German court awards compensation to tourist over hotel sunbed shortage in Greece

A regional court in Hanover, Germany, has ordered the travel company TUI to pay 986.70 euros in compensation to a German tourist following his 2024 family vacation in Kos, Greece. The claimant had paid 7,186 euros for an all-inclusive stay at a 400-room hotel with six pools. Upon arrival, the family discovered that all pool sunbeds were systematically reserved with towels as early as 6:00 AM by other guests. Despite complaining to hotel staff and TUI representatives, no effective measures were taken to address the issue, leaving the family without access to pool amenities. TUI had initially offered a 350-euro refund, representing 5% of the package cost, which the tourist rejected as insufficient. The court ruled that the travel package was defective, noting that travelers are entitled to expect sufficient sunbed availability. Consequently, the court awarded 15% of the total package value to the family.