A British holidaymaker in Egypt was determined to get a front-row sunbed and set her alarm for 6.30am to ensure she got the best spot – but was left shocked by what she saw
A British holidaymaker, desperate to soak up some rays during her much-anticipated break at a posh five-star Egyptian resort, resorted to drastic tactics just to secure a sunbed.
Mrs May, who documents her experiences on TikTok as @themrsmay, set her alarm for the crack of dawn – 6.30am – and dashed to the pool in hopes of snagging a prime spot. “If you can’t beat them, join them,” she explained of her early bird activities.
But upon arrival, she was gobsmacked to discover the loungers were already claimed by towels – sans occupants. “It’s 6.30 in the morning and already, look, most of these sunloungers have been taken and there is literally not one person here.”
The situation was no better along the poolside where every bed was marked with a towel, “Absolutely no one here,” she lamented, documenting the scene, “just tying their towels to the sunloungers.”
With a touch of melancholy, she admitted, “I actually think I’m too late already. Every single sunbed on that front row has been taken. We’re going to have to go on the back row.”
In a candid reflection, Mrs May shared on the platform how bothersome it was that vacationers would selfishly reserve sunbeds so early, musing, “Some hotels, they move them, they just get rid of them. I’m very tempted. Not to do it now, but when we come down and actually stay here for the day.”
Her vent struck a chord with fellow tourists, who swiftly chimed in with their own stories of sunlounger skirmishes. Among the sympathetic chorus, one defiant commenter boasted, “I am that person who moves the towels when no one is there/ I don’t care. Put them on the floor and get on with my day.”
One irate guest commented, “No hotel should allow this,” adamant that measures should be taken. “They should be removing the towels. I refuse to stay anywhere that allows this selfish behaviour.”
Another shared an innovative approach by one lodging: “I went to a hotel that had a booking system. When you arrive you’d choose where to go and they’d be your loungers for your entire stay.”
Enjoying the commotion, one holidaymaker confessed their mischievous antics: “I always rip the towels off of the chairs and place them all on one chair. So there is like 20 towels on one chair. Then I sit back and watch. It’s so much fun.”
The infamous annual battle for poolside real estate seems to have recommenced. Recalling last year’s frustration, a couple on holiday in Portugal decided on an extreme tactic of waking up at the early hour of 1 am simply to claim their sun-loungers. Aimee, 20, revealed the lengths they went to avoid extra charges: “In the hotel we stayed at, if we didn’t get those certain sunbeds we would’ve had to pay €7.50 [£6] each for a bed.”
She acknowledged the absurdity, admitting, “I know it’s crazy but it’s the normal thing to do here.”
