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Shares of the company fell nearly 6 percent to about $115 in
trading before the bell.
The company said for 327 million guests, personal information
compromised could include passport details, phone numbers and
email addresses. For some others, it could include credit card
information.
The company said it learned about the breach after an internal
security tool sent an alert on Sept. 8. On further
investigation, the hotel chain learned data had been hacked long
before.
The company, which bought Starwood in 2016, said it had reported
the incident to law enforcement and had begun notifying
regulatory authorities.
Marriott said it would send emails to affected guests, starting
Friday.
"We are still investigating the situation so we don't have a
list of specific hotels. What we do know is that it only
impacted Starwood brands," Marriott spokesman Jeff Flaherty told
Reuters.
Marriott said it was too early to estimate the financial impact
of the breach and that it would not affect its long-term
financial health. It also said it was working with its insurance
carriers to assess the coverage.
Hotel groups have of late become a target of hackers, seeking to
steal information such as credit card data.
Last year, both InterContinental Hotels Group Plc <IHG.L> and
Hyatt Hotels Corp <H.N> were victims of cyber attacks.
Hyatt said it had discovered unauthorized access to payment card
information at certain of its locations, affecting 41 properties
in 11 countries.
(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil, Arjun Panchadar and John Benny
in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
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