Over 10,000 hotels join complaint against Booking.com – DW – 08/04/2025
European hotel owners are joining together in a class action suit against the online platform Booking.com, with more than 10,000 hotels have now signed on to the damages suit.
According to the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe HOTREC, which represents the industry within the EU, hotel owners will seek compensation for losses incurred between 2004 and 2024 as a result of so-called "best-price" clauses that keep hotels from offering rooms for less on their own sites.
The initiative is also backed by 30 national hotel associations, including the German Hotel Association (IHA).
Netherlands-based Booking.com used the clauses as a way to prevent what it called "free-rider" bookings, which it defined as a customer discovering a hotel on Booking.com but then booking directly with the hotel and not the online giant.
These clauses had required hotels not to offer rooms at lower prices on other platforms, including their own websites.
A suit to be brought before an Amsterdam court by the Hotel Claims Alliance — and supported by HOTREC and 30 more hotel associations — cites a September 19, 2024 European Court of Justice (ECJ) verdict finding best-price clauses illegal.
The ECJ ruled that online platforms could operate without putting such restrictions on partner hotels.
Booking.com did away with the clause in 2024 as a result of the European Union Digital Markets Act.
"European hoteliers have long suffered from unfair conditions and excessive costs," according to HOTREC President Alexandros Vassilikos.
"This joint initiative sends a clear message: abusive practices in the digital market will not be tolerated by the hospitality industry in Europe."
HOTREC on Monday announced an extension of the time limit to join the suit against Booking.com until August 29.
"The class action is receiving overwhelming support," IHA Managing Director Markus Luthe told Germany's DPA news agency.
Booking.com said has not received an official lawsuit, according to reporting by DPA.
"This is a statement from HOTREC, not a filed class action," the company said in response to an inquiry.
It also rejected the claims by the hotel associations, and the legal arguments based on the ECJ ruling.
"Each of our accommodation partners is free to set their own distribution and pricing strategies and can offer their rooms wherever they choose," the statement said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
How can US-India ties recover from Trump's tariff threats? – DW – 08/05/2025
Donald Trump is using tariffs to pressure India to stop buying oil from Russia and Iran, as trade deal talks have stalled. With India holding firm, what is next for the traditionally friendly bilateral relationship? US President Donald Trump's pressure on India to halt its oil imports from Russia and comply with sanctions on Iran has strained ties between Washington and New Delhi, who have enjoyed a healthy strategic partnership for decades. With trade talks still stalled after several rounds of negotiations, Trump has imposed a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the US which took effect on August 1, and on Monday threatened to "substantially" increase it. India has hit back, saying the tariffs are "unjustified and unreasonable" and that it would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its "national interests and economic security." After calling India a "friend" last week, Trump hardened his tone on Monday, saying New Delhi authorities "don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine" and are helping fund Russia's war effort in Ukraine through their purchases of Russian oil. The tougher rhetoric is a marked shift in relations between India and the US. Ties have deteriorated in recent months, despite the display of personal warmth and symbolic friendship when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Trump earlier this year in Washington. Commodore Uday Bhaskar, a security and strategic affairs expert, believes that despite Trump's "intimidatory" approach, India "does not seek a confrontation." "However, the US has chosen to weaponize trade tariffs in a unilateral and abrasive manner. That is intimidation. And yes ... trust in Washington is low and the disappointment is high," Bhaskar told DW. Amitabh Mattoo, dean of the School of International Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, said that India will not be bullied by "tariffs, tantrums, or threats." "Our ties with Russia and Iran reflect sovereign decisions, not defiance. We are not in the business of appeasement, nor of provocation. Strategic autonomy means engaging on our terms which is clear-eyed, confident, and calm. Let us not confuse noise for strategy," Mattoo told DW. The downturn between Washington and New Delhi has coincided with Trump pursuing closer ties with India's neighbor, Pakistan. The two nuclear-armed rivals recently fought a four-day conflict, which Trump said ended thanks to US mediation — a claim Modi rejected. The US and Pakistan signed a deal last month that will see Washington develop the South Asian nation's oil reserves in exchange for lower tariffs on its exports to the US. India is now the biggest buyer of Russian crude oil by volume, according to data from Finland-based think tank the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. Approximately 35%-40% of Indian oil imports come from Russia, up from just 3% in 2021, the year