Amsterdam District Court Receives Collective Action Against Booking.com Over Parity Clauses

A collective action seeking compensation for European hotels related to Booking.com’s parity clauses has been formally initiated before the Amsterdam District Court.

HOTREC has announced the formal initiation of a collective action before the Amsterdam District Court seeking compensation for European hotels regarding Booking.com’s use of wide and narrow parity clauses.

The filing follows the judgment of the European Court of Justice dated 19 September 2024, which found that Booking.com’s wide and narrow parity clauses breached EU competition law. According to HOTREC, these clauses restricted price competition, affected hotels’ direct distribution channels, and led to higher commission levels over an extended period.

The statement of claim includes thousands of hotels from across Europe and is brought by an independent Dutch foundation representing the affected hotels. HOTREC is supporting the initiative, along with more than 30 national hotel associations across Europe.

Details regarding the collective action include:

– Initiation of the collective action before the Amsterdam District Court.

– Basis in the European Court of Justice judgment of 19 September 2024 regarding Booking.com’s parity clauses.

– Inclusion of thousands of hotels from across Europe in the statement of claim.

– The claim is brought by an independent Dutch foundation representing affected hotels. –

 Support from HOTREC and more than 30 national hotel associations across Europe. –

 Planned extensions of the legal action by the foundation in the course of 2026 to cover additional hotels.

The legal action addresses alleged past harm arising from the use of parity clauses. HOTREC stated that further procedural steps will follow before the Dutch courts. No additional details regarding the proceedings were provided.

For further information, HOTREC has referred interested parties to www.mybookingclaim.com.