Mum left close to tears in Benidorm sunbed wars as people 'swarmed like ants'
A frazzled mum claims she's been left 'close to tears' by Benidorm's chaotic sunbed wars as footage shows desperate Brits 'swarming like ants' to reserve poolside spots.
Cayleigh Tuffs splashed out £2,000 for a Jet2 package holiday to Magic Aqua Rock Gardens in the Spanish holiday hotspot with husband Andrew Tuffs, 37, and eight-year-old daughter Charley Tuffs. The 34-year-old was on the verge of tears on their first day after she ended up sitting under a water slide because there were no sunbeds free at the all-inclusive hotel.
She's since noticed the pool is packed with queuing Brits an hour before it opens at 10am, when 'chaos' unfolds as the gates are opened by staff. Footage shot by the IT manager on Thursday shows holidaymakers crammed near multiple entrances before rushing 'like ants' across the slippery floor to throw their towels on shaded sunbeds.
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Cayleigh, Andrew and Charley Tuffs on holiday in Benidorm (Kennedy News & Media)
The mum described the rush around the poolside (Kennedy News & Media)Stunned Cayleigh can be heard saying 'Jesus Christ' as she and Charley waits to see if Andrew, who began queuing at 9am, could bag a spot for them. The dad managed to reserve two beds, one more than the crane operative could grab during his other attempts on Monday and Wednesday when he queued from 9.20am.
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Cayleigh says there's at least three different entrances to the pool and some have even resorted to using a 'sneaky' entrance near the toilet blocks. The mum-of-one claims that despite there being a rule of staff removing towels left on beds for more than 20 minutes, some are left for up to six hours unattended.
She's since explained her experience of the hotel's sunbed wars has been 'horrendous' and insists she'll never return to Benidorm with her family. Cayleigh from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, said: "They're like ants scurrying for food. It's horrendous.
"We've seen people throw towels across the pool to get beds and people are running even though it's massively slippery. We go on holiday five times a year and this is the first time we've ever seen anything like this.
"On the first day we got here in the afternoon so there was no chance of getting a bed so we sat under a slide to get some shade. I was nearly in tears, it was horrendous. I've never wanted to cry on holiday before, but I did on that first day."
The Magic Aqua Rock Gardens in Benidorm (Kennedy News/Google Maps)Cayleigh recalled how the rush for the sunbeds unfolded, and how keen holidaymakers are to bag themselves a spot around the pool.
"The pool opens at 10am and Andrew has had to queue while I get Charley ready. He started queuing at 9am so we could get a bed and watch Charley play in the pool. When it opens one of the staff tells people not to go (and get a bed) yet but you can see them edging forward to try and get there early," the mum said.
"Staff have no control. There's a sign that says 'if you leave towels for 20 minutes, we'll remove them' but I haven't seen that happen in five days. There's people saving beds for five or six hours when nobody's been on them. That's really frustrating when I just want to watch my daughter play.
"When we're not sitting around the pool we can't see her play so she's either got to stay with us or we've got to be in the pool with her. We can't leave her on her own. Everyone's moaning about the situation but I just avoid the conflict.
"People I've shown have been shocked about it and they think it's hilarious. You've just got to laugh about it. I've never seen so many people packed into one area in my life. I'll never come with my family again because of how chaotic it is. I've been with my friends before but it's been nothing like this year."
Cayleigh, who flew home on Friday after five nights away, says she usually goes to 'more relaxed' resorts in countries such as Tunisia or Turkey. She posted her video to Facebook and captioned it 'sunbed wars' to show friends the struggles of securing a poolside bed.
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One commented: "It's like a swarm of ants when you lift a rock up lol." Another wrote: "My idea of hell. And pushed right up against people you don't know, and in the shade!! Madness."
Magic Costa Blanca, which oversees Magic Aqua Rock Gardens, has been contacted for comment. A spokesperson for Jet2 said: "We have no control over this and encourage hotels to set their own policies on guests reserving sunbeds."
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