In Brief: More than 10,000 European hotels have joined a major collective legal action challenging Booking.com’s business practices, signaling escalating industry pushback against the platform’s influence over distribution terms and commissions.
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Over 10,000 European Hotels Now Part of Landmark Collective Action Against Booking.com – Image Credit Unsplash
The Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (SHCA) has expanded its collective action proceedings against Booking.com before the Amsterdam District Court by filing claims on behalf of an additional 7,696 hotels.
The proceedings were launched on 30 January 2026 on behalf of an initial group of 3,087 hotels. Following the latest expansion, the total number of participating hotels now stands at 10,783.
The participating hotels are seeking, among other things, damages linked to Booking.com’s use of anti-competitive price parity clauses between 2004 and 2024.
SHCA is planning a third and final expansion of the lawsuit in autumn 2026, after which it expects the total number of participating hotels to reach approximately 18,000. Participation is free of charge, and hotels can continue to register via www.mybookingclaim.com until 11 September 2026.
Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC, stated: “Hospitality businesses across Europe have recognised the detrimental effects of Booking.com’s anti-competitive practices and are now seeking redress. The scale of this collective action reflects the determination of European hoteliers to defend fair competition and seek compensation for the harm they have suffered.”
The collective action is led by SHCA, a not-for-profit foundation under Dutch law, and is supported by HOTREC and more than 30 national hospitality associations. The participating hotels are seeking damages from Booking.com for the use of price parity clauses, which restricted hotels’ freedom to set prices and distorted competition to their detriment.
The proceedings are being brought before the Amsterdam District Court. Booking.com’s terms and conditions provide for the jurisdiction of the Dutch courts in disputes between the platform and hotels, and the Amsterdam District Court is already familiar with the matter through related proceedings dating back to 2020.
Read the full statement here
