News & Stories

Duesseldorf. The Higher Regional Court of Duesseldorf has turned down the application of Booking.com, to be able to maintain the parity clause in Germany until the legal process regarding the appeal of the company against the withdrawal of the clause is completely finalised. The German hotel industry has herewith gained another temporary victory in the battle against the claims of the booking platforms.

Berlin. The German federal government has agreed to repeal strict liability for WiFi connections. Foreign rivals in the hotel industry are unlikely to be especially pleased with this decision, as it removes one of their competitive advantages.

Berlin. The German International Hotel Association has come to the end of its tether with Expedia with regard to rate parity. Following an attempt by Expedia to put pressure on a member hotel, the IHA has now decided to pass the matter on to court.

Bonn. Just as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has left Berlin, the German Federal Cartel Office is initiating a procedure against Facebook, due to abuse of market power as a result of data protection violations. The focus is on the terms and conditions of use.

Bad Homburg. On the application of the German Centre for Protection from Unfair Competition, the Regional Court of Nuremberg has issued an injunction in respect of a misleading advertisement by hotel.de.

Berlin. The German Hotel Association now wants to gradually initiate legal steps against Booking.com because the OTA is denying the hoteliers direct email contact with its guests and furthermore, is co-reading their emails.

Munich. Today, there's an individually tailored contract for every need; a contract which reflects the wishes of investors, operators and franchise partners. Yet this in no way means that all are satisfied as far as security, flexibility and profitability are concerned, in particular against the backdrop of rising distribution costs. In light of currently low interest rates, many are likely to be satisfied with whatever they can get. This was clear at the final discussion at the Hotel Conference "Hospitality Industry Dialogue" at Munich's Expo Real.

Berlin. The German registration system was modified and conveyed to the federal government in 2006 and now, the new regulation will come into force on November 1, 2015. It also entails changes for the hotel industry: For example, a faster check-in.

Rome. Italy has its own "Macron" law now. Last Tuesday, the national Chamber of Deputies voted on a special amendment to the so-called Competition Draft Law, aimed at giving hotels the freedom to fix room rates on their own website, independently from any parity rate clause online or offline. But there is a handicap.

Berlin/Offenbach. Germany's social-democratic Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Andrea Nahles has created a bureaucratic monster with the German Minimum Wage Act placing disproportionate burdens on the employer. Documenting working time is burdensome and damaging for the economy - as hospi-talityInside editor Susanne Stauss shows today in her separate article. The legal basis on which this duty of documentation stands is explained today by hospitalityInside's experts for labour law, solicitor Joachim Jungbluth, partner in the law firm Jungbluth & Hermann based in Offenbach am Main, together with para-legal Maike Ehlers. Jungbluth too draws a very sober conclusion.