Mum sparks backlash after claiming she has to reserve eight sunbeds before day out

A mum‑of‑six faced backlash after she filmed herself reserving sunbedsfor her whole family by the pool at dawn while on holiday in Spain, only to leave the hotel for the day.

Stephanie, a mum who shares TikTokvideos documenting her life with five boys and one girl, recently took a trip to Fuerteventura in Las Palmas, on the Canary Islands. She showed her morning routine: laying towels on sunbeds before enjoying breakfast and popping out to the shops, all before even thinking about returning to the pool.

In the video, Stephanie explained that she hadn’t yet had her annual leave approved, and suggested that her daughter had been taken out of school during term time. Wading into a contentious issue that can spark arguments even among the most mild‑mannered holidaymakers, she described how she wakes up, reserves the sunbeds, and then heads out.

Have you been the victim of a sunbed warrior? Email webtravel@reachplc.com or let us know what happened in the comments below

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“We have come as a big family, so we have to be there early,” the mum said. She then showcased her breakfast choices: scrambled eggs, frittata, toast, and the British classic—baked beans.

After Stephanie and her family finished their meal, they went shopping before returning to reclaim their reserved sun loungers. While Stephanie and her family enjoyed their day out before some restful time by the pool, the TikTok clip divided viewers. More than 580 comments were left beneath the video, with many criticising the lounger‑hoarding tactics.

One person exclaimed: “I can’t believe you claim the sunbeds and then leave.” Another added: “Why claim sun beds if you’re going out for the day?” A third suggested that “all hotels should remove towels from sunbeds unoccupied for more than 30 minutes, so others can use them.”

“All hotels should do the same thing,” they advised. “‘After 30 mins of not [being] on sun lounger, towels are removed and other people get them."

Arguably, Stephanie is a victim of a system that pushes everybody to reserve a sunbed.

German etiquette expert Birte Steinkamp recently told the Majorca Daily Bulletin how one sunbed-warrior's actions led others to doing the same. “It’s poor etiquette. Beach loungers should only be used when you’re ready to occupy them immediately," she said.

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She added that “brief absences for swimming or getting a drink is acceptable, but early‑morning towel placement is absolutely inconsiderate and completely unacceptable. If nobody blocked loungers with towels in the morning, everyone would have access to one. After all, we’re all seeking the same thing: a peaceful holiday.”

Spain has repeatedly seen holidaymakers scrapping over sunbeds. Footage published by Majorca Daily Bulletin highlighted how Cala Agulla beach—near Cala Rajada, Majorca—was practically deserted early yesterday morning (July 21), apart from stray towels claiming spots along the coastline.

A recent Yougov poll found that people from certain parts of the UK are much more likely to enter the sunbed wars than others. The West Midlands topps the list, closely followed by people living in England's North West and North East, Wales and Northern Ireland. The results come from a survey of more than 2,500 UK adults, who were asked whether they would get up early to reserve a spot by the pool.