Booking.com, headquartered in Amsterdam and a subsidiary of Booking Holdings, is a leading online travel agency. Its mobile app boasts the highest download rate in its category. The platform offers reservations for roughly 3.4 million properties, encompassing hotels, motels, resorts, homes, and apartments, spanning over 220 countries and territories and supporting over 40 languages. Additionally, Booking.com facilitates flight bookings in 55 markets and provides tours and activities in more than 1,300 cities.
1996: Founding of Bookings.nl
In 1996, Geert-Jan Bruinsma, a student at Universiteit Twente, founded Bookings.nl, marking the beginning of what would eventually become Booking.com.
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2000: Formation of Booking.com
In 2000, Bookings.nl merged with Bookings Online, resulting in the formation of Booking.com. Stef Noorden was appointed CEO, and the company began operating under its new name and URL.
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September 2004: Priceline Group acquires ActiveHotels.com
In September 2004, Priceline Group acquired ActiveHotels.com, a European online hotel reservation company, for $161 million.
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July 2005: Booking.com acquired by Priceline Group
In July 2005, Booking.com was acquired by Priceline Group (now Booking Holdings) for $133 million. It was merged with ActiveHotels.com, enhancing Priceline's position in the European market.
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2006: Name change to Booking.com Limited
In 2006, Active Hotels Limited changed its name to Booking.com Limited, reflecting its integration with Booking.com.
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2010: Launch of mobile apps
Between 2010 and 2012, Booking.com launched mobile apps for various platforms including iPad, Android, iPhone, iPod Touch, Windows 8, and Kindle Fire.
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September 2011: Darren Huston appointed CEO
In September 2011, Darren Huston was appointed as the CEO of Booking.com.
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2011: Financial turnaround for parent company
By 2011, the integration of Booking.com and Active Hotels had significantly improved the financial position of its parent company, turning a $19 million loss in 2002 into a $1.1 billion profit. The acquisition was praised as one of the best in internet history.
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September 2012: Competition authority's statement of objections
In September 2012, the UK's competition authority, the Office of Fair Trading, issued a statement of objections against Booking.com, Expedia, and IHG Army Hotels for restricting the ability to discount hotel room prices. Although a proposal was accepted by the OFT, it was later rejected by a tribunal.
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January 2013: New advertising slogan
Since January 2013, Booking.com advertisements have featured the slogan 'booking.yeah,' enhancing brand recognition.
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January 2014: Darren Huston becomes CEO of Booking Holdings
On January 1, 2014, Darren Huston also took on the roles of President and CEO of Booking Holdings.
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November 2014: Customer data breach revealed
In November 2014, it was revealed that criminals had obtained customer details from Booking.com. The company refunded affected customers and made security changes to prevent future breaches.
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February 2015: Criticism of 'brand hijacking'
In February 2015, German hotelier Marco Nussbaum criticized Booking.com for 'brand hijacking,' where the company bid on Google Search to be the top listing for several hotel brands.
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April 2015: Acceptance of proposal by competition authorities
In April 2015, competition authorities in France, Sweden, and Italy accepted Booking.com's proposal to drop its 'rate parity' clause, allowing competitor travel agents to offer lower prices than Booking.com. The proposal was extended to all EU states, although hotels were still restricted from discounting prices on their own websites.
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April 2015: EU warning on market dominance
In April 2015, the European Union warned that Booking.com might have achieved market dominance beyond the point of no return.
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April 2016: Resignation of Darren Huston
On April 28, 2016, Darren Huston resigned from his positions following the revelation of an extramarital affair with another employee. Gillian Tans was appointed as the new CEO.
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March 2017: Turkish court halts Booking.com activities
In March 2017, a Turkish court halted Booking.com's activities in Turkey due to a violation of Turkish competition law in a case filed by the Turkish Association of Travel Agents. The ruling blocked the website in Turkey, but it remained accessible from abroad for hotel reservations in Turkey.
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June 2018: Website targeted by hackers
In June 2018, Booking.com's website was targeted by hackers, leading to further security concerns.
