Britons sleeping on loungers in Tenerife: how resorts are fighting for poolside spots.

According to The Sun: In the UK, tourists are going to extremes to secure comfy loungers on holiday, even sleeping on them the night before to guarantee the best spot.

Ben Smith, a 30-year-old traveler, was stunned by this unusual phenomenon during his summer vacation, calling it a 'vicious circle.'

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These 'wars for loungers' have become a common issue at resorts this summer as tourists employ various tactics to claim the best spots by the pool.

Ben's observations took place in Tenerife, where he noticed that the best loungers at his hotel were already occupied three hours before the pool opened.

It turned out that other guests had been sleeping on the loungers all night to secure the most comfortable spots, and he found them asleep in the dark.

Ben captured this shocking moment on video at the four-star GF Fanabe hotel.

The Sheffield resident started his two-week holiday in the hotel costing £259 per night on Monday, August 21, when he noticed this phenomenon.

“A bit ridiculous”

In an interview with Luxury Travel Daily, Ben noted that the behavior of other guests trying to secure their spots is 'a bit ridiculous.'

“People are sleeping on loungers to reserve their places,” he emphasized.

“They leave their loungers unattended, and the hotel has a policy that if your spot isn’t occupied, it is cleared - so they just sleep on them.

“Some seem to even sleep. It’s a bit ridiculous. I understand why people do it, but it’s a vicious circle.”

“It's mainly selfishness”

He also added that it is those who act “selfishly” that create this problem in the first place.

“It’s those who create the problem that others are trying to avoid.”

“If people didn’t reserve loungers they didn’t need, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

“I didn’t see loungers occupied by people, only towels.

“We managed to get one lounger for three of us, and one woman kindly offered us to use hers - it wasn’t being used, and she said we could take her towel off.

“That’s a pretty generous gesture on her part, but on the other hand - why is her towel on it when she’s not using it? It’s mainly selfishness.”

The GF Fanabe hotel has yet to comment on this situation.

Lounger Wars

The stand-off for loungers doesn’t cease in summer.

Recently, The Sun reported on a bizarre incident where a woman began accusing other tourists of 'stealing' her lounger on the popular Canary Island.

In a video, the woman angrily retrieves her bag from a lounger, pointing at a group of tourists who she believes took her spot.

Experts on reserving loungers on holiday

Summer brings new battles in hotels as guests try to be the first to claim the most comfortable loungers with their towels.

Etiquette expert Katherine, who shares tips on TikTok under the handle @katarina.etiquette, urges people to be less selfish and consider other vacationers.

In a video, she emphasized: “If you’re staying at a hotel, avoid reserving loungers if you’re not planning to stay. It’s disrespectful to other guests.”

“If the hotel doesn’t have a reservation system, take loungers only when you’re by the pool.”

Well-known etiquette expert William Hanson notes that there is a 30-minute 'grace period' for reserving loungers by the pool.

This means guests can use a towel or book to reserve for no more than half an hour.

William explained: “In the morning, at the start of the day, if you’re by the pool after breakfast, it’s acceptable at 8:30 to put a towel on a bed to reserve a spot.

“But later, once you’ve already used a lounger and are heading off for an hour, say, for a massage, you can’t leave a towel to reserve.”

If you’re heading to lunch, William advises not to stay more than 30 minutes.

He also added: “This also gives your towels time to dry.”

William stressed that despite the grace period, 'you can’t occupy a lounger for the entire day.'

However, Laura Akano, head coach at Polished Manners, believes tourists shouldn’t have the right to reserve loungers at all.

She told The Sun Online Travel: “I believe it should be based on 'first come, first served' if the resort doesn’t have a booking system.”

A British woman also shared this month that she could never get a lounger due to fierce competition in the morning on her holiday in Spain.

She saw crowds gathering at the pool gates by 9 a.m., then rushing forward to throw their towels on loungers to reserve spots.

A woman with six children also faced criticism last month for reserving loungers for her family in the morning, only to leave for the day.

The mass interest in 'lounger wars' highlights the need for regulation on resorts. As experts note, a rational approach to reserving loungers could significantly improve interactions between vacationers and reduce stress during the tourist season.