Bartell Hotels Provides Public Notice of Data Security Incident

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bartell Hotels, owner of premier family hotels in the San Diego area, today confirmed a data security incident which may involve certain credit and debit card data, including individuals' names, payment card numbers and card expiration dates. Bartell Hotels is encouraging individuals who visited five of its hotels and used payment cards for lodging, food and beverage, or retail transactions between February 16, 2014 and May 13, 2014, to review their payment card statements for signs of unusual activity. The issue has been remediated, and Bartell Hotels has been processing payment cards securely since May 13, 2014.

"We sincerely apologize for any concern this incident may cause our customers," said Bartell Hotels' CEO Richard Bartell. "Our brand is built on the foundation of transparency with our customers and we assure you the root of this problem has been addressed and remediated so you may continue to vacation in San Diego with confidence at one of our Bartell Hotels' locations."

Upon discovering a potential compromise, Bartell Hotels immediately began an investigation to confirm the nature of the unauthorized access to its system and to identify what information may have been exposed, and to quickly remediate the compromise. Independent data forensic experts were engaged to assist with the investigation.

While still ongoing, the investigation has determined that the security of payment card processing systems used at five Bartell Hotels was compromised by a third-party intruder. The five hotels involved are: Best Western Plus Island Palms Hotel & Marina; The Dana on Mission Bay; Humphreys Half Moon Inn & Suites; Pacific Terrace Hotel; and the Days Hotel – Hotel Circle. Bartell Hotels takes the security of its customers' personal information very seriously, and has begun the process of providing notification to the 43,000 to 55,000 customers who potentially may have been affected. The forensic evidence indicates that the compromise was limited to payment card data and that no other personally identifiable information was exposed. Law enforcement and the credit card brands have been notified of this incident. 

Bartell Hotels is providing a toll-free information line to address customer questions and concerns, and has engaged AllClear ID to provide identity monitoring and identity protection services to affected individuals. Customers can call toll free, 877- 437-4010, Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time.

Bartell Hotels encourages its guests to remain vigilant and seek to protect against possible misuse of credit cards, identity theft or other financial loss by reviewing account statements for any unusual activity, notifying their credit card companies, and monitoring their credit reports. Under U.S. law, individuals are entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To obtain a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, (877) 322-8228.

At no charge, Bartell Hotels guests can also have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on their files that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify their identity prior to granting credit in their names. Please note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect the individual's credit, it may also delay the ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies the individual's identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms an individual's fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on that individual's file. Any individual wishing to place a fraud alert, or who has questions regarding their credit report, can contact any one of the following agencies: Equifax, P.O. Box 105069, Atlanta, GA 30348-5069, 800-525-6285, www.equifax.com; Experian, P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013, 888-397-3742, www.experian.com; or TransUnion, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000, 800-680-7289, www.transunion.com. Information regarding security freezes may also be obtained from these sources.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. To file a complaint with the FTC, or to obtain additional information on identity theft and the steps that can be taken to avoid identity theft, the FTC can be reached at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20580, or at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/ or (877) ID-THEFT (877-438-4338); TTY: (866) 653-4261. State Attorneys General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and instances of known or suspected identity theft should be reported to law enforcement, the Attorney General in the individual's state of residence, and the FTC. Individuals can also learn more about placing a fraud alert or security freeze on their credit files by contacting the FTC or their state's Attorney General. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001, (919) 716-6400, www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, (888) 743-0023, http://www.oag.state.md.us.

SOURCE Bartell Hotels