A collective action has been initiated to unite French and Spanish hoteliers who feel harmed by Booking.com due to excessive commission fees.

This initiative is spearheaded by lawyer Marc Barennes, following a September 2024 ruling from the European Court of Justice that challenges Booking's 'most-favored-nation' clauses.

The ruling allows hotels to offer better prices on their own sites, effectively challenging Booking's restrictive practices.

Under new EU digital market regulations, Booking.com can no longer force hotels to display their best prices on its platform, which could empower hoteliers.

The legal actions will be financed by a litigation funding company, ensuring that hoteliers incur no upfront costs while the funder takes a percentage of any awarded damages.

The total estimated losses for French hoteliers related to Booking.com amount to €1.5 billion, highlighting the platform's significant impact on the industry.

Spanish and Italian competition authorities have also questioned Booking.com's business practices, adding weight to the hoteliers' claims.

In France, a dedicated website has been launched to collect data from hotels that used Booking from 2015 to 2024 to assess potential damages.

Discussions are ongoing to expand this legal initiative to other countries, including Italy and Portugal, aiming for a united European legal front against Booking.com.

In 2024, only 33% of online hotel revenue in Europe came from direct bookings, with the majority through platforms like Booking.com and Expedia, showcasing Booking's dominant market position.

Booking.com is identified as the most widely used platform in France for hotel and tourist accommodation reservations, outperforming competitors like Airbnb.

Barennes plans to file a complaint with the commercial court in France by the end of October 2025, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.