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3w ago

San Francisco Sues Booking Holdings and Two Sites Over Alleged Deceptive Hotel Bookings

The lawsuit could prompt tighter scrutiny of how online travel platforms supply inventory to third‑party resellers.

The Supreme Court of California in San Francisco, shown in January 2026.
The office of City Attorney David Chiu filed suit in Superior Court against three companies that allegedly “trick customers into believing that they are making a reservation directly with their desired hotel.” 
FILE: San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu at the State Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., in August 2019.
Travelers looking to book rooms may have thought they were going to a hotel site but instead went to a middleman, San Francisco alleges.

Overview

  • San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed the suit Wednesday naming Guest Reservations, Book Online and Booking Holdings and asking a court to order refunds, impose $2,500 civil penalties per violation and stop the practices.
  • The complaint says misleading Google search ads and websites that mimic hotel reservation pages routed consumers to middlemen who marked up rates by as much as 35–85 percent, required full up‑front payment and enforced stricter cancellation rules.
  • City lawyers allege Booking Holdings supplied hotel inventory and booking tools to the third parties through Priceline Partner Solutions, and they cite past ties between Booking, Getaroom and personnel who later joined Infinite Choice.
  • The Better Business Bureau has logged more than 1,800 complaints against Guest Reservations and Book Online nationwide, and named victims include San Francisco resident Shipra Shukla and state Assembly Member Catherine Stefani, who say they were misled and initially denied refunds.
  • The case is brought under California’s Unfair Competition Law to win restitution and penalties, and it could prompt state lawmakers or platform operators to change how inventory and paid search advertising are overseen; travelers are advised to compare prices on hotel websites before booking.