Run away from this ancient tech company - Software Developer Booking.com Employee Review

1.0
Mar 4, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice people, pleasant atmosphere, nice office, good lunch, great work-life-balance, good salary (compared to most other Dutch companies).

Cons

For back-end developers Booking.com has absolutely nothing to offer. The quality of code is just horrific and building on top of the house of cards is the norm. OO? Tests? TDD? DDD? Any design at all? Forget about it. 2000 line Perl functions with 1000 line if-else-statements are perfectly normal and not even frowned upon, even by principal engineers. Perl is still the language you will work in (despite what they say in interviews) and Perl is simply unfit for building quality back-end systems. There are a few teams doing cool stuff, but you have to wait 8-20 (!) months before you can pick a team you like. Run away from this company if you want to learn anything useful as a back-end developer. You'll be a worse programmer when you come out compared to when you came in. Do join though if you want to go back 15 years in time.

Explore other reviews about Booking.com

5.0
May 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great, definitely recommend if looking for start up

Cons

No cons all pros only

avatar
Booking.com Response
1d
Hi, thank you for the wonderful feedback! We're so glad to hear that Booking.com has been a great fit for someone with a startup mindset. Our culture of experimentation and innovation is something we're really proud of, and it's great to know it resonates. We hope you continue to thrive here! The Booking.com team
5.0
Dec 30, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

After three months at Booking.com as an Account Manager, my experience has been very positive so far. The onboarding process is structured, and expectations are clearly set for new hires. The role is intellectually stimulating and offers strong exposure to the travel industry, commercial decision-making, and performance-driven work. I’ve felt supported by my peers and managers, with regular feedback, clear incentives, and encouragement to grow. The team environment is collaborative, and there is a genuine focus on learning, data-driven thinking, and ownership of your portfolio. For someone looking to build or accelerate a commercial career, it’s an exciting place to be.

Cons

As a new hire, it’s clear that this is a fast-paced and demanding environment. The learning curve is steep, and there is a lot of information, tools, and processes to absorb in a short amount of time. Priorities can move quickly, which may feel overwhelming at first. Because I am still early in my journey, some longer-term aspects of the role — such as workload sustainability, career progression, and regional adaptability — are still unfolding. It’s a role that requires resilience, adaptability, and comfort with ambiguity, which may not suit everyone.

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