Hotel offers genius scheme to avoid 6am towel dash this summer – could it spell the end for sunbed wars?

By ESTHER MARSHALL

Published: 12:37 BST, 23 April 2025 | Updated: 12:37 BST, 23 April 2025

As summer approaches, weary Britons across the country are preparing to enter battle at all-inclusive hotels around the globe.  

Sunbed war season, which sees holidaymakers rise at the crack of dawn to secure a coveted sun lounger by the hotel swimming pool, is just around the corner. 

And according to research from On the Beach, 66 per cent of the British public dread the annual sunbed wars. 

If you’re one of those weary Brits, you might be pleased to hear that a hotel in Cyprus has come up with a genius scheme to put an end to sunbed battles. 

The five-star Olympic Lagoon resort in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, has been praised on TikTok for its innovative sunbed allocation scheme.   

TikTok user ‘makingithappen24’ recorded a video of the hotel’s pool area at 9am to show off the empty sunbeds. 

In the video, the holidaymaker explains how the hotel’s scheme works, saying: ‘You go to the little towel hut and they will show you round, show you what beds are available for your duration.’ 

The five-star Olympic Lagoon resort in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, has been praised on TikTok for its innovative sunbed allocation scheme. At 9am, the hotel’s pool has plenty of empty sunbeds, as shown in the video

Tourists are then assigned a set of sunbeds for the duration of their stay. But if you don’t like your assigned spot, there’s no need to panic. 

The TikToker adds: ‘If you don’t like that stay, you can actually go back and change it, we did this three times throughout our stay on our holiday.’

She reveals in the video: ‘This is nine o’clock in the morning and there are no towels on the sunbeds. It’s absolutely brilliant.’

And the excited holidaymaker admits to taking part in sunbed battles in the past. 

She says: ‘I’ve done this whole thing where I’ve woken up at five o’clock in the morning and it’s pitch black and just raced down to get a sunbed, especially if you’ve got little ones and you need to be by the pool.’

The tourist claims that in ‘any other’ hotel, the empty sunbeds would ‘be like golddust’ and they would ‘have towels on them’ at 9am.

Commenter ‘Sweetpea’ says: ‘Every hotel should do this. It’s fabulous.’ 

However, one tourist who said they had stayed at the hotel is less impressed by the scheme. 

According to research from On the Beach, 66 per cent of the British public dread the annual sunbed wars

‘lotticarter680’ comments: ‘When we went here, we were allocated sunbeds, then people stole our allocated beds, not always such a good idea.’ 

On the hotel’s website, it says that the sunbed allocation scheme is in place to ensure ‘the most exclusive sunbathing experience’ for guests. 

But if your hotel doesn’t have sunbed allocation, experts have shared some tips to secure the best spot by the pool this summer.  

Unfortunately it’s not just hotel guests who fall victim to sunbed hogs.

A cruise expert previously told MailOnline Travel that ‘sunbed hogging’ is one of the ‘biggest offences’ cruise passengers can do. 

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Hotel offers genius scheme to avoid 6am towel dash this summer – could it spell the end for sunbed wars?

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