CMA Investigates Hotel Data Sharing for Competition Law Infringement

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into potential infringements of Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998. The probe focuses on the suspected sharing of competitively sensitive information among competing hotel providers, facilitated by a hotel data services provider. Businesses under investigation include CoStar, Hilton, IHG, and Marriott. The CMA has not yet determined if there is sufficient evidence to issue a statement of objections, and no assumptions should be made about infringement at this stage.

Regulated entities, particularly those in the hotel sector, should be aware of their duty to preserve relevant documents and information that could be pertinent to the CMA's investigation, as failure to comply can result in fines. While no specific compliance deadline is set for the investigation itself, the initial information gathering phase is scheduled from February 2026 to August 2026. The CMA may impose penalties for non-compliance with document preservation duties.