Booking.com faces multi-billion euro lawsuit from 15,000 hotels

More than 15,000 hotels across more than 30 countries have joined a massive collective lawsuit against Booking.com in the Netherlands. The legal action, filed with the District Court in Amsterdam, targets the platform's use of so-called ‘price parity clauses’ between 2004 and 2024.

Hoteliers, supported by the European hotel association HOTREC and the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (SHCA), allege that these contractual terms prevented them from offering lower prices on their own websites or through competing platforms. They argue this practice stifled price competition, increased their dependence on the platform, and allowed Booking.com to maintain high commission rates.

The total damages sought could reach several billion euros. The SHCA estimates that hotels may be entitled to claim 30% or more of the total commissions paid to Booking.com during the two-decade period. While the lawsuit focuses on hotel profits, there are questions regarding whether these practices also indirectly increased costs for tourists by limiting access to lower prices. The legal proceedings are expected to continue for several years.