Hotel Pays Tourist $1,200 After He Couldn’t Get a Pool Chair
Hotel Pays Tourist $1,200 After He Couldn’t Get a Pool Chair
Courtesy AVA Cancun
https://www.fodors.com/news/news/hotel-pays-tourist-1-200-after-he-couldnt-get-a-pool-chair
A German tourist won a $1,200 settlement after failing to secure poolside lounge chairs at a packed Greek resort, reigniting debate over “towel wars” in Europe.
A German court has ordered a tour operator to pay a cash settlement to a tourist who was unable to find a vacant sun lounge chair at a resort in Greece. The Hanover court last month awarded a $1,200 to the plaintiff who sued the German tour operator TUI Deutschland after he was unable to get access to sun loungers on a family vacation in 2024.
The family had booked an 11-night vacation package at the Grecotel Kos Imperial on the Greek island of Kos, paying about $8,500. August is a peak vacation month for European families, and they had difficulty securing lounge chairs because all of them had already been marked as reserved by other guests at the heavily booked resort. In German, there’s a word for this—handtuchkriege (towel wars)—that describes the practice of using towels to reserve sun loungers.
The man said he rose early each morning to check for available sun loungers (in German known as morgendlicher liegestuhl sprint—literally “morning deckchair sprint”) and over the course of his vacation found only a single pair for his family of four. His children ultimately put their towels on the ground nearby.
Lawyers for the family argued that the resort had posted signage indicating the reservation of sun loungers was prohibited, and that resort staff did nothing to enforce the policy. The man complained multiple times, both to the tour operator, and on their instructions directly with the hotel, but says his complaints did not have any effect. The family’s case was bolstered by witness testimony and security camera footage showing no loungers were available.
The tour operator provided a partial refund to the family post-travel, but by the court’s calculation they weren’t adequately compensated, and ordered an additional settlement.
German law dictates that package holiday prices must be rebated if a portion of the advertised amenities or services are not fulfilled by the tour operator or by an agent of the tour operator—which the judge ruled the hotel would have been considered in the case. The court found that although the vacationers need to accept the possibility, they would not get access to a sun lounger, the tour operator had a responsibility to work out a solution with the resort after being alerted to a defect in the package they had purchased.
The judge also ruled that it was the responsibility of the tour operator and the resort to enforce their own posted policies rather than expecting that consumers would handle any disputes directly. Many resorts that post notices that sun loungers cannot be reserved also typically inform guests that their belongings will be removed unless the chairs are occupied within a set period—typically 20-30 minutes.
It’s not the first time a German court has awarded damages to travelers on a package holiday. In December 2023, another complaint from a German vacationer on the Greek island of Rhodes was also awarded a partial refund. In that case, the tour operator had argued that the tourists could have been more diligent in seeking and securing a sun lounger, because other guests had been successful. The court also disagreed in the earlier case, awarding damages to the travelers.
A spokesperson for the court told The New York Times that the tour operator had a responsibility to correct any defects in vacation packages when alerted by guests of the problem, ostensibly by insisting that the resorts enforce their own posted policies.
Germany and other countries in the European Union have significant legal protections for consumers purchasing vacation packages. The law mandates protection against tour operator insolvency for prepayments, allows free cancellation if a tour operator significantly alters the package components after purchase, and requires rebates if a tour operator doesn’t provide all the contracted services. To qualify as a package, a tour operator must sell more than one component (e.g., airfare, car rental, accommodations, tours) together for a single price.
Skip TSA Lines for Free at These Airports Using a Secret Virtual Queue Hack
Oliver Lang / Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/skip-tsa-security-lines-for-free-at-select-u-s-airports-with-virtual-queue-system
Hate waiting on long TSA lines? Six major U.S. airports provide a time-saving reservation system for security screening—and it’s free.
Long airport security lines can put a damper on your next big travel adventure, and while
paid programs such as TSA PreCheck and Clear can often expedite the checkpoint process, even those lines can still be lengthy. At six major U.S. airports across the country, virtual queuing systems allow any traveler to skip the long lines for free. You won’t be able to use your PreCheck or Clear benefits, but you’ll save a lot of time.
Here is how it works:
Complete a form on the airport website or app with your flight date and number, airline, party size, email, and preferred checkpoint reservation time. If a slot is available, you’ll receive a QR code and an appointment confirmation.
