More than 10,000 hotels file a complaint

August 4, 2025, more than 10,000 hotels across Europe officially initiated a joint legal proceedings against Booking.comgiant of online booking based in the Netherlands. Similarly, The initiative is coordinated by Hotrecthe main European confederation of hotel. For example, catering and tourism, which accuses the platform of persistent anti -competitive practices.

Booking pricing parity at the center of the collective complaint of European hotel industry – More than 10,000 hotels file

In sight: the imposition. For example, of Price parity clauseswhich prevent hotels from displaying on their own website a price below that offered on Booking. In addition, These clauses. Furthermore, nicknamed “the most favored nation clauses”, are judged by professionals in the sector as a direct obstacle to their commercial freedom. Meanwhile, Markus ngu saidspokesperson for Hotrec. In addition, declares in an interview with RTL Belgium : “This practice prevents any competition more than 10,000 hotels file and directly overnight to consumers and hoteliers”.

According to the article of NL Times dated the same day, the complaint includes 10,273 hotels from 26 European countries. These establishments claim to have been forced to accept abusive contractual conditions, under penalty of dereference. They require compensation for economic losses accumulated for several years.

Reservation. competition and regulation: Pressure Booking – More than 10,000 hotels file

This legal offensive occurs in a Evolutionary regulatory contextmarked by the entry into force of Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the European Union, in March 2024. This regulation imposes new obligations to the platforms considered as “access controllers”, a status awarded to Booking.com by the European Commission. The ban on parity clauses is now expressly provided for in the text. However, according to the complainants, Booking would not have changed his practices quickly quickly.

Added to this is a Complementary complaint on the consumer sideinitiated more than 10,000 hotels file by theDutch Association Consumentenbonde In partnership with the. Foundation Consumers’ Competition Claims (CCC). She accuses Booking of having. between 2013 and 2024, induces clients in:

• of the False promotions,
• a Artificial staging of shortage (ex: “last available room”),
• and a Voluntary opacity on service costs.
  “European hoteliers have long suffered from unjust conditions and excessive costs. It’s time to act together, ”said Alexandros Vassilikospresident of Hotrec.

Booking vs hotels: a legal battle on several levels

From a procedural point of view, the complaint was filed with a Dutch courtBooking Holdings registration country. A first hearing is scheduled in The Hague At the end of October 2025, underlines Blick.

The approach benefits from the financial support of LegalFaira European fund specializing in collective actions, which covers all procedural costs. On the consumer side, it is society Bidwell which advances the costs. No payment more than 10,000 hotels file is requested from the participants, but a maximum percentage of 25 % will be deducted in the event of success.

National federations such as GNI in France or theUnited hotels en italie also expressed their support on the initiative. Several national legal actions could follow if Booking does not change its commercial policy.

Booking counterattack and keeps its line

Booking.com reacted quickly, declaring in a press release transmitted to several media: “We firmly dispute the allegations against us. Since the implementation of Digital Markets Act, we have adapted our conditions to comply with the new European requirements. »»

Despite this defense, the complainants persist. The displayed objective is not only to obtain financial compensationbut above allimpose a structural change In the power relations between booking platforms. accommodation professionals. According to the estimates provided by the Consumentenbond association, potential compensation for consumers could reach more than 10,000 hotels file Several hundred euros per reservationon a total representative Hundreds of millions of euros exhibition for the platform.

A break announced in the economic models of online booking?

If the complaint results, the consequences could be major. The very commercial model of Booking.com, which is based on algorithmic visibility and commissions sometimes greater than 20 %, would be weakened. Hoteliers demand a equitable access to the digital marketwithout depending on a single channel.

In parallel. the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union) has already given an unfavorable opinion to the parity clauses in a previous decision, posing a major legal precedent. European authorities are now closely monitoring Large digital playersconsidered the main “gatekeepers” of the online economy.