18,135 Hotels Seek Damages From Booking Holdings in Amsterdam Class Action
Key Facts
Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance filed the third and final group of signatories on October 30, 2026, in a class action before an Amsterdam court against Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, bringing the total number of participating hotels to 18,135. The foundation said participation rose 68% in three months, in a rapid expansion of the action seeking compensation for financial harm the hotels say they suffered. The dispute centers on price-parity clauses Booking.com used in its dealings with hotels, according to the foundation. The hotels say the clauses limited their ability to offer lower prices through other channels, including their own websites. The foundation estimates the damages sought could reach several billion euros, plus interest.
The claim covers, among other grounds, damages the hotels say resulted from the use of price-parity clauses between 2004 and 2024. The foundation says those clauses restricted hotels’ ability to set lower prices through direct sales channels or other platforms, which it says harmed their financial interests. The compensation claim seeks financial damages for the specified period, according to the foundation’s statement, but it is not a court ruling establishing liability or setting an amount owed. The estimate of “several billion euros, plus interest” comes from the claimant itself. The foundation says the action is based on the effect the hotels attribute to pricing restrictions on their commercial options. The court is expected to hold its first hearing in 2027, according to the foundation.
HOTREC places the action in the context of a European Court of Justice ruling issued on September 19, 2024, and said the ruling confirmed that the broad and narrow parity clauses used by Booking.com violated European competition law. The foundation announced the formal launch of the action before an Amsterdam court on January 30, 2026, backed by more than 30 national hotel associations across Europe. The filing of the final group comes about nine months after that announcement and completes the registration of participants in the case, according to the foundation. The legal process combines the hotels’ claim for compensation for financial damages with consideration of its basis before the court. The case is now awaiting its first hearing, expected in 2027.
Booking.com says it no longer uses price-parity clauses with its partners in the European Economic Area. The company also considers the hotels’ claims regarding its past use of the clauses “incorrect and unjustified,” and said it would defend against legal proceedings alleging that its previous use violated competition law or harmed partners. The company’s position contrasts with the hotels’ claim that restrictions on pricing across different channels caused financial harm. The claims remain the subject of legal dispute, and the foundation’s statement did not cite a ruling granting compensation or determining the value of the damages. The claim concerning parity clauses covers the period 2004–2024.
Booking Holdings said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it faces price-parity-related lawsuits in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The filing said German hotels had brought lawsuits that remain pending, and that two Dutch foundations had filed such claims. It also cited the possibility of additional claims in Spain and France, placing the Amsterdam action among a group of legal disputes related to parity clauses. In the Spanish case, the company said the Spanish National Court suspended in February 2025 a decision by Spain’s competition authority, including payment of the fine, pending a ruling on the appeal. These cases are separate from Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance’s compensation claim before an Amsterdam court, although they concern the broader issue of price-parity clauses.