Booking.com

Booking.com is an online travel agency headquartered in Amsterdam. Its origins lie in Booking.nl, started by Geert-Jan Bruinsma in 1996. A Dutch group bought it in 2005 and Priceline, later renamed Booking Holdings, took over soon after.

The site lists hotels, apartments, guesthouses and vacation homes around the world. Travelers search by place and dates, compare prices and read guest reviews. Hosts pay a commission on each booking. Many listings offer free cancellation, and a payment option lets guests pay later.

Booking.com also sells flights, car rentals, airport taxis and attractions. It operates in dozens of languages. The European Union designated it a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act, which limits rules such as price parity clauses with hotels. Booking Holdings also owns Kayak, Priceline and OpenTable. Glenn Fogel is the chief executive of Booking Holdings. The company is based in the Netherlands, but its parent is in Norwalk, Connecticut. Booking.com says its listings number in the millions across a large number of countries.