The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) is calling on Greek hoteliers to join a major pan-European legal action against Booking.com, following a decisive European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that found the platform’s rate parity clauses breached EU competition law.
The collective lawsuit, backed by HOTREC – the umbrella body representing Europe’s hospitality sector – aims to secure compensation for hotels harmed by Booking.com’s “long-standing parity practices”. According to HOTREC, these contractual clauses prevented hotels from offering lower prices or better availability on their own websites or other platforms, limiting competition and increasing commission costs.
“This is a substantial opportunity for Greek hoteliers to exercise their legal rights and seek redress for the damages they have suffered, while contributing to a fairer digital marketplace,” said Alexandros Vassilikos, President of the HCH and HOTREC.
Alexandros Vassilikos, President of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels and HOTREC. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)
The case is being coordinated by the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance and will be brought before courts in the Netherlands. Affected hotels may be eligible to recover a significant portion of commissions paid to Booking.com between 2004 and 2024, plus interest.
Source: mybookingclaim.com
Over 25 national hotel associations have joined the action, HOTREC said in an announcement. These include associations from: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
“The time has come to stand together,” Vassilikos added. “European hoteliers have endured unfair digital practices for too long. This collective action sends a clear message: such abuse will not go unchallenged.”
In 2021, Booking.com withdrew from compensation negotiations with the German Hotel Association and initiated legal proceedings against several hundred hotels.
According to HOTREC, that move ultimately led to the ECJ’s landmark decision in September 2024, “confirming the anti-competitive nature” of the platform’s clauses.
A team of experienced EU competition lawyers and economists is handling the case, which is open to hotels across Europe.
Registration is available at www.mybookingclaim.com, with a participation deadline set for July 31, 2025.
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