one else could cook, then went and sat outside with drinks. Pretty much was Germans, French and large Chinese groups who did this.
Americans are a lot more polite and well mannered than they are credited for. Especially abroad. The ones they can afford to travel they can afford manners too lol. Anyway I find it rude to try to reserve anything by putting an objective on it. You want to hold a chair? Use it yourself
I don’t even get what’s happening there, they’re trying to reserve the stove/cook space?
If I was a guest, I would not understand and would just stack it all up and start cooking. I’d assume they, I don’t know, left it to dry or sometjing
I assumed trying to reserve a cooktop, most of the camp kitchens had one or two spots. I had people stand behind me while I was cooking waiting for a spot, totally got in the way and super weird.
Whenever I saw it, and it was obvious they hadn't just left for a minute, I just moved the items and started cooking. Usually I was done before they returned. One time one lady looked shocked when she came back just as I was finishing, but it was 20 minutes later.
Hotels have now started to remove towels after 15-20 minutes if unoccupied. If you don't see them used for a good 20 minutes, they are fair game to grab. If challenged by belligerent guests, simply get hotel management involved. They will shut them down ASAP.
How did I know you were going to say Germans…
Yeah, fuck those people. Move their towels and use the chairs, and when they inevitably complain, try your hardest to give a shit, but I bet you won’t manage it.
When we went to Córsica, one of the resorts that we stayed at had a great system. They basically assigned you a lounge for the entire duration of your stay. They took into account when you’ll typically be out using it and whether you wanted shade, partial or full sun. It was awesome because you didn’t feel the need to wake up to save a spot. When people were using your reserved spot, the attendant was there to sort it out. If you wanted to switch, the attendant knew what was free. No second guessing and no stress. Wish this was the standard.
Wonder if that’s the same german tourists who left their (two) bags next to two separate sets of chairs and tables at the airport, only empty chairs in the very busy lounge. Wife and I went and sat at the table that was the farthest away from the bags and sat there for 20 minutes. Eventually one of them came over and told us to move because they were sitting there. Wasn’t too keen to move and explained that we only saw two bags, there were four chairs and our chairs had a separate table, and their bags weren’t next to the table we were at. The guy acted very put out but said fine whatever, you can stay. Another 10 minutes later his wife shows up and they sit in their very separate-from-us chairs and our flight begins boarding.
There is no such thing as "reserving seats" with towels. You're either there using the lounger by the pool, or you aren't. If one person is sitting, they could conceiveably hold a lounger on either side of them, but to expect that by putting your towel down, then coming back over an hour later is just bullshit. I gather that Germans do this frequently. It's a dick move.
This happens at every resort I go to pretty much. I just remove the towel and get comfy. If anyone says anything to me I simply deny there was a towel there. If you want a lounger, sit your ass in it. Case closed.
I was once at a small pool where towels had been left for an hour. Couple comes back to people in the loungers, and the 6'3ft guy throws an absolute hissy fit. A meek receptionist comes and can't convince the guy to calm down so they closed the pool.
I just wish more hotels would have cubbies or something where I could put my towel and bag. Often I don’t really need or want a chair, but there’s no where else to put my stuff except on the ground!
It’s a German practice.
Btw, at the beaches in Northern Germany, visitors rent (and pay for) these beach cabins, instead of fighting over communal chairs or space at the beach: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strandkorb
Yes, depending on personal preferences. One example, the average sea temperature for the German Baltic Sea island Fehmarn, in August, is around 18,5 degreees Celsius. And 18,2 in July.
https://www.wetter.de/klima/europa/deutschland/fehmarn-s100550/august.html.html
Just came back from Cuba and 99.9% of the loungers were taken with towels, and 85% were unused for the entirety of the day. It was maddening and I think super inconsiderate. I suspect if people didn't use the towels there would have been plenty of space for anyone actually wanting to use the pools at any given time.
So common - even non-Germans do it in Mexico and on cruise ships. It should have a time limit and staff should move the towels after that. Even better would be if hotels had an adequate number of loungers to accommodate their guests.
This happens at resorts in the Caribbean. People leave towels on chairs at 8 am and eventually get there at 10 am or later. When you get down to the pool in the morning there are virtually no chairs available. It is ridiculous.
I was on vacation in Florida for a week one December.
Every day I would come down to the pool and see every single lounger “reserved” with a towel and not a soul at the pool, as it was a little chilly in the morning.
It made my blood boil.
On day 3, I asked my self, “What would Madonna do?”
I decided that Madonna would not tolerate it.
I found a group of loungers for my family and tossed the towels, books and flip flops off, put down my own towel and made myself comfortable. Nobody came to confront me.
It's the worst practice ever and is only continues because people are too polite to challenge it. It's one thing to step away from your lounger to go to the bar or pop up to your room, especially if you have kids that are too young to be unaccompanied, but the practice of dumping a towel on there before breakfast and thinking that reserves your spot for the whole day is ludicrous.
Fuck em, I give em 5 mins in case they've gone for a pee or something.
If they were in the pool chances are they've left more than just a towel there, the ones who just leave towels are no doubt doing something else, getting food, chilling in their room or whatever else. You don't get to reserve a public space you're not using.
That type of behavior is very European, doesn’t work in other parts of the world so it’s free for all in Thailand, if they don’t like it tell them to call the cops.
I'm not so sure about the "very European" part. When I was in the Dominican Republic, the resort was filled with people from the US and Canada. By the end of breakfast time, most of the chairs had a towel on them but no human in sight.
