Collection of the hotel industry: 15,000 hotels demand against Booking.com!
Collection of the hotel industry: 15,000 hotels demand against Booking.com!
The hotel industry in Europe is preparing for big complaints against the well -known booking portal Booking.com. Over 15,000 hotels from different countries, including Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria, have already registered to take part in a class action. These legal steps aim to demand compensation for the financial losses that have suffered hoteliers through the controversial best price clauses from Booking.com. According to reports, the deadline for registration for the lawsuit on Friday ends, which is already causing a lot. The Krone reports that the lawsuit should be submitted to the Amsterdam district court before the end of the year.
The focus of the legal examination is the best price clauses from Booking.com, which prohibited hotels to offer their rooms more cheaply on their own websites than on the platform. These clauses were declared illegal in September 2022 by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The verdict found that these clauses violate EU competition law, which is a turning point for the hotels concerned. Because the legal provisions within the EU are clear: practices that are contrary to competition are not only undesirable, they can also lead to severe punishments, as the EU requirements determine. In the event of violations, up to 10 % of the worldwide annual turnover .The reactions of the hoteliers
HOTREC, the European Association of Hotel and Gastronomy businesses, is at the top of this legal offensive. Hotrec President Alexandros Vassilikos made it clear that the hotel industry raises a uniform demand: Booking.com should be held responsible. A central point of the class action is the demand for compensation for the financial loss, which results from the pricing laws contrary to antitrust. Industry experts estimate that the affected hotels could reclaim up to 30 percent of the commissions paid for the past 20 years. This shows how significantly the pressure on Booking.com is now. Infranken reports on this step.
The best price clauses allowed Booking.com to influence the competition on the market and to curtail the autonomy of the hoteliers. This not only led to financial losses, but also to a considerable loss of price sovereignty, especially for smaller companies that suffered from the high commissions. The coordination of the legal steps is supported by the Hotel Claims Alliance Foundation, which underlines the solidity of the demands. The clear message to Booking.com is: take responsibility and adhere to fair competitive practices.
In this heated argument, it becomes clear that the hotel industry is willing in Europe to stand up for its rights. The next few weeks and months could be groundbreaking for the industry, which is challenged by the ECJ judicial changes. The feeling in the industry is clear: it is time to defend yourself against unjustified practices and finally insist on fair conditions.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Ort | Amsterdam, Niederlande |
| Quellen | |