Dutch consumer watchdog Consumentenbond and the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation have launched a collective lawsuit against Booking.com, alleging the Amsterdam-based platform has kept hotel prices artificially high since January 2013. The groups say the practices violate Dutch and EU competition and consumer-protection rules and have cost Dutch customers “hundreds of millions of euros.”

The filing accuses Booking.com of using “dark patterns”—including fake discounts, incomplete pricing and manufactured scarcity—to influence booking decisions, while contract clauses prevented hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or rival platforms. Consumentenbond estimates the company earned about €1 billion from the tactics.

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The law firm Winston & Strawn LLP has filed a lawsuit against Hunter Biden, alleging that he owes more than $50,000 in unpaid legal fees. The firm represented Biden in his federal criminal case in Delaware, including a gun trial, as well as other federal investigations. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., and the amount owed is described as substantially exceeding $50,000. This development highlights ongoing legal and financial challenges faced by Hunter Biden. Separately, the Dutch consumer organization Consumentenbond, together with the foundation Consumenten Competition Claims (CCC), has initiated a claim procedure against Booking.com, accusing the company of artificially inflating hotel prices through fake discounts and fabricated scarcity. Additionally, a bank has sued a law firm over a large number of poor-quality mis-selling claims, indicating broader legal disputes in the sector.

Glean, a startup that applies generative artificial intelligence to enterprise search, has raised $150 million in a Series F round led by Wellington Management. The financing values the Palo Alto–based company at $7.2 billion.

The latest capital injection follows a $260 million Series E completed in September 2024, which placed Glean’s valuation at $4.6 billion. The rapid increase underscores continued investor enthusiasm for workplace AI tools that promise to improve productivity and knowledge management.

Glean’s platform indexes data from commonly used business applications and allows employees to find information, receive direct answers and deploy custom AI agents. The company lists Databricks, Booking.com and Zillow among its customers and said the new funds will be used to expand product development and global reach.

The Irish Hotels Federation is collaborating with hotels across Europe to initiate a collective legal action against the hotel reservation platform Booking.com. The lawsuit challenges Booking.com's restrictions that prevent hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or on competing platforms. This Europe-wide legal effort involves hotel associations from at least 26 countries, including Spain, where the Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos has partnered with the law firm CCS Abogados to support its members' participation. The coordinated action reflects widespread dissatisfaction among European hoteliers with Booking.com's business practices, despite the platform's popularity among consumers in countries like Spain.

Luxury hotels in Tokyo have been warned against sharing price information in a manner that may resemble cartel behavior. Meanwhile, a collective legal action against Booking.com is gaining momentum across Europe, supported by the European hospitality association HOTREC and more than 25 national hotel associations, including the Irish Hotels Federation and the Portuguese Hotel Association. Nearly 1,000 Irish hotels and guesthouses are eligible to seek damages as part of this collective lawsuit. The dispute between Booking.com and European hotels is considered one of the most important competition cases in the tourism sector.

Japan's annual Golden Week holiday period has begun, but domestic travel is down as inflation and surging hotel prices, driven by record inbound tourism, have discouraged many Japanese residents from traveling.

The Japanese yen has depreciated by about a third since 2022, contributing to the influx of foreign tourists attracted by favorable exchange rates and Japan's attractions, which in turn has pushed hotel room rates in major cities up by around 16% compared to last year.

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Booking Holdings Inc. reported strong first-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing market expectations across key metrics. The company posted revenue of $4.76 billion, an 8% increase year-over-year, beating estimates of $4.59 billion. Gross bookings rose 7% to $46.7 billion, slightly above the $46.47 billion forecast.

Adjusted EBITDA reached $1.09 billion, up 21% from the previous year and exceeding the $849.8 million estimate. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $24.81, representing a 22% increase year-over-year and surpassing the $17.45 consensus. Room nights sold grew 7% to 319 million, also beating expectations. Despite these positive results, Booking Holdings' stock declined approximately 4% in after-hours trading amid broader market uncertainty. CEO comments highlighted healthy growth driven by the company's globally diversified business. CFO Ewout Steenbergen emphasized disciplined expense management contributing to the EPS growth. Additionally, the company executed $1.8 billion in share buybacks during the quarter. Separately, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) reported its strongest quarter ever with adjusted EPS of $1.72 and revenue of $2.47 billion, both exceeding estimates amid macroeconomic uncertainty.

OpenTable has published its 2025 list of the 'Top 100 Brunch Restaurants' in the United States, featuring restaurants from 24 states and Washington, D.C. The selection is based on diner reviews and demand metrics collected from January through December 2024, with a focus on Mother's Day brunch recommendations.

Pier W in Cleveland, Ohio, is the only Ohio restaurant to be included, earning a 4.8-star rating on OpenTable with over 10,800 reviews. FRIDA Southwest in Oklahoma City is the sole Oklahoma restaurant on the list, with a 4.9-star rating. Due to high demand, Mother's Day brunch reservations for parties larger than two at FRIDA are already booked.

One of the Florida restaurants on the list received a Michelin nod in the 2025 Florida Michelin Guide. California restaurants also had a strong presence among the top 100.