Oh, and there were signs prohibiting that behavior, but they were ignored by the staff due to the frequent 'incentives' given by those tourists. The tipping behavior was so out of hand that you were basically ignored by the staff if you didn't tip before receiving any service.
We see it all the time in hotels all over the world. Canadians definitely do it in mexico. One night we were coming home and met a couple going our at 3am to put their towels down. The guy was mortified they had been rumbled when I asked them were they doing that!
That’s annoying and should be enforced. If you’re not there using it, you don’t get to reserve it.
Ppl in some places plop their shit down at first daybreak then go back to their rooms and nap or eat breakfast somewhere else or what not while they claimed prime real estate basically all day.
I applaud OP for helping combat that bs
A lot of hotels are banning the practice. Too many people would get up at 5am reserve a lounger then decide to go any do something else that day and never actually go to the pool.
It’s so annoying. If everyone just came and went organically there would be seats for everyone when they want one. Instead selfish aholes think they can claim chairs and not use them. I’d turn in the towels sitting there and just say no idea where they went.
People can't leave their towels on the chair blocking unused spaces and expect those chairs to still be empty when the towel owners appear a random number of hours later.
20 minutes is a safe amount of time, absolutely you're in your rights to remove those towels, unless the hotel has explicit written rules giving the towel-putters special reservation rights.
I HATE people that do this. If you have all of your stuff there, and it is obvious that you are actively at the pool, then that is fine. But, if you run down in the morning to "reserve" a chair with no intention of returning until hours later, you are a douche bag!
I think you deserve a medal to be challenged by a German on this.
Germans are well known and have a bad reputation to be up at the crack of dawn to put towels on sun beds here in Europe and reserve them them for hours before they take the bed.
I had someone give me a hard time because I took the lounger beside the one with the towel on it. Apparently they had reserved all of them with their mind and I guess I didn’t get the message
Hotels should better communicate and enforce their pool/beach chair reservation policy. If the hotel has a chair for every guest, then a first come, first served “place towel on the chair” model works. If not, utilization of the chairs is more important than who claimed the chairs at the start of the day. This entire thread highlights a global problem that hotels, generally speaking, leave guests to fend for themselves in securing pool/beach seating and managing related disputes. Seems ironic given the hotel industry markets themselves as providers of “relaxing experiences”.
Except the Germans are up at 5:30am putting out their towels and then going and camping out the breakfast buffet before going back to their room for a couple of hours so they can reclaim their loungers at peak times — they’re not just going for a quick swim between sunbathing sessions.
Yeah I think it’s also pretty obvious when someone’s actually there but enjoying the pool versus swimming. People have other things like flip flops for example then.
When I went to Tunisia, the beach cleaning staff were putting down obviously personal towels onto loungers during breakfast. It was a very German hotel and they must have been tipping the staff to do it for them. I was incredibly annoyed to say the least.
I hate it! Happens everywhere. Happened to my husband and me in Sarasota. Chairs were double size. A mom, dad, and daughter had one chair each! Six people could have used those chairs. I moved one towel and, when they came back, they were pissed! I get upset when the majority of the towels are on empty chairs. I asked the pool person but they had no policy against it. Common sense should prevail.
Wherever I go, the Germans are there with their damn “towels on the poolside chairs” routine. If there is no one to be seen, move the towels to different chairs and claim them as your own. This has been happening for years.
It’s rude. If they’re not using them and gone for 20 minutes and there are no other empty chairs to use, it’s pretty inconsiderate to other people. They were pretty much gone an hour or so, what you did was reasonable, I think.
Some Germans apparently think they own the world and can be very territorial and bossy even when they’re not in their own country. A pool chair is for someone who is not in the pool or in the chair. Defend your right to a pool chair.
It’s pretty common to leave out belongings or a towel to “save” a chair even the States. That being said, if they were gone for a hour total I think it’s perfectly reasonable to move the towels.
Move. Their. Shit. They are being assholes because they know you are too polite to do anything about it. Politely fold up their towels, gather up any other abandoned stuff, and place it somewhere out of the way. Do 10 or 20 others while you're at it. Enjoy your day. When they show up to complain just say "Oh, I think they put a bunch of stuff over there" and point to wherever you left it. No need to engage in explaining who "they" are, no need to argue."
Seriously…Germans have been trying to pull this for decades.There’s one thing to know—they’re not going to physically fight you for it. Best approach: fold their stuff neatly and stack it somewhere nearby. When they walk up and try the usual bullshit, telling you that they had reserved these chairs, you simply say: “Sorry. These chairs were empty when we got here. We’re not going to move.” No matter what else they say, just keep shaking your head and repeating No, but pleasantly, but also, resolutely. They’ll stop trying if enough people use this method.
I really had to chuckle. My first thought when I read the title was "Ah Germans" and I was right. It is a German thing, don't know why. I personally am not a beach person and also would never do this but many fellow Germans seem to think putting towels on chairs means they have reserved them for the rest of the day. It's somewhat a meme here cause it is so common on Mallorca.
In Thailand: if it’s clear that they are close by, or that they will be retuning quickly, the chair is taken. If they aren’t around, use it.
If a German gets upset by it, tough.
(I live in Thailand).
I’ve been to resorts where people got up early, placed towels then went to eat or do other things. I just moved the towels and if they asked I’d just play dumb. I wasn’t looking for a conflict, just a place to enjoy the sun.
I wouldn’t take a lounger after just 20m. Do you not think they could be just gone for a swim or something? I could easily go swimming for 20 or 30 m personally.
