Summary:
- UK ASA upheld complaints over “from” prices against major hotels and booking sites.
- Hilton, Accor and Travelodge adverts banned for misleading prices.
- Hilton warned to ensure future price claims reflect most available rooms.
THE UK ADVERTISING Standards Authority upheld complaints against Hilton Worldwide, Travelodge, Booking.com and Accor over their use of “from” prices. The watchdog found only a small number of rooms available at the promoted price and concluded the adverts overstated the deals.
The regulator said this was unfair to people comparing prices or deciding where to book, the BBC reported. The ASA used AI to identify the adverts as part of a wider review of advertised hotel prices.
“Advertised prices must match what’s really available,” said Emily Henwood, the ASA’s operations manager, according to the BBC. “If only a few rooms are offered at the price shown, or if it applies only to a specific date, this must be made clear to avoid misleading people. People should be able to trust the prices they see in ads and these rulings show that we will take action if the rules are broken.”
Hilton was rebuked over two adverts, one stating “Hampton by Hilton Hamilton Park From £68 or $90” and another advertising stays in Newcastle from £59 or $78. The ASA asked Hilton to substantiate the claims and the company provided evidence that rooms were available at those prices on the dates the adverts were viewed.
The ASA concluded Hilton had overstated the availability of the advertised rooms, risking misleading customers. It ordered the chain not to publish the adverts again and warned Hilton to ensure future price claims reflect deals for a significant proportion of rooms.
Travelodge had two adverts banned, one offering rooms in Nottingham Riverside from £25 or $33 and another in Swansea from £21 or $28. The regulator found the prices were available for only a single night and warned Travelodge to ensure deals are offered across a range of dates.
A Travelodge spokesperson said the company is working with Google to ensure its adverts comply with the ASA's guidelines. The relevant advert was removed before the ASA's ruling.
Similar findings were issued against Booking.com and Accor, while Butlins was criticised for changing the deadline of a sale it promoted by email.
Accor told the ASA it believed its adverts were accurate, as rooms were available at or below the headline prices in the days after publication.
Booking.com sent the watchdog a screenshot showing seven bookings at the advertised prices. A spokesperson told the BBC that Booking.com displays prices and availability accurately at the time of the adverts and will work with the ASA to address any outstanding questions.
The ASA found Butlins breached its code by telling customers, “The big Butlin's sale ends in four days” and “Time is running out.” The sale deadline was later extended by two weeks, which the watchdog said was unfair to those pressured to book before the original deadline. It urged the firm to make future promotions fair to consumers. However, Butlins said no customers were affected by the extended sale window.
The ASA's findings come after the Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into eight companies over potentially misleading online price claims.
The Federal Trade Commission’s “Junk Fees Rule,” effective May 12, requires U.S. hotels and live-event ticket sellers to clearly disclose the full price to customers.
