European Hoteliers Launch Collective Legal Action Against Booking.com

National hotel associations from more than 25 European countries are launching a landmark pan-European collective action against Booking.com, supported by HOTREC, the umbrella association representing the hospitality sector in Europe.

This unprecedented legal move follows the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling of 19 September 2024, which confirmed that Booking.com’s parity clauses—contractual terms preventing hotels from offering better prices on other platforms or their websites—violated EU competition law.

For two decades, such clauses harmed price competition, inflated commission rates, and restricted the autonomy of thousands of European hotels.

“European hoteliers have long endured unfair conditions and inflated costs. Now is the time to stand together and seek redress,” said Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC. “This collective action sends a strong message: abusive practices in the digital marketplace will not go unchallenged.”

How Hotels Can Join

All affected hotels across Europe may be eligible to recover a significant portion of commissions paid to Booking.com between 2004 and 2024, plus interest.

They can register via: www.mybookingclaim.com

Deadline: 31 July 2025

Background

The legal action is coordinated by the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance, and will be brought before the courts in the Netherlands to ensure a unified and efficient process. It is supported by national associations from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.