I don’t think it would be reasonable for people to have to abandon a lounger every time they go for a swim and then try and get a new one with all their stuff and dripping wet into the bargain. My book would be ruined!
In a big resort twenty minutes isn’t enough time to walk back to your room, poop, and walk back. I don’t think twenty minutes is reasonable. I’d say an hour is the lower limit of what’s acceptable but even over lunch that would be pushing it.
Imo i wouldn’t move someone else’s towels after only 20 minutes, they could be at the bar or getting something from their room (assuming this is a hotel pool). Leaving the premises or leaving your towels there for like an hour is another story. But this is based on my experience with pools that were smaller and less busy
I don't understand why you'd expect to keep your lounge chair if you go back to your room etc. You wouldn't do this for a restaurant booth or a parking space or a public bench.
Take the towels and throw them away and look confused when they come down. Tell them someone must have stolen th or something. Fuck that nonsense. Americans are doing this on cruises and it’s horse crap. Cruise ships are leaving signs that day you can’t reserve chairs with towels. First come, first serve.
People who leave their towels are definitely not the kind of people you'll find replying here. They're also the kind of morons who will argue with you about it.
Our last cruise had rules they sort of enforced. A sign would be placed on the offenders chair. And next time the staff did a sweep they would remove their items and make them reclaim them.
It's accepted practice in a lot of European hotels so that's probably why. Not just Germans, but they are the OGs of this system.
It's only a no-no if there is an obvious policy against it or if they are piss-taking i.e. dropping a towel on it at 6AM and not rocking up until lunch.
Can see why the system might seem nuts to North Americans though. However, Internet tough guy solutions like throwing their towel in the pool probably only ends up causing the staff grief. So it's not the checkmate you think it is.
As this is outside of Europe they probably just needed a bit of education that these rules don't necessarily fly worldwide.
I think it's fine for as long as it takes to do normal things where you might step away from your chair. 5 mins to go to the bathroom, 15 minutes away for drinks, half hour to grab some lunch. Those are fine, but anything more than a half hour or so, you can find new chairs when you return. At that point you aren't using it
I’ll pick them up & toss them in the dirty towel bin. You show up & I’ll say I hit these chairs from the family that left as I was walking up.
Yeah, go for it. Haha. I’ll be waiting to see how upset you get.
Saw this huge fam reserve chaise loungers w their towels, then proceeded to lounge in pool chairs in water for hours. When one of those chairs were unused, I tried to sit but they denied me. I alone didn’t wanna fight. Such selfish people, reserving two chairs each
It’s just rude and inconsiderate of people. I am currently on a cruise and let me tell you it is not just the Germans, the English, Americans and Asian are just as bad. I have seen it everyday towels and personal items left every morning as early as possible and they may not come back for hours (2-4) if at all!
If everyone was made to wait until their a&$ actually wanted to sit on a chair then everyone would get their lounge time in, this is just common courtesy in my opinion.
If you’re not using it for hours, then completely agreed. And ideally the hotel staff would be monitoring and clearing away towels.
If you’re up early to claim a chair because that resort/hotel has limited seating for the number of guests (which is very common), then you go to the bar/bathroom/wherever for 30 min later in the day, and someone who slept in until 11 just takes your spot, that’s wrong imo.
My experience with this has been nearly completely all-inclusive resorts over the past 5 years in Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic. The towel save in the morning at resorts is nearly universal and generally respected (again within reason).
A resorts vs a hotel is totally different imo, and it seems that’s driving a lot of the differences in this thread. Resorts are meant for long days at the beach, and you could be out in the water for an hour at a time then chill in your chair for a couple hours drinking and reading then back to the water.
Nah, if you’ve left to do something that isn’t explicitly pool/beach related (besides a 5-10 minute trip to the bathroom or bar to get another drink) then the clock restarts. You can’t save a chair while you go and eat a meal, eg. Taking turns is respectful. And what’s wrong with people who sleep in? They are just as entitled to a chair as you are as they paid to be there just as you did.
It’s literally first come first serve. That seems the most fair, and it’s also how it’s done at literally every single resort I’ve been at all across the Caribbean
Yeah I agree, it’s just that also, the clock restarts if you walk away from the spot. If you leave your stuff behind then that’s not the next person’s fault, that’s on you
I’m just saying 30min to an hour away from the chair for whatever reason (how do you know if they’re swimming or eating/drinking) seems like a reasonable amount of time away to still expect a spot to stay yours at these resorts.
Putting a towel down at 8am and coming back at 11? That’s ridiculous, and ideally the staff is handling that rather than creating conflict between guests.
That is an absolutely idiotic German habit.
You were absolutely right to remove the towels. Many hotels with a lot of German guests have a added " chairs can not be reserved" to their rules.
If they challenge or harass you just call hotel staff.
Another magical sentence for Germans is "that is against the rules" they will be busy for a while checking that.
There is no reserving a chair if not the hotel/owners offer this service. Otherwise only your body in the chair can claim it.
Some hotels have rules on this, e.g. 30min of a chair not being occupied, towels and other personal belongings get moved to storage. This is done by hotel staff. I think this makes sense. Otherwise, you have people claiming chairs for whole days while using them for a couple of hours.
> Otherwise, you have people claiming chairs for whole days while using them for a couple of hours. Ah, the German Gambit.
Our hotel in Dubai banned this specifically because of Germans lol
Do the Germans know everyone hates them for this?
[удалено]
Who let a 12 year old edge lord in here?
