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Marriott faces $123 million UK fine over data breach
Marriott might soon face a stiff penalty for the massive November 2018 data breach. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office plans to fine the hotel chain £99,200,396 (about $123.7 million) for allegedly violating the EU's General Data Protection Regulation through the incident. Marriott didn't conduct "sufficient due diligence" when it bought Starwood, according to the regulator, and "should also have done more" to improve security.
Check your credit card transactions: 54 Starwood hotels hit by malware
Third-party forensic experts have discovered that the point-of-sale systems in 54 Starwood hotels across the US and Canada were infected with malware. The company has listed all the locations in its PSA, including various Sheraton, Westin and W properties. That list also notes the possible dates (ranging from November 2014 to October 2015) when each location could have been compromised, and they were all before the hotel chain announced its acquisition by Marriott. Just like what happened to Hilton earlier this year, you might have only been affected if you used your credit cards in one of the 54 hotels' restaurants or gifts shops. Starwood America president Sergio Rivera says there's no evidence that its guest reservation and membership systems also had a security flaw.
Uber riders can now earn points at luxury hotels
In-between shenanigans, Uber actually offers a pretty nice car service, and users are about to get a perk besides free water: points from chi-chi hotelier Starwood. Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) members can now link their accounts to Uber, and (after a qualifying stay), will get a point or more for every dollar spent on Uber. In addition, if you happen to catch a special SPG branded Uber car in select cities on February 28th between 2 and 7PM, the ride will be comped and you'll get 15,000 SPG points, enough for a free night. However, the promo is limited to 460 riders, and at that time of day, you could end up with an inflated surge fare instead of a free room.
Starwood rolls out smartphone-based room keys, starting with 10 of its hotels
Depending on your sensibilities, smart locks might not make much sense in the home -- we don't know, maybe you can't break your keys habit or something. But we think we can all agree on this: Smart locks make a hell of a lot of sense in hotels. Think about it: Those plastic room keys are easy to lose anyway, and they don't always work properly on first swipe. Indeed, the hotel giant Starwood is already on it. Following a pilot test earlier this year, the company is rolling out Bluetooth locks in 10 of its hotels, with more to come early next year.
Starwood's app for Google Glass will let you search and book hotels
Imagine walking into a hotel lobby and telling the wearable on your face to pull up your reservation details. Starwood, the company behind properties from the Aloft to the W to the St. Regis, is hoping to up its hospitality game with an app tailor-made for Google Glass. Currently in beta, the upcoming SPG app for Glass will let guests search Starwood properties around the world, get turn-by-turn directions to a particular hotel and explore room photos, amenities, dining options and more. It looks like you'll also be able to book a reservation directly from the Glass app and -- importantly -- call a hotel if you get lost.
Starwood swapping room keys for mobile phones at two hotels
Starwood plans to roll out refreshed SPG apps that can unlock your guest room later this quarter. The new tech, which the company refers to as "keyless key" in its intro video (embedded after the break), will soon let you bypass the front desk and enter your room using an Android 4.3 or iPhone 4s (or newer) device at the Aloft Harlem and the Aloft Silicon Valley. Existing locks must be upgraded in order to communicate with the Android and iOS apps via Bluetooth, according to a WSJ report, but Starwood's CEO says that the "investment would not be substantial." Starwood currently offers a Smart Check-In solution at several Aloft hotels, but the existing system requires guests to obtain (and carry) a compatible membership card. It's also quite limited, with only nine hotels currently participating. Meanwhile, if this initial smartphone rollout is a success, your phone could be the key to all W and Aloft hotels worldwide by the end of next year.
Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and Starwood Hotels reward your loyalty with free WiFi
Free WiFi is practically a given at coffee shops and motels, yet lots of luxury hotels hit you with an extra $10 - $15 a day to ride their waves of wireless internet. Good news is, well-heeled world travelers won't be paying those fees much longer, because several high-end hotel chains are now giving temporary tenants complimentary wireless internet. Loyalty program members for Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood Hotels get online gratis if they have Gold or Platinum status, while Marriott lets all who sign up for its rewards program get WiFi for free. Seems ridiculous that some folks still pay extra for internet when a room runs several hundred dollars, but a little free websurfing is better than none. We can only hope that towel retention technology will provide a sufficient boost to their bottom lines to eventually allow access for all.
aloft Dulles-North hotel sets sights on November opening
Just in case the recently revamped Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center isn't close enough to all the action for you, aloft is getting set to bring its traditionally modern style to a new hotel in Ashburn, Virginia. The 136-room aloft Dulles-North is merely minutes away from the Dulles International Airport, and besides being near a plethora of shopping and dining options, it also offers each guest free WiFi, their own flat-panel HDTV and a "one-stop connectivity" panel for interfacing with gizmos in tow. No word on just how pricey a night in this place will be, but you can find out for yourself starting on November 6th
aloft bringing luxurious hotel to Abu Dhabi
Nah, it won't be open for guests before this year's GITEX conference kicks off just down the way in Dubai, but Starwood Hotels & Resorts is moving forward with plans to erect its first aloft hotel in the anxious-for-HD Middle East. If you'll recall, two such venues are slated to open their doors in India just two short years from now, but the one pictured above should be completed in Q4 of 2009. Aside from being right in the heart of the Capital Center, every last guest room will include WiFi and an entertainment center packed with a flat-panel HDTV and a selection of ports in order to link up gear that patrons may have on hand. Of course, it still won't hold a candle to the mighty Burj Al Arab, but it'll keep HD junkies from going into withdrawals while out on business / vacation, for sure.
