Nearly 10,000 hotels across Europe are pursuing legal action against Booking.com, seeking compensation for alleged “inflated costs” incurred over the past 20 years.
The Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (Hotrec) claims that Booking.com’s parity clauses prevented hotels from offering lower prices or better availability on other platforms or their own websites. According to Hotrec, the platform’s “best price” parity clauses caused significant financial harm, restricting competition and inflating commission fees.
A ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on 19 September 2024 found these clauses to be in breach of EU competition law. Hotrec alleges that the practice resulted in higher commission rates, fewer direct bookings, and market distortion, with potential compensation covering the period from 2004 to 2024.
On 30 July, Hotrec extended the registration deadline for affected hotels to join the collective action until 29 August 2025, ensuring more establishments can participate despite the peak travel season. The lawsuit, expected to be one of the largest in the European hospitality industry, is backed by national hotel associations from 30 countries, including the UK.
The Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance will coordinate the legal proceedings in the Netherlands. Hotrec president Alexandros Vassilikos stated that European hoteliers have faced unfair conditions for too long and now have the opportunity to seek justice collectively.
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