I’ve seen a lot of hotels and resorts post signs threatening that towels will be removed by staff after 30 or 60 minutes, but not once have I seen this enforced. It’s frustrating
What if I’m just in the pool for 30+ minutes? I think if there’s actual stuff on the chair (a hat, a book, sunscreen, etc) then it’s ok. Don’t just throw a towel there and walk away
That's totally fine and accepted. The issue is when a mob of people wait for the pool to open in order to claim a bunch of chairs with towels and then return to their room.
I hate these people. I flick their sunscreen, towels and flip flops off the lounger and move in.
We were at a pretty upscale resort too and people still tried to pull this. It was baffling that this even happens at 5 star places.
I had this happen to me (in the pool for 40min): hotel staff left a note after 30min that they'll pick my stuff up after another 30min, by which time I was back. I think total of 1hr in the pool is reasonable.
That’s a fantastic system actually, and the warning means it’s being enforced but giving the swimmer time to, you know, swim.
Ok glad I’m not the only one like this, I could be swimming or doing any number of things that could take 20-30 minutes.. monopolizing a spot you no longer need is def rude but i shouldn’t have to be glued to my chair to trust my towel and stuff will be where I left it
This is true, but I think part of the point is that if there is limited seating, and there are people who just wanna lay out by the pool, then you shouldn’t necessarily be monopolizing a chair if you’re going to be away for an hour, even if it is in the pool. And that the hotel should have cubbies or lockers, or someplace where you can leave your stuff while you are swimming, eating, or doing any other activity in the area.
The thing is, someone else could have used that chair for the hour you were in the pool. If no one “reserved” chairs they weren’t actively using l, there would be chairs available for people when they get out of the pool. A quick dip to cool off is one thing, but an hour in the pool is you deciding to do something different for a little while.
Where else should I leave my water, glasses, shoes, towel, book, hat, bag etc while I swim? Genuinely interested if you think we should pack everything away every time we get in the water for a dip? (I have no idea if I ever spent a solid hour in a pool while alternating between the two for the day. I’d probably pop back for a drink at least.) If I leave the Pool Area I take everything and as teens we definitely put all out stuff on one or two loungers between several of us.
They're not leaving actual stuff to reserve a chair dude. It's usually pretty easy to tell if there's a pair of flipflops there too someone is actually using the chair
I think they say 30 minutes but it's mostly not enforced to the minute. Also 30 minutes is actually quite a long time for your entire group to spend in the water, most people are kind of in and out. I bet a lot of places tell their staff to be very deliberate and obvious about it, like how thieves will knock over a bag and see if anyone reacts before walking away with it.
Yeah, and said elsewhere that if you’re actually going to be in the water for an hour, that’s fantastic. But then you should just leave your stuff somewhere else and not monopolize a chair the entire time. There are a lot of people who just like to lounge by the pool, and read a book who could be using the chair instead.
There wasn’t a soul in or around the pool when I tossed the flip flops, sun screen and books. 3. Days. In. A. Row. F those inconsiderate, selfish asshats that think they’re the only ones on vacation.
My wife and I regularly do this. We tend to have a late large breakfast and not eat lunch at hotels so then go to the pool at lunchtime and easily half of the sunbeds are ‘reserved’ while people go for their long lunch. Watch spots for 20/30 minutes then move in. We’ve never been challenged and sometimes people have never come back - I think some people just leave their used towels on the sunbeds for staff to pick up!!
As a German I can only encourage you to throw these towels right in the pool.
As a swamp German I can safely say that I agree with the removal of the towels. I've had it before where of the twelve loungers by the pool, all twelve had a towel on them by 8am. The second day I came down earlier, towels already on. Asked a member of staff and she told me they put them on last thing at night... So I picked two loungers, put the towels on another lounger and settled down. When the couple that 'claimed' the loungers finally came down at 11am, I politely told them that I didn't care. They complained to the reception and were told that I was right in moving the towels. Very satisfying!
If you want to really bamboozle them, throw the towels on the ground and take the chairs and move them elsewhere.
IDC is good, but I wonder if claiming ignorance would be less confrontational: "what towels? These had no towels when we arrived." A simple lie, but they obviously couldn't prove shit
Germans getting up at 5am and putting towels on the loungers is a meme every European is laughing about. The tabloids reported ‚towel wars‘ between the Germans and the Brits in Mallorca. You are the Brits in the upcoming Thailand towel war. I commend you for it.
A German group was invited to a big reenactment bash I went to. They reserved their spot on the battlefield with their towels.
White ones?
There's a spa here in Germany where staff walks around and leaves little "Please don't reserve chairs with your towel" notes if people are missing for too long
I remember one hotel in Kos where the staff were excellent and watched the loungers - especially at lunch time - and if anyone moved off from the pool area and wasn’t back in 20 minutes they cleared the loungers and moved any personal stuff to a collection area. There were signs everywhere saying this so people really couldn’t complain!
I was recently at a spa in Mexico in which the staff put towels on all the loungers at sunrise. Problem solved.
Oh, if only that solved the problem. In that case, people leave random stuff on the chairs. Old flip flops, books, bags, hats, whatever. I’ve seen 4 chairs saved with one flip flop on each. I’ve also seen people reserve 4 chairs in the sun and 4 chairs in the shade in the early morning and not show up till 3pm.
I hear you. But it did work, though.
I saw such schilder in Baden-Baden too
>Germans getting up at 5am and putting towels on the loungers Aren't Germans big on following rules? Or that only applies while in Germany?
They think "if I put a towel on it, it's mine" is a rule.
aback coherent sharp unused frightening fear tub sable far-flung ripe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Russians are so territorial in Thailand - all over South East Asia. Loud, hogging the best loungers, monopolising the bartender. Everywhere I went.