before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the West has looked to cut ties with Moscow, India has not joined Western sanctions against Russia. Senior Indian officials and the Ministry of External Affairs have repeatedly stated that India's "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia is not negotiable and will not be subject to outside pressure. Trump has also justified the tariffs by pointing to India's ongoing trade with Iran, which has also been hit by Western sanctions over Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza, president of Mantraya, an independent research forum, said American policy "appears to be an expression of [Trump's] frustration to solve the Ukraine war and to pressure Iran." "It also clashes directly with India's policy of strategic autonomy," she told DW. D'Souza also cast doubt on whether Trump's aggressive approach will help resolve the situation, stressing that he risks alienating a willing and trustworthy partner in India. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video D'Souza said India will have to resort to diplomacy to navigate the crisis. In the coming weeks, she said New Delhi will have to analyze whether continuing to buy cheap Russian crude oil is in line with its long-term strategic objectives. "Over the past decade, India's strategic ties with the US have grown stronger, at the expense of its relations with Russia and Iran. Making a complete U-turn may no longer be a viable idea," D'Souza added. Ajay Bisaria, a former diplomat who just returned from the US, said Trump is trying to reshape the world order by deploying two blunt instruments — tariffs and sanctions — with India facing the threat of both. Despite the downturn and harsh rhetoric, Bisaria told DW that "India should play the long game, keep calm, and negotiate. The Trump phenomenon needs to be managed, not countered at every step." India "must prioritize its national interest" with regard to Russian energy imports, Bisaria said, while also conveying to Washington that it "values its partnership" with the US — as long as the White House tones down its increasingly confrontational rhetoric and respects "India's red lines." He pointed to an upcoming visit by a US delegation later this month as a target for a trade deal to be agreed. "Trump should be cordially welcomed to sign the deal later in the year," Bisaria said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Int'l Business Times
8 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Saudi Aramco Profit Drops For 10th Straight Quarter
Oil giant Saudi Aramco announced its 10th straight drop in quarterly profits on Tuesday as a slump in prices hit revenues, putting more pressure on the key driver of the Saudi economy. Second-quarter profits slid 22 percent year-on-year to 85 billion riyals ($22.67 billion), extending a decline that stretches back to late 2022. "The decrease in revenue was mainly due to lower crude oil prices and lower refined and chemical products prices," Aramco said in its quarterly report. Aramco's falling revenues come as Saudi Arabia pursues a costly revamp aimed at reducing its reliance on oil and pivoting towards tourism and business. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 project includes flashy resorts, sprawling entertainment complexes and NEOM, a futuristic $500 billion new city in the desert. Aramco was trading at 23.97 riyals on Tuesday, 12 percent below the 27.35 riyals price of its secondary share offering last year. Since a high point of nearly $2.4 trillion in 2022, when oil prices soared following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Aramco has lost more than $800 billion in market value. Oil prices, currently around $70 a barrel, have remained low despite tensions roiling the Middle East, including the short-lived Israel-Iran war in June. However, Aramco president and CEO Amin H. Nasser remained optimistic, predicting higher demand in the rest of the year. "Market fundamentals remain strong and we anticipate oil demand in the second half of 2025 to be more than two million barrels per day higher than the first half," he said in the report. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia, Russia and six other key members of the OPEC+ alliance announced a production hike of 547,000 barrels per day as they unwind cuts of 2.2 million bpd that were designed to prop up prices. Last month, Saudi Arabia's Jadwa Investment forecast a widening of the budget deficit to 4.3 percent of GDP this year. Oil revenues provided 62 percent of the budget last year. Aramco's latest drop in profits was widely expected by industry analysts. "Oil market forces are more downwards than upwards in the first half of 2025, due to OPEC+ policy shifts and economic uncertainty stemming from the US trade war," Abu Dhabi-based Ibrahim Abdul Mohsen told AFP. "This has impacted the profit margins of oil companies, including Aramco." But he added: "Saudi Arabia has strong reserves capable of defending financial stability and supporting development projects in the short term." Government-owned Aramco listed on the Saudi exchange in the world's biggest initial public offering in 2019, selling 1.7 percent of its shares at $29.4 billion. A secondary offering of 0.64 percent of its issued shares raised a further $11.2 billion in June last year. Aramco has also transferred a 16 percent stake to the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi wealth vehicle that is driving much of Vision 2030.
