UK: Hotel booking sites reborn as ethical standard-bearers

An investigation into the online hotel booking industry could be an opportunity for booking platforms to rebrand themselves with a focus on ethical practices

UK regulators are ordering hotel booking sites to eliminate misleading sales tactics, a move that could reduce their revenues but ideally lead to increased consumer confidence. The action follows a 14-month investigation sparked by concerns about pressure selling, misleading discount claims and hidden fees.

Key takeaways

• The investigation covered Expedia Group brands, including Expedia, Trivago, Hotels.com and eBookers, as well as Booking Holdings' Booking.com and Agoda. It was led by the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA);
• The companies must now improve transparency by disclosing hidden fees and accurately reflecting demand for available rooms;
• They also agreed to stop using misleading price comparisons, such as strikethrough pricing and phrases like "% off," which were used to create the false impression of discounts.

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