A WOMAN has revealed that she wakes up three hours before her hotel’s pool opens so she can nab the best sunbeds.
Whilst on holiday in Spain, mum-of-three Danielle explained that she will get up at 7am and rush down to the pool to get sunbeds close to the swimming pool.
4
4
4
4
The savvy mum claimed that whilst this might be controversial, she isn’t fussed, as her family chill out by the pool all day long, and she couldn’t think of anything worse than sitting at the back.
The content creator, who is from the UK, took to social media to share a short video of her bagging her sun loungers.
The brunette beauty headed down to the pool in her swimwear as she said: “Yes, I’m that mum that gets up really early to put her towels around the pool so that I’m guaranteed to get a bed.
“This is probably going to be a controversial post, but I just wondered who else does the same?
Read more real life stories
“I’m up at around 7am, I grab my towels and head straight down and I try to find the best beds I can, as close to the pool as possible.
“The reason I do this is because I have three young children and one of them is only two – I know that he will want to be in that water all day long and I want to be as close as I can be to that pool so that I can see him.
“We stay around the pool all day long, probably from around 10am to about 6pm.
“I couldn’t think of anything worse than being so far back away from that pool.
“And not only that, I would hate to come down in the morning after breakfast and there be no beds left for us to sit on.”
Danielle confirmed that the hotel doesn’t open the pool until 10am, but instead of queuing up like everyone else, she beats the rush by getting there hours early.
As she put towels on her chosen beds, she continued: “This hotel, they have actually now blocked off the pool until 10am. As you can see, it is covered round with this mesh gate.
“They do leave a section out with the beds that you can actually put your towels down on earlier than that.
Tips for a stress-free holiday with kids
PARENTS have been told the three ways in which they can make family holidays with kids so much easier.
Three experts have weighed in with their advice on what to do in order to make your getaways as stress-free as possible.
Family holidays are always exciting but having kids of a certain age can mean that things are more difficult than they need to be.
Thanks to Travel Weekly, here are three ways that those with young toddlers can have the best holiday possible.
Clarisse Chapolard, who is responsible for overseeing and caring for Club Med’s customers, says that booking off-peak flights ensures a quieter plane and airport – providing a more comfortable experience.
“Staff will generally be more available to help too,” she adds. “Flights can be the biggest headache with small children, so travel short-haul where possible.”
Clarisse also recommends making sure there are activities nearby to your accommodation to keep toddlers happy.
Having a child-friendly hotel can make the world of difference to your family holiday, especially when parents are looking for some time to themselves.
Founder and chief executive of Martinhal Resorts, Chitra Stern, said: “Accommodation needs to be child-friendly and safe, but also stylish and comfortable for parents.”
Finding somewhere with bed protectors, stair gates, steps in the bathrooms and furniture with round edges will prevent any unnecessary injuries or accidents.
Alan Cross, director of travel agent relationships for Jet2holidays, has recommended parents to look at package holidays for peace of mind, ease and assurance.
“Families with toddlers may appreciate dedicated facilities like kids’ clubs, children’s pools, creches, playgrounds, cots and highchairs,” he said.
Package deals can also include free child places, single-parent deals and discount codes, catering for more than a standard family of four.
“10am is when they open the gates and I’d say from about 9:45am people are queuing up and as soon as those gates open they are running for their beds.
“So, yeah, this is what we do on our holidays so I’m guaranteed a bed as close to that pool as possible.”
Holiday packing tips
Jemma Solomon, aka The Label Lady has got 5 packing tips to help you get organised for your next holiday.
1. Write a list
Think about all the essentials you need to take with you; suncream, medicine, a few games for the kids, beach towels, and write everything in one list, which you can tick off as you add it to your suitcase.
Or for complete ease, try Google’s AI app – Gemini – which will create a list for you and help you not over pack.
2. Involve your kids
Jemma said: “My girls are getting older, they’re 11 and nine, and they enjoy helping to pack. So I send them a list, and say ‘this is what you need’ and they follow the list.
“And then I give them a rucksack each – and say to them ‘you can have whatever you want in there as long as it’s not liquid’, and they can take that on the plane. And that’s their ‘home away from home’ items.”
3. Try a hack or two
She said: “I think they all work, but for different reasons – and you’ve just got to pick the right one for your trip.
“Rolling your clothes is really good to stop your clothes from getting creases. And if you’re trying to get a lot of items into your case, it’s a space saver.
“Packing cubes are great – for example, I’m going on holiday with my three kids and we’re all using the same suitcase for our clothes.
“These handy compartments let you separate your clothes, toiletries and tech into designated cubes, maximising luggage space by keeping your items compressed and neatly stacked.
“I love taking them abroad with the family and it means my kids can easily take charge of their own items once we’ve arrived.”
4. Decant beauty products
Do you really need to take full-size bottles of shampoo and conditioner with you? The beauty industry has evolved so much, you can now buy shampoo bars or sheets – which are much lighter and smaller.
Or, if you’ll be popping to the shops when you’re abroad, consider buying some items when you arrive.
5. Get organised before you come home
Jemma said: “When you repack on holiday [before coming home], the trick is to separate clean from dirty clothes.
“Also pack it in some form of order – so lights, darks, colours for items that need washing, or if you wash your clothes by person in the household, piles for each person.
“Then you can put it straight into the washing machine. Do it straight away, don’t leave it.”
BIG DIVIDE
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @daniellemsands23, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly amassed 120,900 views.
But social media users were left seriously divided by Danielle’s actions.
I do this! Gotta get good seats for the babies
TikTok user
Whilst some mothers confessed to doing the same thing when abroad, others weren’t so keen.
One mum beamed: “I do it every holiday – early bird catches the worm.”
A second chimed in: “Yep I am exactly the same!! And we are there all day (with the exception of breakfast and lunch).”
It’s a no from me. I would remove them and hand them to the receptionist
TikTok user
Whilst someone else admitted: “I do this! Gotta get good seats for the babies and can keep your eye on them then.”
However, at the same time, one person said: “Absolutely not! I have kids as well and it’s a no from me. I would remove them and hand them to the receptionist.”
Another added: “I’m the one who sees your towels in there and chucks them in the pool as it’s not reserved.”
Meanwhile, a third commented: “No, I’m not that sad.”
In response to the haters, Danielle wrote: “No one is touching my towels. Been doing this [for] 10 years and they have never been moved!!”