In addition to luxurious bedding and concierge services, customers frequently have higher expectations when they check into a luxury hotel. Every loyalty number submitted online, via applications, and at the front desk is a discreet exchange of trust. That confidence was unpredictably betrayed for the millions of people who had stayed at Starwood properties before to 2018. One of the largest data breaches the hospitality sector has ever experienced is the basis for the Starwood class action case, which is still pending today.
The hack, which was discovered in September 2018 and made public by Marriott a few weeks later, showed that hackers had surreptitiously been using Starwood’s reservation system for almost four years. This was not a temporary issue; rather, it was a persistent intrusion that affected private visitor information such as names, passport numbers, credit card numbers, addresses, emails, and even personal preferences.
Key Details About the Starwood Class Action Lawsuit
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Case Type | Mass Action (group litigation over the same incident) |
| Affected Party | Guests of Starwood-branded hotels between 2014–2018 |
| Companies Involved | Starwood Hotels & Resorts (acquired by Marriott in 2016) |
| Brands Impacted | Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, St. Regis, Element, Aloft, Le Méridien |
| Breach Discovery | September 2018 |
| Estimated Number of Affected Guests | Approximately 500 million |
| Information Exposed | Names, passport numbers, email addresses, SPG account info, card details, and preferences |
| Settlements to Date | $124M UK fine; $52M U.S. state settlement; FTC compliance agreement |
| Cost to Participate | Free to join; attorneys paid only if successful |
| Join the Lawsuit |
After purchasing Starwood in 2016, Marriott discovered the hack thanks to remarkably efficient digital forensics. However, some contend that, considering that the threat started in 2014, the exposure should have been discovered sooner. A variety of high-end hospitality brands was hit, including Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, St. Regis, Element, Aloft, and Le Méridien.
The extent of the violation is especially concerning. In contrast to situations where emails or passwords are the only information compromised, this breach jeopardized identity-critical information such as birth dates and passport numbers. For people who travel frequently, especially those in occupations where discretion is essential, the long-term repercussions are especially dire because they are information that cannot be easily altered.
Consider a seasoned executive who attends conferences on different continents and stays at the Westins in New York, the St. Regis in Abu Dhabi, and the W Hotels in Singapore. Without their awareness, their names, financial histories, and travel habits might have been taken, sold, or altered. Celebrities like Lady Gaga and George Clooney, who are known to frequent upscale resorts, may have more in common with that CEO than just a suite view; they may now be exposed to an unexpected cyberattack.
Regulators took the case seriously. Marriott was fined an astounding $124 million by the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom. A $52 million fine was imposed in the United States by a group of 49 states and the District of Columbia. The FTC required Marriott to improve its internal audits and security measures, although it refrained from directly compensating visitors.
However, fines by themselves cannot restore damaged confidence or compensate individuals harmed. Mass legal action is necessary in this situation. In order to pursue concerted legal action, attorneys are assembling impacted parties, particularly those who are Starwood Preferred Guest members. In the conventional sense, where one lawsuit covers all, this is not a class action. Rather, this is a mass action, with several plaintiffs joining forces with similar complaints and specific claims.
People that sign up can potentially receive $100 or more in compensation. There is no cost to take part. Only when the claims are successful do attorneys receive paid. For people who otherwise wouldn’t seek legal action because of the expense or complexity, this framework is very advantageous. Additionally, it is intended to empower rather than take advantage of the typical visitor whose digital imprint was irresponsibly made public.
The hack revealed more serious issues in the hotel sector. Hotel brands frequently undervalued the significance of encryption, segmentation, and real-time detection techniques in their haste to digitize reward programs and customize experiences. Marriott’s purchase of Starwood increased scale, but it didn’t seem to be closely examined enough. As a result, despite numerous warning signs hidden in system warnings and network logs, the hack remained undetected for years.
Marriott has made observable progress since then. They have improved cybersecurity leadership, consolidated systems, and implemented modern encryption techniques. However, rivals like Accor, Hilton, and Hyatt have reacted even more quickly, redesigning loyalty data storage strategies and greatly enhancing internal audits. The once-comfortably analog business is now under pressure to behave like internet companies with proactive detection frameworks and incredibly dependable systems.
The harm isn’t abstract to individuals affected. These days, identity theft, false accusations, and concerns about data misuse are commonplace. Shortly after the hack was announced, some impacted guests reported illegal credit card use, while others discovered that their reward accounts were closed. Legal teams are arguing for both monetary and emotional damages as a result of these encounters, which are frequently underreported.
Additionally, there is a larger cultural undercurrent at work. Customers are calling for stricter regulations, more robust enforcement, and greater transparency as more organizations gather detailed data, whether from hotels, airlines, or applications. Cases involving Equifax, Capital One, and T-Mobile have a remarkable resemblance to the Starwood action. However, it specifically involves a field that many people connect with leisure rather than obligation.
Today’s travelers are more intelligent. Before enrolling in incentives schemes, they pose more challenging queries regarding data handling. When making reservations online, many are choosing to use virtual credit cards. Additionally, they are examining hotel privacy rules with the same level of attention that was previously only given to insurance contracts. Lawsuits like this are contributing to this change in behavior, which is changing how businesses market themselves online.
Time is of the essence for visitors who haven’t submitted a claim yet. It gets harder to recover evidence or demonstrate specific harms the longer one waits. Thankfully, joining the case is a very quick and easy process. The majority of platforms merely ask for your name, the dates of your stay, and your SPG membership number, if you have one. The rest is handled by the legal staff.
