A German tourist has been awarded €986 ($1,075) in compensation after failing to secure a single sunbed during his holiday on the Greek island of Kos—despite waking up at 6:00 AM every day to beat the rush.
According to a report by The Sun, the father of two spent roughly 20 minutes every morning searching for a place to relax. However, he found that all available loungers had been “claimed” with towels since the previous evening.
The hotel and tour operator in Kos reportedly refused to intervene against guests violating the resort’s rules. As a result, the man’s children were forced to lie on the ground. The family had paid a total of €7,186 for the all-inclusive package in August 2024.
Although the hotel on Kos officially prohibited reserving sunbeds with towels, the family was repeatedly met with the “dawn dash” phenomenon, where every lounger appeared occupied as early as 6:00 AM.
When the holiday provider ignored his formal complaints, the disgruntled tourist took legal action in Hanover. The court ruled in his favor, ordering the tour operator to refund him.
The judges determined that while the operator did not have direct control over the hotel’s daily management, the holiday package was “defective” because it failed to provide the amenities a customer could reasonably expect. Furthermore, the court ruled that the resort had an obligation to ensure a fair ratio of sunbeds to guests and to enforce its own existing policies.
Related: Greece’s New Beach Law Bans Sunbeds on 70% of Beach
