German tourist awarded €1,000 after losing out on sunloungers at Greek hotel

A German tourist has been awarded €986.70 in damages after a court ruled his tour operator failed to ensure he could secure a sunlounger at a Greek hotel [1]. The Hanover district court found the operator liable for the situation under package travel laws [1]. The man, who vacationed with his family on Kos in 2024, testified he woke up early each morning for a 20-minute search but was never successful, forcing his children to lie on concrete [1]. He paid over €7,000 for the holiday and received an initial €1,000 partial refund from the hotel before pursuing legal action [1]. The court determined that despite guests having to accept they would not always get a lounger, the tour operator was obligated to ensure a reasonable system was in place [1]. The hotel was legally considered an agent of the German tour operator, making the operator responsible for the service failure [1]. The tourist stated that neither the hotel nor the tour operator enforced the resort's own rules against 'towel blocking,' and staff did not confront guests who reserved spots [1]. The judge noted holidaymakers should not be required to take matters into their own hands, such as removing others' towels, and that the operator is obliged to prevent such conflicts [1].