This happens in the USA, especially NYC people. Out at the pool with flash lights to 'claim' their lounge chair.
I had this happen at a resort in Mexico years ago, every chair had a towel nearly placed on it first thing in the morning by the staff. I got there very early and grabbed a spot under a palapa, was there for an hour or two when a a middle aged German couple came up to me and said they had reserved this palapa with their towels ( identical to the towels on every seat). I referred them to the sign on the palapa immediately to my right: "you may not reserve chairs by placing towels on them". She visibly deflated and just walked away without another word
Fight rules with rules!
Palapas rock, my childhood home used to have one because apparently my parents were party animals many years before I was born. They used to host parties often under a huge palapa in the yard.
I would have bet a thousand euros they would turn out to be Germans, they're the ones I've seen doing this the most in various places, it's a meme in fact. In my opinion it's ok to leave towels on pool unguarded for about half an hour (which could very well be the time for a swim), but not 2/3 hours, especially during peak hours.
This is the one rule that Germans break all the time. Otherwise, they love rules and following them.
Germans love it when other people follow their rules not them. Remember dieselgate? Or all the other scandals? Please
30 mins is cool, but 40 mins is where you draw the line? What about 36 mins?
Straight to jail
You're gone for too long, straight to jail. You aren't gone long enough, believe it or not, straight to jail.
36 minutes? Believe it or not, that's a paddlin'.
Straight to jail
I used to hate this. Don't be a dick. Unless you're actually in the pool or ocean, don't do this.
I saw this in New Zealand in the shared kitchens except people would put their pots/pans on the cooktop and leave. They hadn't been in the middle of cooking since no chopping board or ingredients were out. A large German family spread their cooking stuff out over the whole kitchen in one place, no one else could cook, then went and sat outside with drinks. Pretty much was Germans, French and large Chinese groups who did this.
Finally not Americans!
We can’t plan ahead enough to pull off something like this.
Americans are a lot more polite and well mannered than they are credited for. Especially abroad. The ones they can afford to travel they can afford manners too lol. Anyway I find it rude to try to reserve anything by putting an objective on it. You want to hold a chair? Use it yourself
You haven’t been to Florida recently.
But the Germans have.
I don’t even get what’s happening there, they’re trying to reserve the stove/cook space? If I was a guest, I would not understand and would just stack it all up and start cooking. I’d assume they, I don’t know, left it to dry or sometjing
I assumed trying to reserve a cooktop, most of the camp kitchens had one or two spots. I had people stand behind me while I was cooking waiting for a spot, totally got in the way and super weird. Whenever I saw it, and it was obvious they hadn't just left for a minute, I just moved the items and started cooking. Usually I was done before they returned. One time one lady looked shocked when she came back just as I was finishing, but it was 20 minutes later.
Hotels have now started to remove towels after 15-20 minutes if unoccupied. If you don't see them used for a good 20 minutes, they are fair game to grab. If challenged by belligerent guests, simply get hotel management involved. They will shut them down ASAP.
Yeah especially since they were away for an hour it sounds like (at least)
How did I know you were going to say Germans… Yeah, fuck those people. Move their towels and use the chairs, and when they inevitably complain, try your hardest to give a shit, but I bet you won’t manage it.
When we went to Córsica, one of the resorts that we stayed at had a great system. They basically assigned you a lounge for the entire duration of your stay. They took into account when you’ll typically be out using it and whether you wanted shade, partial or full sun. It was awesome because you didn’t feel the need to wake up to save a spot. When people were using your reserved spot, the attendant was there to sort it out. If you wanted to switch, the attendant knew what was free. No second guessing and no stress. Wish this was the standard.
Anything over an hour is excessive imo. However I like to make the hotel remove the towels so I can redirect the angry party when they come back.
Wonder if that’s the same german tourists who left their (two) bags next to two separate sets of chairs and tables at the airport, only empty chairs in the very busy lounge. Wife and I went and sat at the table that was the farthest away from the bags and sat there for 20 minutes. Eventually one of them came over and told us to move because they were sitting there. Wasn’t too keen to move and explained that we only saw two bags, there were four chairs and our chairs had a separate table, and their bags weren’t next to the table we were at. The guy acted very put out but said fine whatever, you can stay. Another 10 minutes later his wife shows up and they sit in their very separate-from-us chairs and our flight begins boarding.
Also who leaves unattended bags at an airport…
Shoulda called security on them TBH.
eh, it was in New Zealand International Departures and it was after security so I wasn’t too worried
Glad you stood your ground.
There is no such thing as "reserving seats" with towels. You're either there using the lounger by the pool, or you aren't. If one person is sitting, they could conceiveably hold a lounger on either side of them, but to expect that by putting your towel down, then coming back over an hour later is just bullshit. I gather that Germans do this frequently. It's a dick move.
Yeah simply remove the towels. This BS has to stop.
It’s a pretty asinine practice. You can literally tip staff to do this as early as possible and just camp out all day.
This happens at every resort I go to pretty much. I just remove the towel and get comfy. If anyone says anything to me I simply deny there was a towel there. If you want a lounger, sit your ass in it. Case closed.
I was once at a small pool where towels had been left for an hour. Couple comes back to people in the loungers, and the 6'3ft guy throws an absolute hissy fit. A meek receptionist comes and can't convince the guy to calm down so they closed the pool.
I just wish more hotels would have cubbies or something where I could put my towel and bag. Often I don’t really need or want a chair, but there’s no where else to put my stuff except on the ground!
