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  "path": "/2026/05/06/german-tourist-sues-tour-operator-losing-6am-race-reserve-sunbed-28263147/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-06T18:43:52.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "World",
    "Germany",
    "Greece",
    "summer",
    "German",
    "Greek",
    "News Updates",
    "Breaking News",
    "check our news page",
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  "textContent": "Tourists often wake up early to stake their claim to a sunbed (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nIf there is one topic that can divide Europe like no other it is the annual sunbed wars that grip beach resorts every summer.\n\nTourists wake up at the crack of dawn and wait for the gates to the hotel pool to open, before making a mad dash to reserve a lounger with a towel.\n\nNow one German dad has successfully sued his tour operator because he kept on losing the battle for a sunbed.\n\nThe unnamed man had spent £6,200 on a holiday with his wife and two children to the Greek island of Kos in August 2024.\n\nHe thought he would not have to stress about reserving a spot in the sun because the hotel had an explicit rule banning loungers with towels.\n\nHowever a district court in Hanover heard how the family’s mornings became a rush for pool space, with guests ignoring the ban in practice.\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nThe German man wanted a relaxing holiday in Kos without stressing about loungers (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nThe dad said that even when they got up at 6am, most of the sun beds had already been nabbed by other guests.\n\nHe complained to the court that the situation was so dire the family spent up to 20 minutes each day trying to find a spot they could all sit togehter,\n\nThe children were sometimes left lying on the floor because of the lack of loungers, he said.\n\nThe German man claimed hotel staff refused to step in to help.\n\nThe tour operator – which was not named in proceedings – previously offered £300 to the family in compensation.\n\nBut the court sided with the holidaymaker and ruled he was entitled to a partial refused of £850.\n\nThe court ruled the package holiday had been ‘defective’ because it had not provided the ‘character’ that the customer was contractually entitled to expect.\n\nThe ruling acknowledged that the travel company did not operate the hotel itself so could not guarantee sunbed access.\n\nThe family said they spent 20 minutes searching for sunbeds they could all sit on together (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nHowever the judges said the operator still had a duty to ensure there was a structure in place that meant a ‘reasonable’ ratio of loungers available.\n\nGermans actually dislike the annual sunbed wars, despite the stereotype as one of the most dogged participants.\n\nOne poll showed that as many as 66 per cent of them opposed it and 14 per cent had even removed offending towels.\n\nHowever a survey of German tourists last summer revealed that 71 per cent of them thought it was a ‘predominantly German’ custom.\n\nBritish holidaymakers thought that the biggest culprits were fellow Brits, a different survey showed.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "German tourist sues tour operator after losing 6am race to reserve sunbed"
}