The company said Wednesday, December 23, that it is investigating malware it found on computers used to process customers’ payments, and Hyatt was consulting with cyber security experts.
The data breach only affected properties managed by Hyatt and not franchise locations, the company said. As of Sept. 30, that included 318 properties.
Hyatt Hotels’ current portfolio contains 627 properties in 52 countries.
“We have taken steps to strengthen the security of our systems, and customers can feel confident using payment cards at Hyatt hotels worldwide,” the company posted on a website for updates about the hack.
A spokeswoman for the company said, “the malware has been identified on computers that operate the payment processing systems for Hyatt-managed locations, which is a subset of the total Hyatt properties.”
Customers in the U.S. and Canada can contact Hyatt with questions at 1-877-218-3036 or +1-814-201-3665 from all other countries.
Data breaches have become a prolific problem, and everything from children’s selfies to troves of government personnel records have been targeted this year.
“As soon as Hyatt discovered the activity, the company launched an investigation and engaged leading third-party cyber security experts,” Hyatt wrote in a statement.
Hyatt joins a number of other hotel businesses that have recently been compromised by hackers, including Hilton Worldwide, Mandarin Oriental, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. A recent study actually found that most big hotel chains have vulnerable computer systems.
If you have stayed with Hyatt, review your credit-card statement right away for any unusual activity. Most card companies won’t hold you liable for fraudulent charges—and even if they do, the maximum you could get dinged is only $50, by law.
Hyatt will be posting updates regarding its investigation athyatt.com/protectingourcustomers. Concerned customers can also call 1-877-218-3036. The chain says it “has taken steps to strengthen the security of its systems” since the hacking.