Most airports allow reservations five or more days ahead of a flight for up to ten people traveling together, and day-of slots are often available.
When it is time to travel, go to the assigned checkpoint at your appointment time (or within the 15-minute grace time). Show your QR code and ID and be escorted to the general screening lane. That’s it! For which airports to work this magic track hack, read on.
1 OF 7
SEA Spot Saver
WHERE: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – Seattle, Washington
The SEA Spot Saver program at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) debuted in 2021 and offers digital reservations for general TSA screening daily from 4 AM to 10 PM at Checkpoints 2 and 4.
The program lets you book a slot for up to ten passengers traveling together up to 5 days before your flight. Appointments are available from 4 hours to 60 minutes before departure on any airline.
At SEA, there are about 5,000 reservation openings per day, and while the airport can adjust the number of reservations during busy travel periods, the limit is about 50 per 15-minute time slot.
2 OF 7
MCO Reserve
WHERE: Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Orlando, Florida
Security checkpoint lines at Orlando International Airport (MCO) can hover at around an hour during busy travel periods, such as spring break. But the MCO Reserve program lets passengers skip the lines and book a checkpoint slot up to 7 days in advance for up to 10 people traveling together.
Security screening times are available from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM for flights departing between 6:30 AM and 8:30 PM. Terminals A, B, and C each have their own MCO Reserve Lane, with up to 960 daily slots per lane.
3 OF 7
PHX Reserve
WHERE: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) – Phoenix, Arizona
The PHX Reserve at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) offers security checkpoint reservations at Terminals 3 and 4, which are connected by a SkyTrain pre-security but not connected post-security.
Reservations may be made up to six days before a flight for up to 10 passengers traveling together. Appointments are available from four hours to 60 minutes before your flight departs.
At Terminal 3, the program is offered 24 hours a day at the TSA Checkpoint for all flights on all airlines. At Terminal 4, reservations are available from 3:15 AM to 7:30 PM for flights departing between 4:30 AM and 11 PM.
At Terminal 3, there are 1,900 allotted slots each day. At Terminal 4, there are 1,280 slots available daily. No more than 20 slots are assigned for every 15 minutes, even during busy travel periods.
4 OF 7
MSP Reserve
WHERE: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) – St. Paul, Minnesota
MSP Reserve at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) offers checkpoint reservations at Terminals 1 and 2.
Slots are available in Terminal 1 from 3:45 AM to 7:45 PM at the North Security Checkpoint and in Terminal 2 from 3:45 to 8:00 AM and from 12:00 to 4:00 PM at Checkpoint 2. There are up to 1,405 slots available daily in Terminal 1 and up to 980 daily spots in Terminal 2.
Reservations can be made up to seven days in advance for up to 10 passengers traveling together to enter the terminal from one to four hours before departure.
5 OF 7
T4 Reserve
WHERE: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – New York, New York
At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), only Terminal 4 offers security checkpoint reservations. T4 Reserve is available in Terminal 4, at the Main Checkpoint.
Slots are available between 5 AM and 10 AM and between 3 PM and 8 PM daily. Reservations for eligible flights can be made up to 5 hours before your flight, but no less than 1 hour, depending on the airline. On average, there are 20 slots available every 10-15 minutes.
6 OF 7
DEN Reserve
WHERE: Denver International Airport (DEN) – Denver, Colorado
DEN Reserve appointments at Denver International Airport (DEN) are available daily from 5 AM to 5 PM for all flights departing between 6 AM and 9 PM. Reserved slots can be requested up to 14 days before your flight for up to 10 passengers traveling together.
Entry is through DEN’s West Security 2 (Level 6) for reservations scheduled between one and four hours before a flight’s departure.
7 OF 7
International Airports That Offer Virtual Queuing
Free security checkpoint reservations are also available at some international airports, including Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS), Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), London’s Luton Airport (LTN), Manchester Airport (MAG), Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport (LYS) in France, and Uruguay’s Carrasco International Airport (MVD).
Wyndham debuts app within OpenAI’s ChatGPT
https://hotelsmag.com/news/wyndham-debuts-app-within-openais-chatgpt/?
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has launched a native app within OpenAI’s ChatGPT, marking what’s being called the first native hotel app from a major economy and midscale franchisor in the U.S. The app enables conversational and visual hotel discovery and booking while supporting value creation for franchisees.
