Fez – More than 10,000 hotels across Europe have joined a class-action lawsuit accusing the website “Booking.com” of imposing illegal “parity clauses” that forced them to match the platform’s prices on all other channels, including their own websites.
The case, filed in Amsterdam and backed by 30 national hotel associations, seeks damages for the period between 2004 and 2024, when the Netherlands-based travel giant dropped the clauses to comply with the EU Digital Markets Act.
Hotrec, the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe, says the clauses were secured under pressure and prevented smaller hotels from offering discounts elsewhere, reducing their ability to compete.
Industry figures say the policy allowed the platform to tighten its hold on the market, eventually controlling over 70% of Europe’s online hotel bookings by 2024. They argue that its growing dominance enabled higher commission rates and increased pressure on hotel margins.
“Booking.com” rejects the allegations, describing the claims as incorrect and misleading. The company maintains its past parity clauses, which foster competitive pricing, and points to internal polling suggesting that most hoteliers saw profitability and occupancy rise through its platform.
The dispute follows a 2024 ruling of the European Court of Justice that found parity clauses fall under EU competition law, with their legality to be judged individually by each case.
Legal experts say the lawsuit could be lengthy and hinge on how damages are calculated, but see it as a symbolic pushback against the dominance of digital booking platforms.
The case comes amid broader scrutiny of major online platforms’ market power in Europe — a debate closely watched in tourism-dependent economies such as Morocco, where many independent hotels also rely on global booking giants for visibility.
