With Swiss participation Europe-wide class action filed against Booking.com
A Europe-wide class action lawsuit against the online booking platform Booking.com, which has been in preparation for months, has been officially filed. Numerous Swiss hotels have also joined the lawsuit. As Hotelleriesuisse announced on Friday, the legal proceedings have now been formally opened.
30.01.2026, 22:32
SDA
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- The Europe-wide class action lawsuit against Booking.com was filed in Amsterdam.
- Numerous Swiss hotels have also joined the lawsuit.
- The subject of the lawsuit is the longstanding use of so-called parity clauses by Booking.com.
The Hotel Claims Alliance Foundation, which was set up specifically for this purpose, has filed the lawsuit with the competent district court in Amsterdam. Several hundred hotels from Switzerland are participating in order to assert claims for damages.
The class action was launched in May 2025 by the European hospitality industry umbrella organization HOTREC. The two industry associations Hotelleriesuisse and Gastrosuisse already informed their members about the opportunity to participate last year. The response was very positive: Several thousand accommodation providers from all over Europe submitted their documents.
Parity clauses at the center
The subject of the complaint is Booking.com's long-standing use of so-called parity clauses. These clauses obliged hotels not to offer their rooms on any other platform - not even on their own website - at lower prices or at better conditions than on Booking.com. The clauses are now considered anti-competitive and have been banned in Switzerland since 2022.
From the perspective of the plaintiff companies, these provisions led to considerable financial disadvantages. According to the hotels, Booking.com demanded excessive commissions, restricted competition between booking platforms and deliberately made it more difficult for hotels to sell directly. With the lawsuit, the hotels are seeking compensation for allegedly overpaid commissions.
Tailwind from Germany
The proceedings have been given additional significance by a ruling from Germany. The Berlin Regional Court ruled that Booking.com must compensate over 1,000 accommodation operators for any damages they may have suffered as a result of the use of unlawful best price clauses. However, a representative of Booking.com pointed out to the news agency AWP that the ruling did not decide whether any party had actually suffered damages and whether compensation had to be paid.
According to the interest group,Hotelleriesuisse and the hotels involved are not only concerned with financial claims, but also with fundamental improvements in the online booking market. The associations hope to limit the market power of individual platforms, increase transparency and create fairer competitive conditions in favor of direct bookings. The class action is being financed externally and there are no legal costs for the participating hotels.
