Would you pay for a sunbed?

A beach towel with the word 'Reserved' spread onto a sun lounger beside a swimming pool
By laurencroft


How many times have you headed down to the hotel pool and the sunbeds are basically all reserved, even though the pool area is completely empty?

Well, we’ve got news that will either eliminate your problem or make it 100 per cent worse – depending on how much you want to pay for your fave sunbed.

That’s right, 30 hotels will introduce a booking system where you can pay in advance for a sunbed, which are priced by the day. Yes, really.

This bright idea has come from UK travel company Thomas Cook, which offers the “Choose your favourite Sunbed” service for customers booking a Thomas Cook holiday package. If a hotel you’ve booked is eligible, you’ll receive an email six days before you leave – offering you the chance of a lifetime to have your sunbed ready and waiting for you.

But to reserve that coveted sunbed by the pool or in the shade will cost you $38 per day, according to news.com.au, and people are not exactly thrilled about it.

“Booking a sun lounger has got disaster written all over it,” reads one tweet on news.com.au.

But Thomas Cook said that the service aims to make family holidays “as stress-free as possible,” as well as adding a personalised touch.

So is paying for a sunbed better than getting up before the sun rises to claim a bed for the day? It’s definitely better than getting stuck with the leftovers – or having only single beds to choose from when you’re a family of four.

And family appears to be one of the primary reasons Thomas Cook has introduced the service.

“Family holidays are all about togetherness and spending quality time with the people you love,” they said. Therefore, you should book a sunbed so your fam can be together by the pool.

Even if it does cost $38 per bed.

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