The lawsuit, led by the Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance and backed by the European hospitality umbrella group HOTREC, seeks substantial financial compensation for decades of anti-competitive practices. The lawsuit centres on “best price” clauses enforced by Booking.com that prohibited hotels from offering lower rates on other platforms or their own official websites. Booking.com dropped these clauses in 2024 to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act and following a European Court of Justice ruling confirming the clauses violated EU competition law. The legal push is supported by more than 30 national hospitality associations across Europe. Eligible European hotels can register to join the collective action at no cost until 11 September 2026.,