Hotel establishments across Europe unite in a collective lawsuit against Booking.com, contesting their 'Best-Price' policy.
Thousands of European hotel owners have joined forces in a class-action lawsuit against Booking.com, accusing the online travel giant of imposing unfair pricing restrictions through "best-price" clauses. The lawsuit, coordinated by the Hotel Claims Alliance and supported by the EU-wide industry group HOTREC, is backed by over 10,000 hotels and 30 national associations, including Germany’s IHA and Italy’s Federalberghi [1][2][3][4][5].
The allegations centre around the "best-price" clauses, which previously prohibited hotels from offering lower prices on their own websites or other platforms. These clauses, originally introduced by Booking.com to curb what it called "free-rider" behaviour, have been criticised for restricting competition and suppressing direct bookings [1][2][4][5].
The lawsuit follows a September 19, 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declaring these best-price clauses illegal. The ECJ found that these clauses violated EU antitrust laws and caused financial harm over about 20 years (2004-2024) [1][2][3][5]. In response to this ruling and regulatory pressure under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, Booking.com officially removed the "best-price" clauses from the European Economic Area in 2024 [1][2][4][5].
Hotel associations argue that the damage caused over the previous two decades due to these clauses led to suppressed revenues and higher dependency on online platforms. The lawsuit aims to recover damages for losses incurred during this period [1][3][5].
Booking.com has dismissed the allegations as a mischaracterization. The company insists that its pricing parity policy, which includes best-price clauses, protected its business model by ensuring a level playing field for all hotel partners [1][2]. However, critics see this policy as anti-competitive and restrictive for smaller hotel operators [1][2].
HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos stated that European hoteliers had "long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs" due to these clauses [1]. He welcomed the unity shown by the industry and said the joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated [1].
The suit is being heard in Amsterdam, where Booking.com is headquartered. Hotel owners have until August 29 to join the lawsuit, and support for the legal action continues to grow [1][3].
[1] The Guardian, "Thousands of European hotels launch class action lawsuit against Booking.com", 2024 [2] Reuters, "Booking.com faces class action lawsuit over hotel pricing restrictions", 2024 [3] BBC News, "Hotels sue Booking.com over 'best-price' clauses", 2024 [4] European Commission, "Booking.com removes 'best-price' clauses", 2024 [5] Hotel Management, "European hotels launch class action lawsuit against Booking.com", 2024
- The Hotel Claims Alliance and HOTREC, backed by over 10,000 hotels, have filed a class-action lawsuit against Booking.com, accusing the company of restricting business competition through "best-price" clauses in the finance sector.
- The alleged financial harm caused by these "best-price" clauses, as ruled illegal by the European Court of Justice, led to suppressed revenues and higher dependency on online platforms for thousands of European hotel owners.
