21. May 2025

UK hotel chains banned from using misleading 'from' price adverts

Adverts by four of Britain’s largest hotel and travel companies have been banned for promoting misleading minimum room prices.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld grievances against Hilton, Travelodge, Booking.com, and Accor over their use of attention-grabbing “from” prices.

The watchdog found that only a small number of rooms were actually available to book at the advertised price, concluding that the adverts exaggerated the value of the deals.

It stated that this was unfair to consumers seeking good deals or trying to make informed decisions about where to book.

ASA Operations Manager Emily Henwood said: “Advertised prices must reflect what is actually available. If only a few rooms are offered at the shown price, or if it only applies to a specific date, this information must be clearly stated to avoid misleading people.

“People should be able to trust the prices they see in ads, and these rulings demonstrate that we will take action if the rules are broken.”

The ASA used AI to identify the misleading adverts as part of a broader investigation into the availability of advertised hotel prices.

Hilton was reprimanded over two adverts—one reading “Hampton by Hilton Hamilton Park From £68” and another promoting stays in Newcastle from £59.

The ASA asked Hilton to provide evidence to back up the claims, and the hotel chain submitted proof that rooms were bookable at the respective hotels on the dates the adverts were viewed.

However, the ASA concluded that Hilton had overstated the availability of the advertised rooms, putting potential customers at risk of being misled. It ordered the chain to stop publishing the adverts and warned Hilton to ensure future price claims reflect deals available for “a significant proportion of rooms.

Travelodge had two adverts banned—one offering rooms in Nottingham Riverside “from £25” and another for rooms in Swansea “from £21.

The ASA found that the advertised prices were only available for a single night’s stay, warning Travelodge to ensure future deals are available “across a range of dates” in the future.

A Travelodge spokesperson said the company recognizes the need for clarity and transparency in pricing and is working with Google to ensure its adverts are clear and comply with ASA guidelines. The spokesperson added that the relevant advert was removed before the ASA’s ruling.

Similar findings were issued against Booking.com and Accor, while staycation chain Butlins was criticized for extending the deadline of a sale it promoted via email.

Accor told the ASA it believed its adverts were accurate, as rooms were available at or below the headline prices in the days following their publication.

Booking.com provided the watchdog with a screenshot showing that seven bookings had been made at the advertised prices.

A spokesperson told the BBC that Booking.com accurately displays price and availability at the time adverts are shown and will work with the ASA “to address any outstanding questions they may have.

The ASA also found that Butlins had breached its code by sending emails stating “The big Butlin’s sale ends in four days” and “Time is running out.

The deadline to participate in the sale was eventually extended by two weeks, which the watchdog said was unfair to customers who had been pressured to book before the initial deadline.

It urged the company to ensure future promotions are fair to consumers. Butlins said no customers were disadvantaged by the extension of the sale period.

The ASA’s findings come after the Competition and Markets Authority launched a probe into eight companies on Tuesday over potentially misleading online price claims.

What are your experiences of misleading hotel prices? Get in touch.

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