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Tariffs Don't Spare His Fans In EU
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban promised that the return of his "dear friend" Donald Trump as US president would usher in a new "golden age". But trade unionist Zoltan Laszlo says Hungary's auto industry has seen the opposite as the United States announced new tariffs, with order cancellations and workflow disruptions marking employees' day-to-day experience. With tariff rates rising from 2.5 percent before Trump's return to around 25 percent and finally to 15 percent, the "American tariff slalom" has caused nothing but chaos in the car industry, said Laszlo, who represents workers at Mexican automotive parts manufacturer Nemak's Hungarian plant. In recent years, Hungary and neighbouring Slovakia have become European manufacturing hubs for global car brands seeking lower labour costs, including British Jaguar Land Rover, German Mercedes and Japanese Suzuki. But due to the export-oriented nature of their automotive sectors, catering in part to the US market, they are among those EU nations hardest-hit by the latest tariffs slated to kick in on August 7. Despite hailing Trump's comeback and visiting him twice at his Mar-a-Lago luxury estate last year, Orban -- his closest EU ally -- was not spared the pain. Neither were more favourable conditions extended to Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose country is the world's largest automobile manufacturer per capita. According to analyst Matej Hornak, the incoming tariffs won't bode well. He warns of a drop in exports amounting to "several hundred million euros" and the loss of "10,000-12,000" jobs in the sector. After the announcement of the EU-US trade deal, Orban was quick to apportion blame to EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, saying Trump "ate" her "for breakfast". But in April, the mayor of the Hungarian city of Gyor, whose strong economic growth is closely linked to its car manufacturing plants, had already warned of possible cutbacks and layoffs. For the city, which is home to various global brands and more than a dozen different parts and component suppliers including Nemak, the fresh tariffs are a disaster. As one of the biggest employers in Hungary, German carmaker Volkswagen alone provides jobs for more than 12,000 people. Its main engine factory in Gyor produces some Audi-branded vehicles directly for the US market. The Hungarian government has said that it is still assessing the impact of the tariff rates, vowing that upcoming business deals with Washington could mitigate the negative effects of Trump's "America first" policy. But more headwinds are ahead for Hungary and Slovakia, said Brussels-based geopolitical analyst Botond Feledy. "When it comes to European dealmaking, Trump now prioritises more geopolitically influential figures -- the main option for smaller nations such as Slovakia and Hungary is to join forces with others," he told AFP. But the "aggressive posturing" in the same vein of Trump's protectionist policies both countries adopted in recent months have isolated them among fellow EU countries, making compromises difficult, the expert added. Moreover, the stakes are high for Orban, whose 15-year rule has recently been challenged by former government insider-turned-rival Peter Magyar ahead of elections scheduled for next spring. "Dissatisfaction with the standard of living has made voters more critical, which is also reflected in the popularity ratings of the governing parties," said economist Zoltan Pogatsa, adding that "Hungary has been in a state of near stagnation for many years now". This year's economic "flying start" touted by Orban did not materialise, with the government further lowering the country's growth goal from the initial 3.4 to one percent. "So far, Trump's second presidency has only impacted the Hungarian economy through his tariff policy, which has been negative," Pogatsa added. At the Nemak plant, a recent warning strike has led to management promising to sort out the unpredictable work schedules caused by the tariff changes, which were "unhealthy and physically unbearable" and made "family and private life become incompatible with work", said Laszlo. Some Audi vehicles manufactured in Gyor are exported to the United States AFP Orban during a visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate during the 2024 US presidential campaign AFP US tariffs could cost up to 12,000 jobs in the Hungarian and Slovak auto sector, according to one analyst AFP Instead of a 'flying start' to the Hungarian economy promised by Orban the government has had to put price controls on some food products as it seeks to contain public anger over inflation ahead of elections next year AFP
