European Hotels File Joint Lawsuit Against Booking.com

There is a pan-European legal action against Booking.com. The lawsuit is based on the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued on 19 September 2024, which ruled that Booking.com’s parity clause violated EU competition law. The action is also supported by HOTREC, the European umbrella association of hotels and restaurants, along with more than 25 national industry organisations.

In 2021, Booking.com unilaterally terminated negotiations with the German Hotel Association regarding compensation for damages caused to German hotels by the parity clause. Subsequently, Booking.com initiated legal proceedings against hundreds of German hotels in the District Court of Amsterdam. As an interim measure in the still ongoing case, the CJEU issued its decision on 19 September 2024, upholding the ruling of the German competition authority. The court confirmed that Booking.com’s parity clause breached EU competition law. This decision has opened the door for hotels across Europe to seek compensation from Booking.com for the damages they suffered. Claims for compensation are being pursued through a collective lawsuit.

For over 20 years, parity clauses have placed European hotels at a significant competitive disadvantage. The restriction of competition between Booking.com and rival booking platforms led to hotels being charged excessively high commissions. These clauses limited hotels’ rights to offer better prices or availability on their own websites, reducing direct sales to customers and undermining their pricing autonomy.

Hotels are entitled to claim compensation from Booking.com for their financial losses. Hotels that suffered due to Booking.com’s practices have the opportunity to reclaim a substantial portion of the commissions paid to Booking.com between 2004 and 2024, along with interest.

The collective action is being managed by a team of experienced lawyers and economists specialising in competition law, who also handled the case leading to the CJEU’s ruling.

The registration deadline is 31 July 2025.

The collective lawsuit is coordinated by a consortium of hotels. It will be filed in the District Court of Amsterdam, where Booking.com is headquartered, enabling a unified and effective approach for all participating hotels.

National hotel associations supporting the lawsuit represent the following countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Estonia.