The hotels cite a ruling by the European Court of Justice dated September 19, 2024 that essentially states that the best-price clause is illegal. — REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
ROME: More than 10,000 European hotels are joining collective legal action against Amsterdam-based Booking.com to seek compensation for losses caused by the online travel agency's use of so-called "best price" clauses.
According to reports, the best price clauses could be in violation of antitrust law, but a court in Amsterdam must ultimately resolve the case. These clauses had prevented hotels from offering their rooms at a lower price outside the platform, such as on their own website. The aim is to prevent so-called "free-rider" bookings where customers find the hotel on Booking.com and then go to the hotel's own website to make their booking.
