A British grandmother goes viral for stripping pool sunbed towels
A British grandmother goes viral for stripping towels from poolside sunbeds at a Tenerife hotel, and most online reaction backs her frustration with sunbed hoggers—though critics say her complaint was fair while touching other guests' belongings may have crossed a line.
Rachael Rogers, known on TikTok as Nanny Rachael, posted a video from the Mediterranean Palace in Tenerife that spread to X and ignited a familiar holiday argument: who really owns a lounger left empty for hours?
Key Takeaways
- Rogers removed towels from multiple empty pool chairs after watching the same guests claim prime spots early each morning.
- The clip drew nearly 3 million TikTok views and close to 4 million on X, where commenters largely sided with her.
- She argued guests in pajamas reserved beds at dawn, then vanished until afternoon while others searched for seats.
- Detractors agreed sunbed hogging is selfish but said she should have complained to hotel staff instead of moving towels.
What did the British tourist do at the pool?
In the viral clip, reposted on X by the account @unlimited_ls, Rogers walks along the pool removing towels from empty sunbeds—some clipped in place—and folds or drops them on the ground. Yahoo reported that she targeted a row of loungers guests had claimed with towels while staying away for hours.
Her TikTok caption was blunt: All week the same people would bag their spot by the pool. So today we decided to give them a little surprise and take them. All you at the Mediterranean Palace in Tenerife, yes it was us. BuzzFeed noted her playful energy throughout, smiling at the camera as she cleared the chairs.
Why is a grandmother going viral for removing pool towels?
The video hit a nerve because poolside chair wars are a staple of package-holiday frustration. Rogers, whose bio reads Devoted Nanny just living her best life, said the same guests repeatedly reserved the best spots, then disappeared.
In a follow-up TikTok cited by BuzzFeed and AOL, she explained that within half an hour those seats would fill up while the early risers were back in bed, at the beach, or shopping. They would return around 2 p.m. wanting the loungers they had claimed at 6 a.m. It's not on, she said. It was just a bit of fun, she added, and they did not stay to watch when guests came back.
Is she justified in teaching sunbed hoggers a lesson?
Yahoo framed the split clearly. Many commenters called her justified, arguing that hogging loungers is greedy when beds are meant for everyone who paid for the holiday. One traveler compared the scene to an Aruba resort where towels appeared as early as 4 a.m.; another said cruise ships see the same behavior by 7 a.m.
Yet even supporters questioned her method. Yahoo quoted reactions saying her message is not wrong but her delivery is, and that management—not another guest—should police abandoned towels. One commenter warned the stunt could provoke confrontation; another said it was not her job to touch other people's property.
Rogers defended the principle: We've all paid the same for the holiday. We're all entitled to sit by the pool. Whether that makes her a hero or a boundary-crosser depends on whether you see empty loungers as fair game—or a problem for the hotel to fix. For more offbeat travel drama, see our Bizarre News & Florida Man coverage.
What are people saying on X and TikTok?
BuzzFeed reported that most commenters praised Rogers, with some wishing her free drinks or blessings. Critics called the move petty and pointed out other beds were still available when she acted—though Rogers said availability would shrink within minutes as more guests arrived.
The debate also turned toward hotels. Several commenters argued staff should enforce time limits on reserved chairs, a point echoed when the X reposter wrote that staff should make sure people stop doing this. Until resorts act, clips like this will keep circulating—fueling the same question every summer. Read the original Yahoo report for more reaction.