10,000 European hotels unite in lawsuit targeting Booking.com’s pricing policies

The legal action was brought and is coordinated by the Hotel Claims Alliance and supported by HOTREC, the association representing hotels, restaurants, and cafés across the EU, along with over 30 national hotel associations, including Germany’s IHA.

The claims stem from a 2024 decision by the European Court of Justice, which determined that Booking.com's "best-price" parity clauses were in violation of EU competition rules. These now-banned clauses undermined free pricing and reduced competition by limiting hotels from providing cheaper prices on their own websites or other booking platforms. The lawsuit claims that between 2004 and 2024, hotels suffered significant financial losses as a result of those actions.

“European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs. Now is the time to stand together and demand redress. This joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hospitality industry in Europe,” said Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC.

The lawsuit has been filed in Amsterdam, where Booking.com is headquartered. The company, in response, stated it has not received formal notice of the proceedings and described HOTREC’s message as a public statement rather than an official class action. Booking.com maintains that accommodation providers are free to determine their own pricing and distribution strategies.

As earlier reported, over the past two years some Kazakhstani airlines have frequently used overbooking-particularly on high-demand routes and during holidays or weekends. Until recently, airlines in Kazakhstan were held liable for failing to provide a seat to ticketed passengers only on international flights.