West Midlands woman films moment towels are launched across Crete hotel’s pool area to reserve sunbeds

Holidaymakers at a five-star hotel were forced to queue up and run to nab a sunbed - with some throwing their towels ahead to claim the best loungers.

A video taken at Akasha Beach Hotel and Spa in Hersonissos, Crete, shows nearly all the spots being taken in 30 seconds.

Guest Isabella Bianco, 23, said “it was like a stampede” - and said she saw a physical fight break out when a couple moved towels off beds which had been left unattended.

Isabella, a physiotherapist from Birmingham who instead opted to use the rooftop pool, said: “It was pretty much like that every day. 

“I’m guessing it was a hotel manager that was walking around the pool area and as soon as it hit 9am she did a hand signal and they all rushed towards the beds. 

“It was like a stampede rush.

“There were quite a few of us on the rooftop pool at 9am all watching."

Isabella says the hotel is “big on TikTok”

Isabella said the hotel’s popularity might be behind the race to get a prime spot around the pool. 

She said: “I think it’s because the hotel is big on TikTok and is really aesthetically pleasing with the water beds. 

“I think that hotel is really big with influencers. 

“Some of the Tripadvisor reviews I read said ‘it was a lovely hotel but I can’t put up with the people there’. 

“People were rushing for those beds by the pool just to sit and take photos on them all day. 

“On the last day we went down to the pool to go swimming. 

“There was an altercation between two women. 

“They’d [one couple] moved this couple's belongings and towels. 

“When the couple came back from lunch it kicked off. 

“One of the women had her sunglasses smacked off her face. 

“People were jumping in to separate it. 

“Apparently there had been quite a few [altercations] down by that pool but because we’d been on the rooftop we didn’t see it”.