Hoteliers in France and Spain are launching a frontal attack on Booking.com, with the support of the law firms Eskariam and Geradin Partners. Lawyer Marc Barin officially announced the initiative, accusing the platform of imposing excessive commissions and unfair terms. The recent ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (September 2024), which invalidated the so-called “parity clauses”, paved the way: hotels can now offer better prices through other channels, without fear of sanctions.
Hoteliers’ activation
To facilitate collective action, the two firms created the platform actioncollectivehotel.fr, inviting hoteliers who worked with Booking.com from 2015 to 2024 to participate. The aim is to assess the damages and claim compensation, which for independent hotels can reach tens or hundreds of thousands of euros, while for larger chains it can reach millions. It is estimated that the total losses for France alone reach 1.5 billion euros. The legal costs will be covered by a dispute financing company, which will receive 25–30% of the amount in case of success, at no cost to the participants. The filing of the lawsuit before a commercial court in France is expected by the end of October.
Booking.com’s “monopoly” under the microscope
Booking.com’s dominance in the online market is undisputed. According to data from D-Edge, in 2024, only 33% of hotel revenue from online bookings came from direct bookings. The rest of the bookings were distributed through platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia. In France in particular, according to Statista, Booking.com remains the top choice for hotel and travel bookings, even surpassing Airbnb.
Pan-European resistance on the horizon
The initiative does not stop in France and Spain. Consultations are already underway with law firms in Italy, Portugal, and other countries, aiming for a coordinated European attack against Booking.com. If the front is strengthened, it could cause profound upheavals in terms of online tourism trade.
The mobilization against Booking.com may be a turning point in the tourism market. This initiative is not only about claiming compensation, but also seeks to generally reshape the terms of the game in online bookings, giving more autonomy and power to hotels, especially smaller and independent ones.
The man behind the campaign
Marc Barennes, who is leading this effort, has experience in similar cases. Since 2021, he has been coordinating a similar lawsuit against meal voucher issuers in France for unfair competition practices, representing 8,000 points of sale. Despite the delays, his example shows that such collective claims, although complex, can bring significant results.
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