Spanish hotels prepare multi-million euro lawsuit against Booking.com

More than 1,400 Spanish accommodation and tourism businesses are gearing up for a major legal challenge against Booking.com. They accuse the online travel agency of imposing abusive commercial terms over several years, which they claim limited competition and dictated pricing.

The lawsuit involves hotels and tourist apartments, including some of Spain's largest chains. The initiative is being coordinated by CCS Abogados, selected by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (Cehat). The number of participating companies continues to grow, with some representing dozens of hotel units.

At the heart of the complaint are Booking.com's long-standing rules that allegedly prevented hotels from offering lower prices on other platforms or their own websites. However, a September 2024 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union cast doubt on this policy, paving the way for affected establishments to seek compensation.

Booking.com reportedly stopped enforcing these clauses on June 30, 2024, following demands from Brussels under the Digital Markets Act. CCS Abogados estimates that businesses could recover up to 7.3% of the amounts paid to Booking over the years, based on a similar case in the UK. The law firm has also developed an online tool to help claimants estimate potential compensation.

Lawyers are also involved in a similar action in the Netherlands, representing over 15,000 European hotels. This collective action is not expected to go to court before 2027, as legislation requires parties to attempt out-of-court dispute resolution first. Other firms are also pursuing parallel cases with significant financial claims.