The hotel pool towel war: rules and solutions

Every summer, the same scene plays out: as soon as the pool opens, guests put a towel on a sunbed and head off to breakfast. Videos of these early-morning races spread on social media under the hashtag #sunbedwars, and the press covers them every season, from Euronews to Le Figaro. For a hotel, this is far from trivial: guests who cannot find a spot say so at reception, and sometimes in their reviews.

A towel reserves nothing

In principle, putting down a towel gives no right to a sunbed. Pool areas belong to the property, which sets the rules of use in its house rules. Things are different when the spot has been booked, or paid for, with the hotel: the guest then has a real right to that sunbed, whether they use it or not.

So it is up to the hotel to organise spots, not up to guests to police each other.

What hotels do today

• House rules posted by the pool, banning reservations with a towel.
• Removing towels left unattended after a time set by the hotel.
• Opening the pool at a fixed time, which often creates a queue and a race at opening.
• Timers placed on sunbeds, showing when a spot is free again.
• Paid booking of the best spots.

These measures have one thing in common: they rely on staff supervision, or move the problem without solving it.

What works: a spot assigned to a name, for a set time

• A spot with a name: the guest is identified and the spot is assigned to them.
• A time limit: beyond the time you set, an unoccupied spot is released for other guests.
• A number of spots per room: one family cannot block an entire row.
• A full overview: the team sees free, booked and occupied spots live on every area, pool, beach or rooftop.
• A record: every assignment is time-stamped. If there is a complaint, you know who had the spot, and since when.

Self check-in, without tying up the team

On a remote pool or at peak times, the team cannot be everywhere. With self check-in, guests scan the area's QR code or use a kiosk, see the live map and choose a free spot. Their name and room are checked against their stay: only hotel guests can take the spots meant for them.

How LeisureScan organises it

LeisureScan brings all your swimming areas onto one screen. Spots are named, occupancy time is limited, and unoccupied sunbeds are released after the time you set. The number of spots per room is capped, and the history of every spot and guest is kept. From their sunbed, guests can also order from the bar, and the order is charged to their stay account.

The result: a poolside where everyone knows where they are sitting, with no race at dawn.