Over 10,000 European hotels now part of landmark collective action against Booking.com

Today, the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (SHCA) expanded its collective action proceedings against Booking.com before the Amsterdam District Court by filing claims on behalf of an additional 7,696 hotels.

SHCA launched the proceedings on 30 January 2026 on behalf of an initial group of 3,087 hotels who are seeking, among other things, damages for Booking.com’s use of anti-competitive price parity clauses from 2004 to 2024. Following today’s announcement, the total number of participating hotels stands at 10,783.

SHCA plans a third and final expansion of the lawsuit in autumn 2026, after which it expects the total number of hotels to reach approximately 18,000. Participation is free of charge, and new registrations continue to be received daily. Hotels can join via www.mybookingclaim.com until 11 September 2026.

“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.” stated Alexandros Vassilikos, President of HOTREC.  

Background

For decades, Booking.com has used anti-competitive price parity clauses in its terms and conditions with hotels. These clauses were found to have restricted the hotels’ freedom to set prices, which contributed to Booking’s dominant market position and distorted competition to the detriment of the hotels, resulting in significant financial losses for them. Through the SHCA – which is supported by HOTREC, the umbrella association of hotels, restaurants, bars and cafés in Europe, and more than 30 European hospitality associations – the hotels are seeking damages from Booking.com. The total amount from the claims is expected to total several billion euros.

The lawsuit will be heard before the Amsterdam District Court for several reasons. First, the international jurisdiction of the Amsterdam District Court is indisputable, especially since Booking.com’s terms and conditions expressly stipulate that the courts in the Netherlands shall have exclusive jurisdiction for disputes between hotels and Booking.com. In cases brought before civil courts in other countries, long-running discussions regarding international jurisdiction are to be expected, and it is uncertain whether national courts would eventually consider themselves to have jurisdiction. Furthermore, the Amsterdam District Court is already familiar with the case from parallel proceedings dating back to 2020.

About SHCA

Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (SHCA) is a not-for-profit foundation under Dutch law, with its corporate seat at Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101BA Amsterdam, Netherlands. SHCA is registered with the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce under RSIN 868022937 and in Germany with the Legal Services Register of the Federal Office of Justice under 2025 0000 8247.

Contact

Dr. Volker Soyez, Director Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (soyez@mybookingclaim.com)

Lawrence Kho, Director Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance (kho@mybookingclaim.com)

Jasper Dober, Media and Communications Manager, HOTREC (jasper.dober@hotrec.eu)