A British tourist went viral on X after removing towels from multiple poolside sunbeds that had been left unused, a clip tied to the keyword grandmother goes viral for removing towels from reserved holiday sunbeds. The video drew close to 4 million views and turned a familiar holiday dispute into a fresh argument over who gets to hold a chair without sitting in it.
RIU in Aruba towel dispute
In the video posted June 22, 2026, the woman pulled towels off empty loungers along the poolside and dropped them on the ground. She said the same guests were claiming the best loungers early each morning and then disappearing for hours without using them.
One commenter said guests at the RIU in Aruba put towels out as early as 4:00 AM to reserve a chair, and that more than half of those reserved seats stayed empty for almost all day. The same commenter said some people showed up for 30-60 mins and left, while others never showed up at all.
X debate over reserved loungers
The creator who posted the clip wrote, 'Staff should definitely make sure people stop doing this.' Another commenter said, 'Her message isn’t wrong but her delivery is. That’ll get her a** kicked.' The split response put the focus on the practice itself and on whether a guest should step in at all.
Support for her complaint was widespread, but not unanimous. One commenter said, 'Not her job to police lounge chairs. Her objection is valid, but she should complain to management.' Another said the problem happens all the time on cruise ships, and one said that by 7am, all the seats are 'toweled'.
Holiday sunbeds and hotel rules
The video’s appeal came from a simple scene that many vacationers recognize: chairs held early, then left empty for hours. In practical terms, that leaves three possible responses for guests who arrive later — accept the lineup, move on to another spot, or press staff to enforce the rule if one exists.
What the clip does not show is a staff response after the towels were removed, so the live question for resorts is less about the viral moment than about whether anyone will police the sunbeds before the chairs disappear again at dawn.
