A hotel worker in Rhodes, Greece, has been filmed clearing towels and personal belongings from reserved sunbeds while guests were at breakfast, enforcing a strict no-reservation policy. The footage, captured by 19-year-old UK tourist Lucie Hewes, shows a staff member making his morning rounds and removing items left on loungers unattended.
Policy Enforcement Goes Viral
Lucie explained that the hotel has a clear rule against reserving sunbeds, but many holidaymakers ignored it by placing towels, hats, and bags on loungers before heading to breakfast or back to bed. She said: "The pool man comes round at around 8 every morning and removes towels and belongings from the beds with no one sitting on them." The video has been viewed 538,000 times, received 23,000 likes, and sparked 294 comments, reigniting the annual sunbed wars debate.
Mixed Reactions from Guests
According to Lucie, some guests returned confused to find their belongings gone, while others were unhappy to see fellow holidaymakers already using what they considered "their" sunbeds. One woman reportedly confronted the pool staff, complaining that her belongings should not have been moved because she had nowhere to sit. Staff calmly explained the policy, stating sunbeds could not be reserved to ensure fairness for all guests. Lucie added: "She did not agree despite getting all her stuff back."
Public Support for the Policy
The clip has drawn widespread support online. One user commented: "Well done wish all hotel done this." Another said: "All hotels should do this." A third added: "If you don’t like this, all skip breakfast and stay on your loungers." Jay remarked: "Every hotel should do this! Well done." Another user wrote: "Not all heroes wear capes."
Contrasting Approaches to Sunbed Wars
The incident comes just days after another UK holidaymaker, Tom Caunce, made headlines for a more controversial tactic. Caunce admitted secretly sprinkling itching powder onto towels left on reserved loungers during a holiday in Majorca, saying he was fed up with guests claiming the best poolside spots before sunrise and then disappearing for hours.
