Reserving sunbeds policy gets MP Glyn Davies hot under the collar
There are plenty of serious political subjects to comment on – but that doesn't mean MPs cannot wade in on issues the rest of us are concerned with.
As the Tory Party broke into open debate about Brexit and its leadership, Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies was tackling Thomas Cook's new policy on sunbeds.
The holiday operator is offering customers the chance to pay £22 to book their sunbed for their duration of their holiday.
Mr Davies took to Facebook to reveal his opposition to the move – and to reveal a chance encounter with a former England captain.
The MP said: "No way would I ever book a sun lounger for a sunshine holiday.
"It’s not the £22 it would cost that puts me off. I would have no idea who was going to be lounging next to me. Could be some bloke snoring, or drunk, or aggressively noisy or playing non stop rap music.
" I’d want the freedom to move to a quiet spot. I did nod off when in Portugal a good few years ago, only to wake up eyeball to eyeball with Emlyn Hughes, the great Liverpool and England star. I got to know him.
"I’d need to know who had booked next door sun lounger."
Thomas Cook says it is the UK's first package holiday company to provide such a service.
Travel firms receive numerous complaints from customers unable to use hotel sunbeds because many are reserved by people leaving towels, books and other belongings on them.
A number of videos have been posted online in recent months showing desperate holidaymakers waiting for hotel pools to open in the early hours of the morning so they can bag a sunbed.
Thomas Cook believes its new service will prove popular with families who want to spend more time together in their preferred location.
It commissioned a poll of 1,500 working parents which found that three out of fourfeel they "lack quality time with their children" during an average weekday.
Half of those surveyed said holidays are their top spending priority in 2018.
Thomas Cook's UK managing director Chris Mottershead said: "Traditional package holidays are a thing of the past.
"Holidaymakers today want to personalise their package, mixing and matching the elements that best fit their needs and lifestyle.
"We're excited about the opportunity with Choose Your Favourite Sunbed, particularly among families that want to secure a number of beds together in a specific spot."
Sunbeds will be displayed on a map featuring a compass to help people work out whether certain areas will be in the sun or shade a different times of the day.
Only a proportion of a hotel's sunbeds will be bookable, in a bid to ensure there are still enough sunbeds for those who do not want to pay the premium.
The scheme is being trialled in three hotels from the end of next month, and will be available in 30 hotels this summer.
A service to allow customers to select their hotel room before the start of their trip attracted more than 10,000 bookings during a trial phase last year, Thomas Cook said.
