Booking.com on the Bench: What European and Greek Hotels Are Claiming

2 weeks ago 17

Greek hotels are joining the combat to assertion compensation from Booking.com arsenic the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) announced its enactment for the pan-European corporate enactment by much than 25 European edifice associations against the platform.

The taxable of the ineligible conflict is the platform's parity clauses, which, arsenic the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled successful its determination of September 19, 2024, violated EU contention law.

This determination led to the anticipation of claiming compensation, with immense amounts astatine involvement for hotels crossed Europe, which is present being pursued done a corporate enactment with the enactment of HOTREC.

Al. Vassilikos successful Tornos News | Hotels should put successful their ain income channels

The connection of the pan-European people enactment against Booking.com is that hotels should put successful their ain income channels truthful that they are not babelike connected platforms, which is not casual for tiny hotels, particularly erstwhile determination are platforms with a ascendant presumption that instrumentality practices against regulations, not allowing hoteliers to make their ain income channels oregon instrumentality vantage of escaped competition, emphasizes successful statements to Tornos News the president of the Greek Hotel Association and HOTREC, Mr. Alexandros Vassilikos.

This mobilization, which is being carried retired by much than 25 countries successful Europe, proves that hoteliers themselves tin articulation forces to face unfair practices successful the market, helium pointed out.

Since 2004, Booking.com's parity clauses person caused a superior competitory disadvantage to Greek hotels, causing them important fiscal losses, since:

- They constricted terms contention betwixt Booking.com and different online platforms, starring hotels to wage accrued commissions and

- They constricted hotels from offering amended prices oregon availability connected their ain websites, strangling their nonstop income and autonomy.

This authorities caused unfair contention arsenic hotels did not person a valid presumption successful their product, affecting to a greater grade tiny and medium-sized edifice businesses that mislaid the quality to negociate their prices, points retired the president of ITEP, Ms. Konstantina Svinou, characterizing the suit arsenic vindication for the edifice industry.

According to the wide principles of European contention law, hotels successful Greece person the close to assertion compensation from Booking.com for the fiscal losses they person suffered, and whitethorn beryllium entitled to retrieve a important portion of the commissions they paid to Booking.com during the play 2004 to 2024, positive interest. The commissions of Greek hotels to Booking were connected mean conscionable nether 20% of the income price, portion successful immoderate cases they reached 25%.

A ample fig of Greek hoteliers are expected to enactment successful the lawsuit. According to the president of the Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association, Mr. Evgenios Vassilikos, since the archetypal announcement of the motorboat of the suit against Booking.com, astir of the Athens hoteliers with whom the Association has spoken privation to enactment successful the lawsuit.

Of course, Athens hotels person a comparatively little dependence connected platforms specified arsenic Booking, owed to the information that a ample portion of their clientele comes from concern trips that bash not "go through" online question agencies, but besides due to the fact that the Greek superior is present an established destination offered done galore platforms, explains the president of Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association.

The Athens - Attica & Argosaronic Hoteliers Association invites each hotels successful Greece to registry astatine www.mybookingclaim.com, with a deadline for information connected July 31, 2025.