THIS is the shocking moment holidaymakers in a Spanish resort turn a leisurely morning into a full-blown sprint, all in the name of bagging the best sunbeds.
Tourists at the Ohtels Vila Romana in Salou, Spain, were caught on camera frantically pushing past each other in a desperate race to reserve sunbeds as soon as the hotel staff opened the doors.
Clutching towels like Olympic batons, the sun-seekers queued inside the hotel lobby at the crack of dawn, waiting for their chance to claim a prime spot by the pool.
The chaotic scene, filmed by a guest at the four-star hotel and shared on TikTok, shows holidaymakers dashing out of the lobby, towels in hand.
One woman can be heard saying: “Oh my days.”
The video has since gone viral, highlighting a practice that’s become all too common during the peak of the summer season.
The Ohtels Vila Romana, located in Tarragona, just 70 miles from Barcelona, boasts two swimming pools with sunbathing areas equipped with sunbeds and parasols.
But with limited prime spots, guests are willing to do whatever it takes to secure the best position in the blazing Spanish sun.
The TikTok clip, captioned “Ready, steady, go…,” shows other guests rushing around him, scrambling to claim their own beds.
The Spanish Tourist Office has weighed in on the situation, urging holidaymakers to exhibit responsible and respectful behaviour while abroad.
A spokesperson said: “The Spanish Tourist Office always promotes responsible and respectful tourism behaviour irrespective of nationality.”
In an attempt to curb the chaos, some hotels have introduced policies to ban the practice of reserving sunbeds with towels.
Laur Hotels on Turkey’s Aegean coast has instructed staff to remove any towels or possessions left on loungers early in the morning.
A similar rule is enforced at the Atlantica Mikri Poli Hotel in Greece, where guests must use a bed within 30 minutes of placing a towel on it, or risk losing their spot.
The viral TikTok videos have sparked a wave of reactions online.
Online users were quick to share their opinions on the affair.
User Gully Foyle commented: “Watched a guy in Marmaris arrive at the pool and, finding nothing but towels on the loungers, proceeded to throw them all in the pool. He then left.”
Another user, Max Million, added: “Anyone that leaves a towel unattended on a bed should have it discarded. It’s not rocket science.”
Chris Avery chimed in, expressing his disbelief at the lengths people go to secure their sunbed, he said: “It’s those rows of five sun beds that get me!
“Never seen anything like it. 4-star hotel? What if you want one and the only one left is in the middle of a row? Yuk.”
As the summer season heats up, it seems the race for sunbeds is only getting fiercer.
With tourists battling it out poolside, it might be time for hotels to rethink their sunbed policies – or for holidaymakers to consider setting their alarms just a little bit earlier.
Meanwhile, it’s all well and good racing to score a sun bed, but forgetting to bring sunscreen can prove a fatal mistake.
One woman shared her horror after forgetting to apply sunscreen and ending up with a gnarly burn. But luckily an old wives tale saved her.
Elsewhere, whilst that woman may have been lucky, neonatal nurse, Charlotte Oliver was not.
After forgetting her sunscreen on her holiday in Spain, she ended up in the A&E in agonising pain, claiming she looked like she had been in a house fire.
Location: Maspalomas, Gran Canaria
Description: A “tropical paradise” designed to resemble a Mediterranean village with whitewashed buildings and terracotta roofs.
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Awards: TUI’s “Best in the Mediterranean” and 5/5 rating on Tripadvisor
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