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July 2019: Aldemar terminates participation
In July 2019, luxury-hotel chain Aldemar terminated its participation with Booking.com, citing practices that violated market laws. The Greek Hotels Association also criticized Booking.com's fee structure.
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2019: Commitment to clarify marketing statements
In 2019, Booking.com committed to clarifying its marketing statements about time-limited offers, room availability, price comparisons, and vendor types following discussions with the European Commission and national consumer authorities.
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2019: Gillian Tans resigns, Glenn Fogel appointed CEO
In 2019, Gillian Tans resigned as CEO, and Glenn Fogel was appointed to the position.
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February 12, 2020: UN Human Rights Council listing
On February 12, 2020, the UN Human Rights Council listed Booking.com among companies operating in West Bank settlements, raising human rights concerns.
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April 2020: Booking.com Criticized for Seeking Government Aid Amidst Pandemic
In April 2020, Booking.com faced criticism for requesting financial assistance from the Dutch government's COVID-19 relief program despite having significant cash reserves and paying substantial dividends to shareholders.
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2020: Trademark decision by Supreme Court
In 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of Booking.com in the Patent and Trademark Office v. Booking.com B.V. case, allowing the company to trademark its name due to its distinctiveness.
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April 6, 2021: Fine by Dutch Data Protection Authority
On April 6, 2021, the Dutch Data Protection Authority imposed a €475,000 fine on Booking.com for failing to report a data breach within the mandated timeframe. The breach affected over 4,000 customers, including the credit card information of nearly 300 individuals.
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September 2022: Israeli settlement warning added
In September 2022, Booking.com added a warning to its listings in Israeli settlements, although the language was toned down after discussions with the Israeli government.
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November 2022: Security Vulnerability Discovered in Booking.com Login Process
In November 2022, cybersecurity researchers at Salt Labs identified vulnerabilities in Booking.com's login system that could have potentially allowed unauthorized access to user accounts. Booking.com promptly addressed the issue.
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September 2023: Hungarian Competition Watchdog Raids Booking Holdings Office Amidst Investigation
On September 6, 2023, Hungary's competition authority, GVH, conducted a raid on Booking Holdings' Budapest office as part of an investigation into the online accommodation booking market in response to the payment scandal and expedited probe.
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September 2023: Booking.com Payment Scandal Gains Widespread Attention in Hungary
Throughout July, August, and September 2023, the payment scandal involving Booking.com garnered significant media coverage in Hungary, with prominent news outlets extensively reporting on the matter.
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November 2023: High Demand for Booking.com Hotel Login Credentials in Cybercrime Market
In November 2023, BBC investigations revealed a thriving black market for Booking.com hotel login credentials, highlighting the increasing value of such data for cybercriminals. Offers of up to $2,000 for hotel login details were observed.
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November 2023: Settlement of VAT/tax dispute in Italy
In November 2023, Booking.com agreed to pay roughly 94 million euros to settle a VAT/tax dispute in Italy.
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November 2023: Launch of cruise reservations
In November 2023, Booking.com launched a feature allowing cruise reservations in the United States in partnership with World Travel Holdings.
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2023: Texas lawsuit for deceptive trade practices
In 2023, Booking Holdings Inc. was sued by Texas for allegedly engaging in deceptive trade practices related to hotel room pricing.
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2023: Booking.com Accused of Payment Delays, Leaving Accommodation Hosts Out of Pocket
In 2023, Booking.com faced accusations of significant payment delays to accommodation hosts globally, attributing the issue to "unforeseen technical issues." Hosts from various countries reported substantial financial losses due to the delays.
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2023: AI Trip Planner testing
In the summer of 2023, Booking.com began testing an AI-based travel planner called AI Trip Planner, utilizing ChatGPT technology. Initially, it is available to a limited number of users in the United States.
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2023: Booking.com Users Targeted by Fraudsters Through Platform's Messaging System
Throughout 2023, Booking.com users reported instances of fraudulent activity where scammers used the platform's messaging system, spoofed emails, and WhatsApp to deceive guests, leading to financial losses and data breaches. Concerns were raised about the difficulty in contacting Booking.com for support.
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