German Tourist Wins 853 Euros Over Sun Loungers

A German tourist has won nearly 900 euros in compensation from his tour operator after repeatedly failing to secure sun loungers at a hotel on the Greek island of Kos during a family holiday in August 2024.

The father of two, who traveled with his wife and children, paid approximately 6,500 euros for the package holiday. Despite hotel rules prohibiting the reservation of loungers with towels, guests commonly placed towels on them the previous evening. The family arrived at the pool as early as 6 a.m. each day but found most loungers already claimed, forcing them to spend up to 20 minutes searching for space where all four could sit together. On several occasions, the children had to lie on the floor, according to the tourist's account in court.

The tourist complained to both the hotel and the tour operator, but neither enforced the policy or intervened, he said. The tour operator initially offered a 300-euro refund, which the man rejected. He then sued in a district court in Hanover, Germany.

Judges ruled in his favor, awarding 852.89 euros. The court found the package holiday defective because it failed to provide the relaxing experience the family was entitled to expect....