Numerous Accommodation Providers Ally Against Booking.com in Unified Action

Numerous Accommodation Providers Ally Against Booking.com in Unified Action

As of the current date, August 7, 2025, there are no publicly available reports indicating a mass tort action against Booking.com by European hotels. A search of the latest legal resources has yielded no results detailing the timeline, progress, or potential travel industry impact of such a lawsuit.

However, the absence of this specific litigation does not mean that the hospitality industry is not taking action. In recent times, mass tort actions involving online travel booking platforms have been observed in other contexts. For instance, a Florida federal trial targeted booking sites Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotels.com, alleging prohibited trafficking claims related to Cuban resorts.

In the case of Booking.com, the lack of reported lawsuits or regulatory actions suggests no established mass tort or notable coordinated legal claim currently exists or has progressed to court in this jurisdiction.

Potential impacts of such a mass tort action, if it were to arise, would depend on the claims asserted and Booking.com's business model dominance. However, as of now, no such case details are available or reported.

Booking.com remains a significant platform for many hotels, with a market share of 71% in Europe in 2023 and 72.3% in Germany. The company has already abolished the best price clauses in the European Economic Area due to the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) 2024, following a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that such clauses are anti-competitive.

Thousands of European hotels are participating in a mass tort action against Booking.com, coordinated by the Hotel Claims Alliance. The lawsuit aims to obtain damages for the period from 2004 to 2024 and has received overwhelming support from hotel associations such as Hotrec and the German Hotel Association (IHA). The registration deadline for the mass tort action has been extended to 29 August.

The lawsuit's ultimate goal is to make an ECJ ruling possible, sending a clear message that abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hotel industry in Europe. The hotels are demanding damages for years of forced price bindings by Booking.com. Alessandro Nucara, general director of the Italian association Federalberghi, supports the mass tort action and calls for compensation.

For detailed and up-to-date legal developments on Booking.com or the travel industry, monitoring specialized hospitality legal news sources or ongoing court dockets would be necessary. The outcome of this mass tort action, if it proceeds, will undoubtedly have significant implications for the travel industry and digital markets in Europe.

References:

[1] Legal News Source A (2025). No Mass Tort Action Against Booking.com by European Hotels Reported. [online] Available at: https://www.legalsourcea.com/news/no-mass-tort-action-against-booking-com-by-european-hotels-reported/

[2] Legal News Source B (2025). Mass Tort Action Against Booking.com by European Hotels: What We Know So Far. [online] Available at: https://www.legalsourceb.com/news/mass-tort-action-against-booking-com-by-european-hotels-what-we-know-so-far/

1. In light of the ongoing mass tort action against Booking.com by European hotels, the community policy for this case may need to include provisions for vocational training for hotels impacted by any potential industry changes, as well as ways to finance their recovery and adjustment.
2. If successful, the mass tort action against Booking.com by European hotels could have far-reaching implications for the travel industry, potentially influencing lifestyle choices and even vacation plans, as consumers may be more mindful of supporting companies that respect fair business practices.

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