UK regulators crack down on “from” price claims in hotel advertising

The advertising watchdog says limited-availability prices must be clearly disclosed to avoid misleading customers

The UK Advertising Standards Authority has banned ads from Booking.com, Accor, Travelodge and Hilton after ruling that their “from” price claims misrepresented how many rooms were actually available at the advertised rates. The regulator concluded that the promotions misled consumers by implying broader availability than the evidence supported.

Key takeaways

• Misleading “from” prices: The ASA found that all four companies promoted low entry-level room rates without showing that only a very small number of rooms were available at those prices.
• Insufficient evidence provided: Booking.com and Hilton failed to supply adequate data proving that a meaningful proportion of rooms were bookable at the advertised rates.
• Single-date availability issues: Accor and Travelodge advertised attractive prices that were, in practice, only available on specific single dates — far narrower than consumers would expect.
• Dynamic pricing not a justification: Booking.com argued that Google dynamically selected prices, but the ASA ruled this did not excuse presenting prices most users could not access.
• Clearer disclosure required: The regulator emphasised that limited-availability prices must be clearly stated to ensure customers are not misled.

Get the full story at The Independent