German tourist unable to secure sun lounge for his family sues tour operator, paid out almost $1500
In a frustrating yet familiar holiday experience, guests claim lounges hours before needing them, but one tourist has decided to actually do something about it.
A man has received a payout of almost $1500 after he was unable to secure a sun bed while on holiday.
The German tourist was visiting Kos, an island in Greece, with his family in 2024 on a package deal.
Although a no-reservation policy for sun beds was in place, the man claimed he spent about 20 minutes each day looking for a sun bed for his family, despite waking up at 6am.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.He said other guests used towels to reserve the chairs. As a result, he said his children were forced to lay on the floor.
He sued the tour operator for allowing the reservation system, arguing that the tour operator did not enforce the ban on reservations, nor confront guests engaging in the practice.
The trip initially cost the family €7,186 ($11,684.90) for the man, his wife, and their two children.
A district court in Hanover, Germany, sided with the tourist, ruling that the family deserved a higher refund than the €350 they had already been paid.
The judges upped the refund amount to €900 ($1463.54) because his package holiday was “defective”, according to the BBC.
They said that, although the tour operator did not own the hotel, they had a responsibility to ensure there were a reasonable amount of sunbeds available for guests.
