Bavarian Hotel Apologizes for 'No Jews Allowed' Message, Removed From Booking.com After 1 Booking
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jun 3
Bavarian Hotel Apologizes for 'No Jews Allowed' Message, Removed From Booking.com After 1 Booking
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jun 3
Summary
Hotel zum Hirschen said the antisemitic booking reply was a "regrettable error," apologized to the Israeli guest and offered his family a free one-week stay.
A screenshot posted by Israel's consul general showed the hotel telling the guest in English that "there are no Jews allowed in our hotel," triggering heavy criticism.
The hotel said repeated fraudulent bookings and phishing attempts led staff to wrongly treat the Israel reservation as fake, but acknowledged the wording was unacceptable.
Booking.com removed the Bavarian hotel from its platform, while Germany's Central Council of Jews called for an investigation and the guest filed a complaint with Bavaria's antisemitism office.
In a region haunted by Nazi history, what does a hotel's 'No Jews allowed' message truly reveal?
Are sophisticated cyber-scams becoming a convenient new cover for old-world antisemitism?
Can new EU laws actually force tech giants to police discrimination on their platforms?
The Hotel zum Hirschen Scandal: Legal, Social, and Political Fallout Amid Germany’s Antisemitism Spike
Overview
In early June 2026, the Hotel zum Hirschen sent a message via Booking.com to an Israeli guest, stating 'sorry, there are no Jews allowed in the Hotel zum Hirschen.' This act of discrimination quickly triggered widespread public outrage and strong condemnation on social media. Booking.com responded by banning the hotel from its platform, while the incident drew immediate diplomatic attention, with Israel’s ambassador to Germany stressing the seriousness of the situation and calling for action. The case highlights the ongoing challenge of antisemitism in Germany and the urgent need for both legal and societal responses.