Built for conversational search, the app allows users to explore approximately 8,400 hotels across Wyndham’s global portfolio using map-based navigation, amenity filters, and interactive hotel cards within the ChatGPT interface. Travelers can refine results through natural language prompts and transition to Wyndham Hotels to complete bookings.
The launch builds on Wyndham’s broader AI strategy and follows its 2025 integration with Anthropic’s Claude. The company is also planning an integration with Google’s AI Mode as it expands its presence across large language model platforms.
“Conversational AI is reshaping how travelers discover and book,” said Scott Strickland, chief commercial Officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “With our native ChatGPT app launch, Wyndham is helping our hotels stay at the forefront—building on years of AI investment to directly connect with guests in new ways while ensuring the experience is both intuitive and highly visual.”
Since 2018, Wyndham has invested over $450 million to develop a cloud-based technology foundation that supports its AI initiatives. The company fully migrated its systems to the cloud in 2020, enabling faster deployment and scalability.
AI tools deployed in call centers have reduced average handle times by 7%, improving efficiency and conversion rates. Platforms such as Wyndham Connect and Wyndham Connect PLUS provide AI-driven guest engagement tools, contributing to increased direct bookings and incremental revenue. The most engaged hotels averaged more than $60,000 in additional revenue last year, with top performers exceeding $200,000.
“As AI becomes central to how travel is planned and purchased, our focus is on translating innovation into real results for owners,” said Michael Mahar, SVP and head of commercial technology of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “Whether it’s helping reduce operating costs, drive incremental revenue, or expand distribution through new platforms like ChatGPT, our goal is to enable franchisees to compete more effectively while delivering a better experience for guests.”
US hotel lobbyists say hospitality advocacy is moving more local
City councils are the new front line of an organization's efforts
Midtown Manhattan at sunrise, New York City (Getty Images)
https://www.costar.com/article/2006320368/us-hotel-lobbyists-say-hospitality-advocacy-is-moving-more-local?
WASHINGTON, D.C. — While national issues continue to garner the bulk of attention across the hotel industry, leaders with the American Hotels & Lodging Association say more and more of their bandwidth is focusing on local and state issues that directly impact hoteliers.
Speaking during the spring meeting of the Hospitality Asset Managers Association, AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta said Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York present some of the biggest challenges in terms of hotel regulations. For much of the past year, the organization has focused on expanding its efforts on a local level, particularly when it comes to labor and workforce issues.
"This is about building an infrastructure, building a ground game and taking a longer view in terms of how we approach a lot of the challenges that we have," she said. "We can no longer do old-school lobbying the way it's been done, which is trying to defeat a bill or waiting for a bill to drop and then trying to amend it. It doesn't work that way anymore. There's too much at stake."
She said developing relationships on a city council level should be a top priority for hoteliers, and her group is putting more effort into "championing candidates and promoting some candidates for office" at the city level, at least for major markets.
"Just this week, our team was down in New Orleans meeting with the mayor, meeting with state officials, meeting with council members who run economic development and determine policy, and having one-on-one conversations about the impact and importance of tourism," Maietta said.
She said part of the thinking with this strategy is that local policy changes often have a way of spreading around the country.
"We expect some wage issues to be coming out soon, and typically what happens on the East and West Coast moves inward," she said. "So we're preempting that by laying the groundwork and laying those relationships. In New York in the next couple of weeks, we're going to see a workforce mandate. ... Our team is preparing a multi-pronged campaign to address that."
During the same meeting, Matt Carrier, senior vice president of federal government affairs at AHLA, held a discussion with Kirsten Chadwick, a partner at lobbying firm Fierce Government Relations.
They discussed how, among the potential federal legislation right now, the American Franchising Act, which would clarify the federal joint employer rule, is perhaps the most important. The federal interpretation of a joint employer, which defines whether franchisors are considered an official employer of someone working at a franchised business such as a hotel, has flipped back and forth over the past decade as the White House has shifted between Democratic and Republican administrations.
But despite that, Carrier said support for more permanently clarifying the rule has been bipartisan.
"Codifying joint employer, that's bipartisan," he said. "That's something where we're thinking about lame duck opportunities."
Chadwick noted the most likely path forward for that legislation is to be attached to a larger bill.
"It's probably not going to be able to go by itself, so it's probably going to need to have a legislative vehicle to attach itself to," she said.
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