
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 sunbeds for 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 TikTok videos 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.
'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.
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.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Flight attendant reveals the disgusting act a passenger did on a plane that she thinks should be 'illegal'
When at work, flight attendants might expect to have to serve passengers, maintain the cleanliness of the plane and inform everyone of the safety information. However, they may not anticipate to find something disgusting on the floor left behind by a traveller. Leanna Coy, who lives in the US state of Connecticut, works as a flight attendant and shares her life on TikTok (@leannacoy). She was shocked to discover toenail clippings scattered underneath a chair on a plane by a passenger. Taking to social media to post an photograph of the ghastly sight, with a trigger warning, Leanna penned: 'On today's episode of Summer Flying'. She added: 'Those are toenails. A passenger clipped their toenails midflight and left them'. The photograph showed several toenail clippings on the floor. In the post's caption, Leanna shared how strongly she felt against the behaviour. She wrote: 'If I become president one day I'm making bare feet illegal.' The upload attracted more than 10,000 views and many TikTok users chimed in to share their thoughts in the comments. One quipped: 'OH MY GOD NO YOURE JOKING.' 'Now why would you show me that??' another added, followed by crying face emojis. Someone else agreed with Leanna and joked: 'Straight to jail!' 'The poor people sitting next to them,' one person said. Another flight attendant shared two forms of common passenger behaviour that 'send her over the edge'. Dallas-based air hostess Cher Killough, who has worked in the industry for six years, took to TikTo k to highlight disruptive in-flight habits that often leave her 'clenching' her jaw. Sharing a video to her page, @cherdallas, the cabin crew noted she becomes frustrated when a passenger ignores crucial safety instructions because a previous flight attendant either turned a blind eye or allowed them to do so. She added: 'Well, the last flight attendant wasn't doing her job. I have to subtly argue and just explain the reason - which normally I'm fine with doing - but if I'm already having a long day, this will have me in the galley begging God for some strength.' Cher then revealed her second in-flight gripe: passengers who continue to 'pop open' the bins after she informed them 'several times' they are full and cannot be used. She explained: 'When the bins are full and I've closed it, somebody pops it open after I've said: 'If it's closed, it's full,' like seven times... they pop it open and they leave it open.'


Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The ultimate Turkey guide, by an expert who's visited FORTY times. The 18 best holiday destinations. The hidden beaches. The tips you can't miss. And where you'd be MAD to go
Looking back, it was love at first sight. Aged 23 and having barely travelled, I still vividly recall that first airport transfer from Dalaman to Kalkan: the widescreen landscapes with the gargantuan peaks of the Taurus mountains cloaked in jade-green forest, a narrow ribbon of road winding between. Back then, Turkey was an unusual summer holiday choice. Thirty years on it's become a firm British favourite, with 4.4 million of us drawn to its glorious scenery, fantastic food and alluring warmth – both of weather and personality. I have always found locals to possess an irresistible joie de vivre, plus a sense of humour that's surprisingly similar to ours.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Flights to watch Lionesses in Euros final selling out as England fans make last-gasp dash to Switzerland - but you CAN still get there
Direct flights to Basel this weekend are currently as rare as hen's teeth as fans flock to the Swiss city ahead of the Euros final between England's Lionesses and Spain on Sunday - but there are still ways to get there. During the national team's nail-biting semi-final against Italy, in which the Lionesses secured a spot in the final thanks to a re-bounded Chloe Kelly penalty in the 118th minute, British Airways reported a 480 per cent surge in searches for Basel. And with just two days left to go until the team goes for its second consecutive Euros title, a flight into Basel, which also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in May, will set you back around £865. BA said earlier in the week it would be upgrading flights on the route to larger capacity aircraft to meet demand - but flights have now largely sold out, although a Saturday to Tuesday break is still possible, for around £660, with the carrier. Flights to Zurich, around an hour away by road or rail, are also still available and enterprising travel companies have added extra coach trips to meet demand too. British coach company Coach Innovations is offering travel-only return journeys to Basel for £229 including ferry travel from destinations including Birmingham, Northampton, South Mimms, Thurrock, Maidstone and Dover. However, the trips don't include match tickets. Can you still get seats to watch the match, which kicks off at 6pm local time? Yes, is the answer, with re-sale site Ticombo currently with plenty of options. Basel bound! Larger aircraft and coach travel has been laid on for football fans ahead of the Lionesses quest for a second Euros title On Friday morning, there were just over 500 tickets on offer, with £169 the cheapest ticket price - and the priciest coming in at £3,501. The official UEFA site also offers re-sale tickets at 11am, with tomorrow and Sunday the last opportunities to purchase tickets at face value. It was revealed yesterday that Prince William will be in attendance for the final this Sunday - two years after criticism for not watching them in the World Cup showpiece. He took to social media after England staged a thrilling late comeback against Italy on Tuesday night, writing: 'Brilliant performance @Lionesses! One game from glory! #WEURO2025. And now it has been confirmed by Kensington Palace that Prince William will put his summer holiday on hold. The FA president will jet off to Basel in Switzerland for the final against the winner of Wednesday's second semi-final between Spain and Germany. Back in 2023, the Prince of Wales turned down flying to Australia to watch England play Spain in the Women's World Cup final. Basel remains perhaps Europe's most fascinating and bizarre place to fly to, this airport is the only place on Earth where you can simultaneously land in three countries. With each exit serving an entirely different country, the airport is one for any keen aviation fan's bucket list. Located in the north-eastern French region of Alsace, Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport serves the nearby cities of Basel, Switzerland, Mulhouse, France and Freiburg, Germany. Set in the hub of the 'trinational Eurodistrict', the three countries overlap into one zone, with the airport split into both a French customs border and a Swiss customs border. Operated by both France and Switzerland, the unique airport's board includes eight members from each, alongside two German advisers. Dubbed the 'strangest airport in the world', the 'gateway to the trinational region' has frequently featured on TikTok. One fan, speaking to his followers about the unique travel hub, said: 'It's the only airport that gives you access to three different countries at the same time. 'It is the only airport in the world that is managed by two different countries at the same time. 'That means the moment you arrive, within the same building you can choose to take the exit through the French side or the Swiss side. This is just crazy.'