Over 10,000 hotels in Europe are joining a class action lawsuit against Booking.com, seeking compensation for losses incurred due to "best-price" clauses from 2004 to 2024. These clauses prevented hotels from offering lower prices on their own websites. Supported by HOTREC and 30 national hotel associations, the lawsuit cites a European Court of Justice ruling that deemed such clauses illegal. Following the ruling, Booking.com removed these clauses in 2024, leading to widespread support for the class action among European hoteliers.
"European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs," according to HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos. "This joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hospitality industry in Europe."
Booking.com used the clauses as a way to prevent what it called "free-rider" bookings, which it defined as a customer discovering a hotel on Booking.com but then booking directly with the hotel and not the online giant.
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