Travel Giants Cracked Down for Misleading 'From' Price Claims
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has issued a significant ban against several major travel brands, including Booking.com and three prominent hotel chains, for publishing misleading advertisements about room availability at their lowest advertised rates. The ruling targets what the watchdog describes as exaggerated 'from' price claims that do not reflect the actual number of rooms available to consumers.
The Specific Cases Under Scrutiny
Booking.com faced scrutiny for an advert on 6 May promoting 'Places to stay in Sheffield - Best Price Guarantee,' with text highlighting 'easyHotel Sheffield City Centre From £28.' While Booking.com defended the practice, stating the dates and prices were 'dynamically chosen' by Google from its data and could vary per user, the ASA found this defence insufficient. The watchdog revealed that data from Booking.com showed only seven bookings were made at the easyHotel for the advertised £28 price in May, and the company failed to provide further evidence on how many dates this rate was actually available.
For Accor, an advertisement for £27 rooms at its Ibis Budget Birmingham Centre was found to be available for only a single night's stay on 30 July. The ASA concluded this was 'not a true reflection of the price most consumers could expect to pay.'
Similarly, Travelodge ads claiming 'Travelodge Nottingham Riverside From £25' and 'Travelodge Swansea M4 From £21' were understood by consumers to mean a significant proportion of rooms would be available at these rates. In reality, the advertised prices were only available for a single night's stay on 18 May.
Regarding Hilton, the ASA stated it had not seen enough evidence to prove that a significant proportion of rooms were available at the advertised prices of £68 at Hampton by Hilton Hamilton Park or £59 at Hampton by Hilton Newcastle.
Industry Response and Regulatory Stance
Emily Henwood, ASA Operations Manager, emphasised: 'Advertised prices must match what's really available.' She added that if only a few rooms are offered at the advertised price, or it applies only to a specific date, this must be made clear to avoid misleading people. 'Otherwise, it's unfair to anyone trying to find a good deal or make informed choices about where to book.'
In response to the ruling, Travelodge stated it takes its ASA responsibilities seriously, noting the prices were generated from a live pricing feed and represented the cheapest bookable date available. The company confirmed the ad format had been removed prior to the ruling.
Booking.com asserted its aim is to provide transparent information, highlighting that successful bookings were made at the advertised rate, evidence of which was shared with the ASA. Accor acknowledged the breach, stating it would strengthen internal processes, and confirmed the problematic advert has expired.
This ruling serves as a stark reminder to the travel industry about the necessity of price transparency and the consequences of misleading advertising practices.
