Trip Ruined: German Tourist Wins Lawsuit Against Tour Company Over Greek Resort With No Available Poolside Chairs Reserved by Towels

A German man has won a lawsuit against his tour company and received approximately $1,200 USD (around 39,000 baht) in compensation after experiencing problems at a resort in Greece that made his family's vacation fall far short of expectations.

The unidentified tourist paid over 7,186 euros (approximately 275,000 baht) for an 11-day vacation package on the island of Kos in August 2024, traveling with his wife and two children aged 9 and 12. However, from the first day of their stay, the vacation atmosphere turned chaotic. The swimming pool area was crowded with guests, but there were no available lounge chairs, despite temperatures reaching around 35 degrees Celsius.

Every morning, the father had to wake up at 6 a.m. to "hunt for a seat," only to find that all chairs were already claimed with towels in advance, even though no one was actually using them. During the entire 11-day stay, the family managed to find available lounge chairs only once, and even then, they got only 2 chairs for 4 people, forcing the children to sit on towels on the ground instead.

The man reported that it took approximately 20 minutes each day to find an empty spot. He confirmed that the resort had a rule against reserving chairs with towels in advance, but the rule was not strictly enforced. When he complained to the tour guide, he was told it was the hotel's responsibility to manage. When he approached hotel staff directly, nothing was resolved.

The case was brought before the Hannover Regional Court in Germany. Video evidence showed numerous poolside chairs with towels reserved from early morning with no actual users, which the court considered a significant problem affecting service quality.

The court ruled that the vacation constituted a "defective travel package" because the family could not access basic facilities as advertised, even though the tour company did not directly operate the hotel. The judge emphasized that tour operators have a responsibility to ensure that facilities like poolside chairs are proportionate to the number of guests.

The man had previously received a partial refund of 350 euros (approximately 14,000 baht), but the court deemed this insufficient and ordered an additional 986.70 euros (approximately 37,662.83 baht) in compensation, representing a roughly 15% reduction in the trip's value for each day services could not be used. The ruling specifically stated that children aged 9 and 12 are entitled to lounge chairs just like adults, highlighting resort guest rights standards and a classic problem occurring frequently in tourist destinations across many countries.