Dutch consumer watchdog Consumentenbond and the Consumer Competition Claims Foundation have launched a collective lawsuit against Booking.com, alleging the Amsterdam-based platform has kept hotel prices artificially high since January 2013. The groups say the practices violate Dutch and EU competition and consumer-protection rules and have cost Dutch customers “hundreds of millions of euros.”

The filing accuses Booking.com of using “dark patterns”—including fake discounts, incomplete pricing and manufactured scarcity—to influence booking decisions, while contract clauses prevented hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or rival platforms. Consumentenbond estimates the company earned about €1 billion from the tactics.

Read more

The law firm Winston & Strawn LLP has filed a lawsuit against Hunter Biden, alleging that he owes more than $50,000 in unpaid legal fees. The firm represented Biden in his federal criminal case in Delaware, including a gun trial, as well as other federal investigations. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., and the amount owed is described as substantially exceeding $50,000. This development highlights ongoing legal and financial challenges faced by Hunter Biden. Separately, the Dutch consumer organization Consumentenbond, together with the foundation Consumenten Competition Claims (CCC), has initiated a claim procedure against Booking.com, accusing the company of artificially inflating hotel prices through fake discounts and fabricated scarcity. Additionally, a bank has sued a law firm over a large number of poor-quality mis-selling claims, indicating broader legal disputes in the sector.

Glean, a startup that applies generative artificial intelligence to enterprise search, has raised $150 million in a Series F round led by Wellington Management. The financing values the Palo Alto–based company at $7.2 billion.

The latest capital injection follows a $260 million Series E completed in September 2024, which placed Glean’s valuation at $4.6 billion. The rapid increase underscores continued investor enthusiasm for workplace AI tools that promise to improve productivity and knowledge management.

Glean’s platform indexes data from commonly used business applications and allows employees to find information, receive direct answers and deploy custom AI agents. The company lists Databricks, Booking.com and Zillow among its customers and said the new funds will be used to expand product development and global reach.

The Irish Hotels Federation is collaborating with hotels across Europe to initiate a collective legal action against the hotel reservation platform Booking.com. The lawsuit challenges Booking.com's restrictions that prevent hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites or on competing platforms. This Europe-wide legal effort involves hotel associations from at least 26 countries, including Spain, where the Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos has partnered with the law firm CCS Abogados to support its members' participation. The coordinated action reflects widespread dissatisfaction among European hoteliers with Booking.com's business practices, despite the platform's popularity among consumers in countries like Spain.

Luxury hotels in Tokyo have been warned against sharing price information in a manner that may resemble cartel behavior. Meanwhile, a collective legal action against Booking.com is gaining momentum across Europe, supported by the European hospitality association HOTREC and more than 25 national hotel associations, including the Irish Hotels Federation and the Portuguese Hotel Association. Nearly 1,000 Irish hotels and guesthouses are eligible to seek damages as part of this collective lawsuit. The dispute between Booking.com and European hotels is considered one of the most important competition cases in the tourism sector.

Japan's annual Golden Week holiday period has begun, but domestic travel is down as inflation and surging hotel prices, driven by record inbound tourism, have discouraged many Japanese residents from traveling.

The Japanese yen has depreciated by about a third since 2022, contributing to the influx of foreign tourists attracted by favorable exchange rates and Japan's attractions, which in turn has pushed hotel room rates in major cities up by around 16% compared to last year.

Read more

Booking Holdings Inc. reported strong first-quarter 2025 earnings, surpassing market expectations across key metrics. The company posted revenue of $4.76 billion, an 8% increase year-over-year, beating estimates of $4.59 billion. Gross bookings rose 7% to $46.7 billion, slightly above the $46.47 billion forecast.

Adjusted EBITDA reached $1.09 billion, up 21% from the previous year and exceeding the $849.8 million estimate. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $24.81, representing a 22% increase year-over-year and surpassing the $17.45 consensus. Room nights sold grew 7% to 319 million, also beating expectations. Despite these positive results, Booking Holdings' stock declined approximately 4% in after-hours trading amid broader market uncertainty. CEO comments highlighted healthy growth driven by the company's globally diversified business. CFO Ewout Steenbergen emphasized disciplined expense management contributing to the EPS growth. Additionally, the company executed $1.8 billion in share buybacks during the quarter. Separately, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) reported its strongest quarter ever with adjusted EPS of $1.72 and revenue of $2.47 billion, both exceeding estimates amid macroeconomic uncertainty.

OpenTable has published its 2025 list of the 'Top 100 Brunch Restaurants' in the United States, featuring restaurants from 24 states and Washington, D.C. The selection is based on diner reviews and demand metrics collected from January through December 2024, with a focus on Mother's Day brunch recommendations.

Pier W in Cleveland, Ohio, is the only Ohio restaurant to be included, earning a 4.8-star rating on OpenTable with over 10,800 reviews. FRIDA Southwest in Oklahoma City is the sole Oklahoma restaurant on the list, with a 4.9-star rating. Due to high demand, Mother's Day brunch reservations for parties larger than two at FRIDA are already booked.

One of the Florida restaurants on the list received a Michelin nod in the 2025 Florida Michelin Guide. California restaurants also had a strong presence among the top 100.