Overview
- The Amtsgericht Hannover ruled in April 2026 that loungers made unusable by persistent towel reservations counted as a defect in a package holiday.
- The court approved a 15% price reduction per affected day for ten days, totaling €986.70 after a prior €350 payment and an order to pay €636.70 more.
- The case stemmed from an August 2024 family trip to Kos costing €7,186, where from 6 a.m. the traveler searched about 20 minutes daily for a free lounger as staff did not enforce the hotel’s no-reservation rule.
- The judges said guests do not have to remove other people’s towels and that the tour operator must ensure hotel staff prevent or fix the problem.
- A court spokesman described the judgment as fact-specific, though Hannover issued a similar ruling in 2023, and consumer advisors urge travelers to document issues and report them to the tour operator to claim reductions.