What do you think? Would you pay £22 to ensure you have a sunbed?

I avoid hotels where you would need to do it. I just can't be bothered with it.

No I wouldn't pay and like Fiona I would not get involved in sun bed battles,I have seen many many times folks getting up at the crack of dawn - whilst I am on balcony in pj's - folks going down to reserve sun beds, because they prefer a particular spot. Last year in June staying at the Angela, there were folks queuing in the hotel as the hotel would not open the doors to the pool, so they stopped guests reserving beds, but then they had to deal with the massive queues.

As for Germans reserving other beds, to be honest it;s brits in my opinion. I can't see how the levy would work, folks will still get up early and reserve or queue

You have to choose from a map before you get there. You may find you don't like them when you get there- too much/not enough shade.

or you may not like the folks sitting near you

never thought of that!

When my son was little I admit to getting up to "bag our beds". It was easier to spend the day at the pool with him as it kept him cool & was a good way for him to make friends.

However, the stress involved was awful! Panicking incase all the beds were gone (we needed 3). At that particular time it was the Germans, who started it the whole sunbed war IMO. At a particular hotel, because the sunbeds were locked up of an evening they would nab their spot by tieing a towel around a chair to an umbrella. Nightmare.

we did it about 20 years ago- well OH did! But getting up for 7am isn't supposedly to be part of a relaxing holiday. We have mainly done long haul over the last few years and many nationalities just use a sunbed and then go off taking their towels. It actually just solves a lot of the problems.

Had to "get involved" in sunbed wars last when we went to Mexico in 2014 - the hotel actually had less sunbeds on the beach than customers, plus some ignorant *&^&*% were reserving the full 4 poster beach beds AND a couple of sunbeds by going down before breakfast. Forget getting a bed by either of the pools -they went at some unearthly hour during the night!!
The hotel had big signs up about removing towels from beds reserved but not used -but it never happened whilst we were there - in fact some people were actually using room towels then abandoning them!
As to Thos Cook "bright idea" - who is going to police the reserved areas ? ie customer pays in advance but doesn't come down to the pool until 11:30am so someone else moves in -who will move them on ?Not the hotel staff I bet and the reps will be beating a hasty retreat!!

A German newspaper has led a counter-attack over Thomas Cook's sunloungers, declaring 'zis means war' as it emerged they can also use the same booking system as Brits to bag the best spots.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-5329165/Germany-fights-battle-Thomas-Cook-sunloungers.html

Not a sunbed person myself. prefer to lie in the beach. Do use a sunbed ocaisionally if using the pool. I can only see this scheme causing more problems also think the Brits are as bad if not worse than the Germans however for sheer rudeness the Russians are way out in front.

The other problem is that some might actually book the holiday purely because of the prebooking of sunbeds. However, not everyone will get the email from TC with the invite to book.

Yes and how many will book it and when they get there will not like the position, so can they move the bests to better spot then? I can see the reps at the hotel being inundated with various issues

From what I've read Miss Pink, they will have a map of positions to choose from. A bit like booking your seat on the plane. First in best spot 😂

Best spot a bit more complex with sunbeds, do you want sun all day, do you want shade, do all the beds have parasols , is the area noisy etc etc.
Unless you have been to the hotel previously its difficult to judge just by looking at a map/plan.

I suspect that the early 3 locations test will be a disaster -so the plan to extend to 30 hotels in the Summer, will be quietly shelved!!