Dutch ruling requires end to ‘misleading’ hotel star ratings

A legal ruling against Booking.com in the Netherlands on how hotel star ratings are displayed online requires the accommodation platform to explain the origin of ratings to prevent “misleading” consumers.

The decision earlier this month by the College van Beroep (CvB) appeals board of the Dutch Advertising Code Commission – equivalent of the UK Advertising Standards Authority – confirmed that hotel star ratings may mislead consumers if it is not clear whether they are determined by an official classification authority, are self-assigned by the hotel or derive from a non-verified system.

Booking.com must now disclose the source of all star ratings on its site and whether they are verified.

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The Advertising Code Commission ruled last November that Booking’s presentation of star ratings was misleading when the source of a rating was not disclosed. This followed complaints by hotel associations in the Netherlands and Germany.

The appeals board ruled in line with the Commission’s decision, confirming that hotel star ratings may be misleading to consumers when their source is not clearly identified.

It stated hotel classifications must be accompanied by clear information on how star ratings are assigned, meaning Booking.com must disclose whether the stars derive from an official classification authority or not, enabling consumers to distinguish between official ratings and unverified claims.

Self-awarded stars must be explicitly labelled or violate advertising standards rules.

Booking has not commented on the ruling.