Antonia Hoyle

The politics of sun loungers

Where do you stand in the towel wars?

  • From Spectator Life
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The poolside was deserted when we passed on our way to breakfast. This time, I thought, as we ate at the still-quiet restaurant buffet, we’d triumph. Yet arriving back at the pool after eating, all the sun loungers closest to it had already been claimed – by owners who were nowhere to be seen.

Reserving loungers might have been against the hotel’s policy, but removing the towels and beach bags that their claimants had placed on top of them felt like an act of aggression. Instead I sulked silently from my bed near the bins as, an hour later, the family of four who’d taken the plum spot I’d had my eye on for my own family finally sauntered over, ready to spend some time in their premium seats.

That afternoon, something snapped and I decided I wasn’t going to take such flagrant sunbed-snatching lying down. Or rather, I was. The following morning, trialling a new ‘if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em’ strategy, I too laid down towels to hog the best loungers before breakfast, trying to look as brazen as I could as I walked past the hotel guests I’d gazumped to reclaim them. The

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