More than 10,000 hotels across Europe have filed a class-action lawsuit against Booking.com, seeking compensation for alleged antitrust violations that they say have been ongoing for the past 20 years. About this informs The Economic Times.
The basis for the lawsuit was the decision of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in 2024, which declared illegal the so-called “best prices” introduced by Booking.com. Those terms prohibited hotels from setting lower prices on their own websites or other platforms, which the court ruled limited competition and violated antitrust laws. With the entry into force of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) in 2024, this practice was stopped within the European Economic Area.
The lawsuit was initiated by the Hotel Claims Alliance and filed in the Netherlands, where Booking.com is headquartered. The initiative was supported by more than 30 national hotel associations, including the German IHA, the Italian Federalberghi, as well as the European association Hotrec.
“European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs. Abuses in the digital market will not be tolerated by Europe’s hotel industry”, — said the president of Hotrec, Alexandros Vasilikas.
The lawsuit covers the period from 2004 to 2024. Hoteliers argue that Booking.com’s pricing policies have in the past hindered the growth of direct bookings and stifled competition.
IHA Executive Director Markus Lute noted:
“This class action has received tremendous support.”
In this regard, the registration deadline for participants was extended until August 29.
