Booking.com on the Bench: What European and Greek Hotels Are Claiming

Greek hotels are joining the fight to claim compensation from Booking.com as the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) announced its support for the pan-European collective action by more than 25 European hotel associations against the platform.

The subject of the legal battle is the platform's parity clauses, which, as the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in its decision of September 19, 2024, violated EU competition law.

This decision led to the possibility of claiming compensation, with huge amounts at stake for hotels across Europe, which is now being pursued through a collective action with the support of HOTREC.

Al. Vassilikos in Tornos News | Hotels should invest in their own sales channels

The message of the pan-European class action against Booking.com is that hotels should invest in their own sales channels so that they are not dependent on platforms, which is not easy for small hotels, especially when there are platforms with a dominant position that implement practices against regulations, not allowing hoteliers to develop their own sales channels or take advantage of free competition, emphasizes in statements to Tornos News the president of the Greek Hotel Association and HOTREC, Mr. Alexandros Vassilikos.

This mobilization, which is being carried out by more than 25 countries in Europe, proves that hoteliers themselves can join forces to confront unfair practices in the market, he pointed out.

Since 2004, Booking.com's parity clauses have caused a serious competitive disadvantage to Greek hotels, causing them significant financial losses, since:

- They limited price competition between Booking.com and other online platforms, leading hotels to pay increased commissions and

- They limited hotels from offering better prices or availability on their own websites, strangling their direct sales and autonomy.

This regime caused unfair competition as hotels did not have a valid position in their product, affecting to a greater extent small and medium-sized hotel businesses that lost the ability to negotiate their prices, points out the president of ITEP, Ms. Konstantina Svinou, characterizing the lawsuit as vindication for the hotel industry.

According to the general principles of European competition law, hotels in Greece have the right to claim compensation from Booking.com for the financial losses they have suffered, and may be entitled to recover a significant part of the commissions they paid to Booking.com during the period 2004 to 2024, plus interest. The commissions of Greek hotels to Booking were on average just under 20% of the sales price, while in some cases they reached 25%.

A large number of Greek hoteliers are expected to participate in the lawsuit. According to the president of the Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association, Mr. Evgenios Vassilikos, since the first announcement of the launch of the lawsuit against Booking.com, most of the Athens hoteliers with whom the Association has spoken wish to participate in the lawsuit.

Of course, Athens hotels have a comparatively lower dependence on platforms such as Booking, due to the fact that a large part of their clientele comes from business trips that do not "go through" online travel agencies, but also because the Greek capital is now an established destination offered through many platforms, explains the president of Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association.

The Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association invites all hotels in Greece to register at www.mybookingclaim.com, with a deadline for participation on July 31, 2025.

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