8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_______________________________________ 

FORM 8-K

_______________________________________  

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 30, 2018

_______________________________________ 

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

_______________________________________ 

Delaware	1-13881	52-2055918
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

10400 Fernwood Road, Bethesda, Maryland	20817
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (301) 380-3000

_______________________________________ 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter)

	Emerging growth company	o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.		o

ITEM 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On November 30, 2018, Marriott International, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release providing important information regarding a cybersecurity incident. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99 and is incorporated by reference herein.

Answers to certain frequently asked questions related to the cybersecurity incident follow.

1. What will be the financial impact to the Company from this cybersecurity incident?

It is premature to estimate the financial impact to the Company. The Company carries insurance, including cyber insurance, commensurate with its size and the nature of its operations.  The Company is working with its insurance carriers to assess coverage.

2. How will the Company disclose the costs related to this incident in its financial statements and public filings?

The Company expects it will separately disclose costs specifically related to this incident, as well as any corresponding insurance reimbursements. The timing of recognition of related costs may differ from the timing of recognition of any insurance reimbursement.

3. What will be the impact to the Company’s long-term financial health from this incident?

The Company does not believe this incident will impact its long-term financial health. As a manager and franchisor of leading lodging brands, the Company generates meaningful cash flow each year with only modest capital investment needed to grow the business. The Company remains committed to maintaining its investment grade credit rating.

The information in this Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99, is being furnished and shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into any other filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ITEM 9.01	Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits. The Company is furnishing the following exhibit with this report:

Exhibit 99 Press Release

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SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Date: November 30, 2018	By:	/s/ Bao Giang Val Bauduin
		Bao Giang Val Bauduin
		Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

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EX-99

Exhibit 99

Marriott Announces Starwood Guest Reservation Database Security Incident

BETHESDA, MD - November 30, 2018 - Marriott has taken measures to investigate and address a data security incident involving the Starwood guest reservation database. On November 19, 2018, the investigation determined that there was unauthorized access to the database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties* on or before September 10, 2018.

On September 8, 2018, Marriott received an alert from an internal security tool regarding an attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database in the United States. Marriott quickly engaged leading security experts to help determine what occurred. Marriott learned during the investigation that there had been unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014. The company recently discovered that an unauthorized party had copied and encrypted information, and took steps towards removing it. On November 19, 2018, Marriott was able to decrypt the information and determined that the contents were from the Starwood guest reservation database.

The company has not finished identifying duplicate information in the database, but believes it contains information on up to approximately 500 million guests who made a reservation at a Starwood property. For approximately 327 million of these guests, the information includes some combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest (“SPG”) account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date, and communication preferences. For some, the information also includes payment card numbers and payment card expiration dates, but the payment card numbers were encrypted using Advanced Encryption Standard encryption (AES-128).  There are two components needed to decrypt the payment card numbers, and at this point, Marriott has not been able to rule out the possibility that both were taken. For the remaining guests, the information was limited to name and sometimes other data such as mailing address, email address, or other information. 

Marriott reported this incident to law enforcement and continues to support their investigation. The company has already begun notifying regulatory authorities.

“We deeply regret this incident happened,” said Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves. We are doing everything we can to support our guests, and using lessons learned to be better moving forward.”

“Today, Marriott is reaffirming our commitment to our guests around the world. We are working hard to ensure our guests have answers to questions about their personal information, with a dedicated website and call center. We will also continue to support the efforts of law enforcement and to work with leading security experts to improve. Finally, we are devoting the resources necessary to phase out Starwood systems and accelerate the ongoing security enhancements to our network,” Mr. Sorenson continued.

Guest Support

Marriott has taken the following steps to help guests monitor and protect their information:

Dedicated Website and Call Center

• We have established a dedicated website (info.starwoodhotels.com) and call center to answer questions you may have about this incident. The frequently-asked questions on info.starwoodhotels.com may be supplemented from time to time. The call center is open seven days a week and is available in multiple languages. Call volume may be high, and we appreciate your patience.

Email Notification

• Marriott will begin sending emails on a rolling basis starting today, November 30, 2018, to affected guests whose email addresses are in the Starwood guest reservation database.

Free WebWatcher Enrollment

• Marriott is providing guests the opportunity to enroll in WebWatcher free of charge for one year. WebWatcher monitors internet sites where personal information is shared and generates an alert to the consumer if evidence of the consumer’s personal information is found. Due to regulatory and other reasons, WebWatcher or similar products are not available in all countries. Guests from the United States who activate WebWatcher will also be provided fraud consultation services and reimbursement coverage for free. To activate WebWatcher, go to info.starwoodhotels.com and click on your country, if listed, for enrollment.

Marriott is furnishing a Form 8-K with the SEC attaching a copy of this press release and presenting certain other information with respect to the incident.

* Starwood brands include: W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels. Starwood branded timeshare properties are also included.

Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 6,700 properties in 30 leading hotel brands spanning 129 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company also operates award-winning loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards®, which includes The Ritz-Carlton Rewards®, and Starwood Preferred Guest®. For more information, please visit our website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit www.marriottnewscenter.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.

Contacts:

Connie Kim

301-380-4028

NewsRoom@marriott.com

IRPR#1