.hotels
| Status: | Proposed |
| Registry: | Booking.com B.V. |
| Registry Backend: | GoDaddy |
| Type: | Generic |
| Category: | Industry |
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.hotels is a proposed TLD in ICANN's New gTLD Program. The applicant is Booking.com.[1]
The Hotel Consumer Protection Coalition, which is made up of over 25,000 hotels in over 100 countries, including many major brands, has filed complaints against .hotels, as well as six of the seven .hotel applications, and the applications for .hoteis and .hoteles. They support the .hotel application submitted by HOTEL Top-Level-Domain S.a.r.l, and urge the Independent Objector to object to the other applications on community grounds. If this does not occur, they plan to file their own Community Objections.[2]
The application was issued a GAC Early Warning from the representative of Australia and GAC Chair, Heather Dryden. The warning system is noted as a strong recommendation on behalf of national governments to the ICANN Board that a given TLD application should be denied as it stands. Applicants are encouraged to work with objecting GAC members.[3]
The warning states that the applicant is "seeking exclusive access to a common generic string .. that relates to a broad market sector," which Ms. Dryden notes could have unintended consequences and a negative impact on competition.[4]