A SELF-STYLED etiquette expert has divided holidaymakers over her rules for reserving sun loungers at hotel pools.
Every summer, hotels become the sites of frantic battles, as guests try to reserve the best loungers with their towels first thing in the morning.
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But etiquette and elegance expert Katarina, who shares her expert opinions about manners on TikTok at @katarina.etiquette, says people need to be less selfish and more considerate of other hotel guests.
In the footage, she said: “If you’re staying at a hotel, avoid blocking the sunbeds if you’re not planning on staying. It’s disrespectful toward other guests.
“Unless the hotel has a reservation system in place, only occupy the sunbeds when you’re staying by the pool.”
The video has had 30,000 views with people voicing their opinions in the comments.
One person had their own technique: “If no one is there, and all beds are occupied, I throw off some towels.”
Another disagreed with the rule and said: “If I’m going to a hotel that’s £100 plus a night, I will be taking up every seat.”
Someone else simply wrote: “That’s not etiquette, it’s common sense.”
And Katarina isn’t the only person to weigh in on the issue, renowned etiquette expert, William Hanson, believes there is a 30-minute grace period on poolside reservations.
This is where hotel guests can use a towel or a book to reserve a spot for no longer than half an hour.
William told the Sun Online Travel: “In the morning, at the start of the day, and you’re by the pool after breakfast, then it’s fine at 8.30 to put your towel on the bed to reserve your spot.”
“But later on in the day after you’ve used the lounger, and go off for a massage, for example, which is going to be an hour, then you can’t use a towel to reserve the sun lounger.”
If you’re grabbing some grub at lunchtime, William said holidaymakers are allowed to eat at the hotel bar or restaurant providing you’re not gone longer than 30 minutes.
He said: “It also gives your towel time to dry off.”
William said despite the grace period, “You can’t hog the sun lounger for the entire day.”
Meanwhile, Laura Akano, the Principal Coach and Trainer at Polished Manners doesn’t believe holidaymakers have a right to reserve a lounger at all.
She told the Sun Online Travel: “I think it should be a first come first serve basis – if the resort doesn’t have a booking system.”
At some hotels, members of staff removed towels after tourists hogged the best spots without actually using the pool.
And in 2021, a “sunbed hogger” sparked fury after brazenly dumping water bottles and towels to “reserve six loungers” at 7am at a resort.
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