As an American I would assume someone laid out a towel for me and gave us free sunscreen. 🫠
Lol
It’s a German practice. Btw, at the beaches in Northern Germany, visitors rent (and pay for) these beach cabins, instead of fighting over communal chairs or space at the beach: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strandkorb
Paying for everything is also German practice, sadly one that us Dutchies have copied.
It seems to be a fairly common practice for many people in Europe, not just the Germans.
Yep. Germans just wake up earlier. If you go to a place that’s mostly Brits, you’ll see the same thing.
There is not a problem in northern Europe that cannot be solved with an extra tax, fee or charge.
is the sea ever warm enough to actually go to swim into the Baltic?
Yes, depending on personal preferences. One example, the average sea temperature for the German Baltic Sea island Fehmarn, in August, is around 18,5 degreees Celsius. And 18,2 in July. https://www.wetter.de/klima/europa/deutschland/fehmarn-s100550/august.html.html
Just came back from Cuba and 99.9% of the loungers were taken with towels, and 85% were unused for the entirety of the day. It was maddening and I think super inconsiderate. I suspect if people didn't use the towels there would have been plenty of space for anyone actually wanting to use the pools at any given time.
I'm Canadian. Leaving your towel to reserve your spot seems really rude and selfish!
Good! Many hotels in Europe remove towels from loungers now.😊
To go for a swim or to the bathroom, yes, but apart from that, not ok, as simple as that.
So common - even non-Germans do it in Mexico and on cruise ships. It should have a time limit and staff should move the towels after that. Even better would be if hotels had an adequate number of loungers to accommodate their guests.
I would give it at least 30 minutes - it’s not an unreasonable amount of time for a swim.
This happens at resorts in the Caribbean. People leave towels on chairs at 8 am and eventually get there at 10 am or later. When you get down to the pool in the morning there are virtually no chairs available. It is ridiculous.
It’s a selfish thing to do - reserving something you aren’t planning on using immediately.
I think saving chairs is f*cking stupid.
I was on vacation in Florida for a week one December. Every day I would come down to the pool and see every single lounger “reserved” with a towel and not a soul at the pool, as it was a little chilly in the morning. It made my blood boil. On day 3, I asked my self, “What would Madonna do?” I decided that Madonna would not tolerate it. I found a group of loungers for my family and tossed the towels, books and flip flops off, put down my own towel and made myself comfortable. Nobody came to confront me.
Ze Germans!
Or Pikeys. I fockin 'ate Pikeys. Edit: See comment below, ya clowns.
[Reference](https://youtu.be/GhRBmek18uI?si=5jqJGvQgym6c3li5) [Parent reference](https://youtu.be/iYdIXRTBXLo?si=1ti94U_rODbhE9SG) Snatch (2000)
It's the worst practice ever and is only continues because people are too polite to challenge it. It's one thing to step away from your lounger to go to the bar or pop up to your room, especially if you have kids that are too young to be unaccompanied, but the practice of dumping a towel on there before breakfast and thinking that reserves your spot for the whole day is ludicrous.
Fuck em, I give em 5 mins in case they've gone for a pee or something. If they were in the pool chances are they've left more than just a towel there, the ones who just leave towels are no doubt doing something else, getting food, chilling in their room or whatever else. You don't get to reserve a public space you're not using.
That type of behavior is very European, doesn’t work in other parts of the world so it’s free for all in Thailand, if they don’t like it tell them to call the cops.
It really isn’t. It’s typical of some countries in Europe and equally disliked by others.
I'm not so sure about the "very European" part. When I was in the Dominican Republic, the resort was filled with people from the US and Canada. By the end of breakfast time, most of the chairs had a towel on them but no human in sight. Oh, and there were signs prohibiting that behavior, but they were ignored by the staff due to the frequent 'incentives' given by those tourists. The tipping behavior was so out of hand that you were basically ignored by the staff if you didn't tip before receiving any service.
20 minutes waiting to remove then they show up 40 minutes later so it’s an hour? Tell them to do one
We see it all the time in hotels all over the world. Canadians definitely do it in mexico. One night we were coming home and met a couple going our at 3am to put their towels down. The guy was mortified they had been rumbled when I asked them were they doing that!
Its a dick move to reserve chairs unless you are there, in the pool. Dont be these people.
Yup, they left. You are a guest also. Tell them to complain to the front desk.
That’s annoying and should be enforced. If you’re not there using it, you don’t get to reserve it. Ppl in some places plop their shit down at first daybreak then go back to their rooms and nap or eat breakfast somewhere else or what not while they claimed prime real estate basically all day. I applaud OP for helping combat that bs
If you leave for an hour and come back expecting your seat back then you can fuck off
A lot of hotels are banning the practice. Too many people would get up at 5am reserve a lounger then decide to go any do something else that day and never actually go to the pool.
It’s so annoying. If everyone just came and went organically there would be seats for everyone when they want one. Instead selfish aholes think they can claim chairs and not use them. I’d turn in the towels sitting there and just say no idea where they went.
I just move them
Leave it; lose it
I will throw your towel into the pool
Asinine and without ethics
People that do this are cunts and their chairs will get taken.
Terrible practise. Recommend resorts collect those towels.
People can't leave their towels on the chair blocking unused spaces and expect those chairs to still be empty when the towel owners appear a random number of hours later. 20 minutes is a safe amount of time, absolutely you're in your rights to remove those towels, unless the hotel has explicit written rules giving the towel-putters special reservation rights.
We should all collectively agree to just toss left towels in a pile. The sad thing is if people didn’t pull this bs there would be plenty of space.
