Booking.com News

As a global leader in online accommodations and travel services, Booking.com continues to shape the digital travel experience through innovation, platform evolution, and strategic partnerships. PhocusWire delivers the latest Booking.com news to keep industry professionals informed on how this travel giant is adapting to shifting market dynamics and consumer expectations.

Key Booking.com updates, partnerships, and market trends

Follow developments in Booking.com’s core technology, loyalty strategies, and supplier relationships, along with its expansion into flights, experiences, and payments. Our reporting covers how the brand is responding to competitive pressures, regulatory environments, and the increasing demand for seamless, personalized travel.

How to list your Airbnb-style homestay on Booking.com
News / Distribution
How to list your Airbnb-style homestay on Booking.com
By Sean O'Neil | July 15, 2015
On Monday, Tnooz reported that Booking.com, the online travel agency giant owned by Priceline Group, has begun listing homestays. The company has since revealed to us more details about the program. Read More
Priceline offshoot Villas.com starts spreading the affiliate love
News / Online
Priceline offshoot Villas.com starts spreading the affiliate love
By Kevin May | July 13, 2015
Following in the footsteps of its sister brand Booking.com, sister vacation rental site Villas.com is starting to spread its wings to third parties. The Priceline Group-owned brand was unveiled wit Read More
Silently debuting homestays, Booking.com jabs Airbnb
News / Distribution
Silently debuting homestays, Booking.com jabs Airbnb
By Sean O'Neil | July 13, 2015
Booking.com, the online travel agency giant owned by Priceline Group, has begun listing homestays. These accommodations don't come from Booking's traditional vacation rental inventory. A majority o Read More
Everything you need to know about Demand Generation for hotels
News / Online
Everything you need to know about Demand Generation for hotels
By Viewpoints | July 9, 2015
Demand generation has always been important to hotels, why else have sales departments? NB: This is an anaylsis by Max Rayner, a partner at Hudson Crossing. But lately it has gone from a functio Read More
Expedia joins Booking.com to scale back on hotel rate parity
News / Distribution
Expedia joins Booking.com to scale back on hotel rate parity
By Kevin May | July 1, 2015
Expedia is to axe clauses relating to rate parity in contracts with all its European hotel customers. In what could be seen as another landmark moment in the ongoing rate parity debate in Europe, E Read More
Booking.com to amend parity terms - closure or a can of worms?
News / Distribution
Booking.com to amend parity terms - closure or a can of worms?
By Linda Fox | June 25, 2015
Booking.com says it will amend its rate parity clauses across Europe by July 1 in line with commitments given to competition authorities in France, Italy and Sweden in April. The Priceline-owned ac Read More
French parliament kills rate parity, and Booking predicts hotel price war
News / Distribution
French parliament kills rate parity, and Booking predicts hotel price war
By Sean O'Neil | June 19, 2015
On Thursday, the French National Assembly moved to cancel rate parity clauses in contracts between hotels and online travel agencies (OTAs). Violators will be fined up to Euro 150,000. The next ste Read More
Priceline acquires PriceMatch, adds revenue management to hotel tech arsenal [UPDATED]
News / Distribution
Priceline acquires PriceMatch, adds revenue management to hotel tech arsenal [UPDATED]
By Kevin May | May 15, 2015
UPDATE: We have now learned that PriceMatch did not take the $9 million funding round in February this year, despite claims to the contrary. PriceMatch, when asked about a potential Priceline Gr Read More
The fight for hotel bookings - direct vs online travel agencies
News / Distribution
The fight for hotel bookings - direct vs online travel agencies
By Viewpoints | May 15, 2015
If I were to look at the world through the lens of Expedia and Booking.com, I would probably argue that my biggest competitors are not other OTAs or suppliers, but the hotels themselves. NB: This i Read More
Not content with hotel domination, Priceline Group now wants to push car rental services
News / Distribution
Not content with hotel domination, Priceline Group now wants to push car rental services
By Kevin May | May 7, 2015
It was only a matter of time before the Priceline Group realised there was an opportunity to take on the B2B car rental market. The company has quietly made a move this week to challenge car rental Read More
Small hotels can get sites from BookingSuite for a 10% cut of direct
News / Distribution
Small hotels can get sites from BookingSuite for a 10% cut of direct
By Sean O'Neil | April 29, 2015
Online hotel distribution behemoth Booking.com last week formally debuted BookingSuite, its new business-to-business arm, derived from its acquisition of digital marketing firm Buuteeq. Today the c Read More
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
News
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
By Alex Bainbridge | April 28, 2015
The travel industry has not been very receptive recently to digital travel startups. Yes, articles are written, conference startup pitch invites are received, but generally the incumbents, or digit Read More
Hoteliers claim Booking.com parity agreement still wrong and anti-competitive
News / Distribution
Hoteliers claim Booking.com parity agreement still wrong and anti-competitive
By Kevin May | April 24, 2015
Booking.com's move to appease regulators over rate parity agreements with hotels has not been met with universal applause. Far from it, in fact. The Priceline Group-owned accommodation giant cla Read More
Just in time: Booking.com brings Now to Apple Watch
News / Technology
Just in time: Booking.com brings Now to Apple Watch
By Linda Fox | April 23, 2015
Tomorrow Booking.com launches its Booking Now service for Apple Watch, coinciding with the launch of the device in Apple stores. It's one of a string of travel companies that have announced service Read More
As rate parity falters, what OTAs and hotels may do next
News / Distribution
As rate parity falters, what OTAs and hotels may do next
By Sean O'Neil | April 21, 2015
In Europe, rate parity is a piñata that everyone's taking a whack at. But not everyone in the industry agrees about what they'll find inside. Probes in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Irel Read More