Over 10,000 Hotels Sue Booking.com
(MENAFN) Over 10,000 hotels throughout Europe have united in a major lawsuit targeting online travel giant Booking.com, accusing the platform of engaging in unfair business tactics that caused substantial revenue losses, reported a Dutch public broadcaster on Monday.
The affected hotels seek compensation, arguing that Booking.com’s restrictive policies stifled competition and diminished their income. This coordinated legal effort is supported by HOTREC, the leading association representing Europe’s hospitality sector, alongside over 30 national hotel organizations.
"European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs. Now is the time to stand together and demand redress," said HOTREC Chairman Alexandros Vassilikos in an official statement. "This joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hospitality industry in Europe."
The lawsuit focuses primarily on the controversial “best price” or parity clauses that Bookingimposed for years. These clauses prevented hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or via competing booking platforms.
HOTREC confirmed the lawsuit remains open to all qualifying hotels. "Following overwhelming demand from hoteliers across Europe, the deadline to register for the collective action against Bookinghas been extended until Aug. 29, 2025," the organization added. The legal case is expected to be brought before a court in the Netherlands.
This mass legal claim comes shortly after a similar move by Dutch consumer group Consumentenbond, which revealed in June plans for a class-action lawsuit representing Bookingcustomers. The consumer group accuses the platform of price inflation through "illegal agreements and deceptive practices."
Bookinghas denied any wrongdoing related to price manipulation, stating that it is currently reviewing the allegations and will issue a formal response in due course.
The company is already under legal pressure in Europe. Last July, a Spanish court imposed a €413 million (approximately $478 million) fine on Bookingfor related offenses. Additionally, the European Court of Justice ruled that such parity clauses breach EU competition laws. (1 euro = 1.16 U.S. dollars)
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