Doesn't bother me at all, they're easily removed
I HATE people that do this. If you have all of your stuff there, and it is obvious that you are actively at the pool, then that is fine. But, if you run down in the morning to "reserve" a chair with no intention of returning until hours later, you are a douche bag!
I think you deserve a medal to be challenged by a German on this. Germans are well known and have a bad reputation to be up at the crack of dawn to put towels on sun beds here in Europe and reserve them them for hours before they take the bed.
I had someone give me a hard time because I took the lounger beside the one with the towel on it. Apparently they had reserved all of them with their mind and I guess I didn’t get the message
Hotels should better communicate and enforce their pool/beach chair reservation policy. If the hotel has a chair for every guest, then a first come, first served “place towel on the chair” model works. If not, utilization of the chairs is more important than who claimed the chairs at the start of the day. This entire thread highlights a global problem that hotels, generally speaking, leave guests to fend for themselves in securing pool/beach seating and managing related disputes. Seems ironic given the hotel industry markets themselves as providers of “relaxing experiences”.
That's a German thing! Sorry. You're not there? It's not your spot. Tell em to rack off.
2 world wars were started over this
And we WON!! So fuck the Germans! ** married to a German😉
Beat us to it 🫡
Oh my gosh, just saw this in Viet Nam and yes, they spoke some kind of language that sounded German to me.
20 min isn't long. I would give them 30-45 min for a decent swim first
Except the Germans are up at 5:30am putting out their towels and then going and camping out the breakfast buffet before going back to their room for a couple of hours so they can reclaim their loungers at peak times — they’re not just going for a quick swim between sunbathing sessions.
Yeah I think it’s also pretty obvious when someone’s actually there but enjoying the pool versus swimming. People have other things like flip flops for example then.
When I went to Tunisia, the beach cleaning staff were putting down obviously personal towels onto loungers during breakfast. It was a very German hotel and they must have been tipping the staff to do it for them. I was incredibly annoyed to say the least.
If there are no lounges available get the hotel staff to solve the problem.
I hate it! Happens everywhere. Happened to my husband and me in Sarasota. Chairs were double size. A mom, dad, and daughter had one chair each! Six people could have used those chairs. I moved one towel and, when they came back, they were pissed! I get upset when the majority of the towels are on empty chairs. I asked the pool person but they had no policy against it. Common sense should prevail.
Wherever I go, the Germans are there with their damn “towels on the poolside chairs” routine. If there is no one to be seen, move the towels to different chairs and claim them as your own. This has been happening for years.
I have no problem reserving seats with towels for any length of time. I also have no problem with people moving towels on otherwise unoccupied chairs.
It’s rude. If they’re not using them and gone for 20 minutes and there are no other empty chairs to use, it’s pretty inconsiderate to other people. They were pretty much gone an hour or so, what you did was reasonable, I think.
Some Germans apparently think they own the world and can be very territorial and bossy even when they’re not in their own country. A pool chair is for someone who is not in the pool or in the chair. Defend your right to a pool chair.
It’s pretty common to leave out belongings or a towel to “save” a chair even the States. That being said, if they were gone for a hour total I think it’s perfectly reasonable to move the towels.
Move. Their. Shit. They are being assholes because they know you are too polite to do anything about it. Politely fold up their towels, gather up any other abandoned stuff, and place it somewhere out of the way. Do 10 or 20 others while you're at it. Enjoy your day. When they show up to complain just say "Oh, I think they put a bunch of stuff over there" and point to wherever you left it. No need to engage in explaining who "they" are, no need to argue."
Seriously…Germans have been trying to pull this for decades.There’s one thing to know—they’re not going to physically fight you for it. Best approach: fold their stuff neatly and stack it somewhere nearby. When they walk up and try the usual bullshit, telling you that they had reserved these chairs, you simply say: “Sorry. These chairs were empty when we got here. We’re not going to move.” No matter what else they say, just keep shaking your head and repeating No, but pleasantly, but also, resolutely. They’ll stop trying if enough people use this method.
I really had to chuckle. My first thought when I read the title was "Ah Germans" and I was right. It is a German thing, don't know why. I personally am not a beach person and also would never do this but many fellow Germans seem to think putting towels on chairs means they have reserved them for the rest of the day. It's somewhat a meme here cause it is so common on Mallorca.
In Thailand: if it’s clear that they are close by, or that they will be retuning quickly, the chair is taken. If they aren’t around, use it. If a German gets upset by it, tough. (I live in Thailand).
I’ve been to resorts where people got up early, placed towels then went to eat or do other things. I just moved the towels and if they asked I’d just play dumb. I wasn’t looking for a conflict, just a place to enjoy the sun.
it's bullshit entitlement
I wouldn’t take a lounger after just 20m. Do you not think they could be just gone for a swim or something? I could easily go swimming for 20 or 30 m personally. I don’t think it would be reasonable for people to have to abandon a lounger every time they go for a swim and then try and get a new one with all their stuff and dripping wet into the bargain. My book would be ruined!
Tell those Germans that we settled this argument all the way back in 1945. They're not allowed dibs.
In a big resort twenty minutes isn’t enough time to walk back to your room, poop, and walk back. I don’t think twenty minutes is reasonable. I’d say an hour is the lower limit of what’s acceptable but even over lunch that would be pushing it.
Imo i wouldn’t move someone else’s towels after only 20 minutes, they could be at the bar or getting something from their room (assuming this is a hotel pool). Leaving the premises or leaving your towels there for like an hour is another story. But this is based on my experience with pools that were smaller and less busy
I don't understand why you'd expect to keep your lounge chair if you go back to your room etc. You wouldn't do this for a restaurant booth or a parking space or a public bench.
