The German judiciary has sentenced the tourism giant TUI to pay compensation of €1,000 to a German tourist, who filed a lawsuit because during his vacation in Greece all the sunbeds at the pool of his hotel were systematically monopolized by other customers.
The man paid the amount of €7.186 for an "all inclusive" family holiday at a hotel in Kos, in August 2024. But it found that "every day, all the sunbeds at the hotel's pool were occupied with towels from six o'clock in the morning," reads the text of the Hanover court decision, released on Thursday.
The plaintiff and his family did not adopt "this practice" and thus found themselves without sunbeds available to enjoy the pool and the sun, the text of the decision clarifies. He complained to a TUI representative and the hotel staff, believing that the way the pool equipment was occupied would violate the regulations of the hotel which has 400 rooms and six swimming pools.
No effective measure was proposed and in order to resolve the dispute, TUI proposed to pay the plaintiff €350, i.e. 5% of the price of the package, an amount that was considered insufficient by the tourist.
In its decision, the court awarded compensation of €986.70, corresponding to 15% of the value of the package. "During such a trip, where time in or near the pool plays an important role, travellers can expect that a sufficient number of sunbeds will be ensured," the court's decision states.
(RES-EAP)