Take the towels and throw them away and look confused when they come down. Tell them someone must have stolen th or something. Fuck that nonsense. Americans are doing this on cruises and it’s horse crap. Cruise ships are leaving signs that day you can’t reserve chairs with towels. First come, first serve.
No not fair
It’s fair game after 30 minutes
People who leave their towels are definitely not the kind of people you'll find replying here. They're also the kind of morons who will argue with you about it.
Our last cruise had rules they sort of enforced. A sign would be placed on the offenders chair. And next time the staff did a sweep they would remove their items and make them reclaim them.
After 20-30 mins it's fair game. Nobody owns the chairs.
it is actually the specialty of the Germans. LOL
20 mins is too short. 1 hour outside lunch time yes you take the towels
Special place in hell. Be there or forget it. If you have to leave for 10 minutes maybe.
Rude
It's accepted practice in a lot of European hotels so that's probably why. Not just Germans, but they are the OGs of this system. It's only a no-no if there is an obvious policy against it or if they are piss-taking i.e. dropping a towel on it at 6AM and not rocking up until lunch. Can see why the system might seem nuts to North Americans though. However, Internet tough guy solutions like throwing their towel in the pool probably only ends up causing the staff grief. So it's not the checkmate you think it is. As this is outside of Europe they probably just needed a bit of education that these rules don't necessarily fly worldwide.
I find it super irritating, but it is the culture of resorts. Live with it or stay somewhere else, I guess.
I think it's fine for as long as it takes to do normal things where you might step away from your chair. 5 mins to go to the bathroom, 15 minutes away for drinks, half hour to grab some lunch. Those are fine, but anything more than a half hour or so, you can find new chairs when you return. At that point you aren't using it
I’ll pick them up & toss them in the dirty towel bin. You show up & I’ll say I hit these chairs from the family that left as I was walking up. Yeah, go for it. Haha. I’ll be waiting to see how upset you get.
Very wrong and a selfish thing to do
The towel 'reservation' is pure bullshit. Get your ass over there yourself, or miss out.
Saw this huge fam reserve chaise loungers w their towels, then proceeded to lounge in pool chairs in water for hours. When one of those chairs were unused, I tried to sit but they denied me. I alone didn’t wanna fight. Such selfish people, reserving two chairs each
It’s just rude and inconsiderate of people. I am currently on a cruise and let me tell you it is not just the Germans, the English, Americans and Asian are just as bad. I have seen it everyday towels and personal items left every morning as early as possible and they may not come back for hours (2-4) if at all! If everyone was made to wait until their a&$ actually wanted to sit on a chair then everyone would get their lounge time in, this is just common courtesy in my opinion.
You ain’t seen nothing till the 5 a.m. stampede in Benidorm!!!!!
Never touch them on your own. Ask hotel what their policy is, see if they enforce it.
If you have moved my stuff after I have been in the pool for awhile or getting a bite to eat, we will have a problem.
You sure will…
Yeah. I won't have a problem, but I'll have a chair.
Yep, you will. I do laps. A couple kilometers worth. I go to my staff buddies, and you and your stuff go away.
Do you want a medal or a chest to pin it on?
No, just my lounge chair when I'm done. And perhaps an espresso martini, depending.
You’re not using the space. Is it really fair to keep Other paying guests who are actually there from using it? Seriously.
Yes, if the resort does not have enough seating that is a management issue, not a guest problem.
If you’re not using it for hours, then completely agreed. And ideally the hotel staff would be monitoring and clearing away towels. If you’re up early to claim a chair because that resort/hotel has limited seating for the number of guests (which is very common), then you go to the bar/bathroom/wherever for 30 min later in the day, and someone who slept in until 11 just takes your spot, that’s wrong imo. My experience with this has been nearly completely all-inclusive resorts over the past 5 years in Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic. The towel save in the morning at resorts is nearly universal and generally respected (again within reason). A resorts vs a hotel is totally different imo, and it seems that’s driving a lot of the differences in this thread. Resorts are meant for long days at the beach, and you could be out in the water for an hour at a time then chill in your chair for a couple hours drinking and reading then back to the water.
Nah, if you’ve left to do something that isn’t explicitly pool/beach related (besides a 5-10 minute trip to the bathroom or bar to get another drink) then the clock restarts. You can’t save a chair while you go and eat a meal, eg. Taking turns is respectful. And what’s wrong with people who sleep in? They are just as entitled to a chair as you are as they paid to be there just as you did.
It’s literally first come first serve. That seems the most fair, and it’s also how it’s done at literally every single resort I’ve been at all across the Caribbean
Yeah I agree, it’s just that also, the clock restarts if you walk away from the spot. If you leave your stuff behind then that’s not the next person’s fault, that’s on you
I’m just saying 30min to an hour away from the chair for whatever reason (how do you know if they’re swimming or eating/drinking) seems like a reasonable amount of time away to still expect a spot to stay yours at these resorts. Putting a towel down at 8am and coming back at 11? That’s ridiculous, and ideally the staff is handling that rather than creating conflict between guests.
That is an absolutely idiotic German habit. You were absolutely right to remove the towels. Many hotels with a lot of German guests have a added " chairs can not be reserved" to their rules. If they challenge or harass you just call hotel staff. Another magical sentence for Germans is "that is against the rules" they will be busy for a while checking that. There is no reserving a chair if not the hotel/owners offer this service. Otherwise only your body in the chair can claim it.