Choice Hotels International Data Breach Investigation

Recently, Choice Hotels reported to the Attorney General of Vermont that it had experienced a data breach in which sensitive personal identifiable information in its care may have been compromised. According to the breach notice, on January 14, 2026, a third party actor gained access to an application that contained records regarding franchisees and franchise applicants of Choice Hotels.¹ As a result, Choice Hotels launched an investigation to determine the nature of the incident.

Through its investigation, Choice Hotels confirmed that sensitive personal information in the application may have been accessed by an unauthorized third party during the breach. As a result, Choice Hotels began a review of the data to determine what information had been impacted as well as identify the specific individuals affected. While the information impacted varies depending on the individual, the type of information potentially exposed includes:

• Name
• Social Security number
• Contact information
• Date of birth

On February 19, 2026, Choice Hotels began mailing data breach notification letters to impacted individuals. Based on the breach notice sent to Vermont residents, Choice Hotels is providing affected individuals with a list of the specific types of sensitive information impacted and complimentary credit monitoring services. A link to the form breach notification letters that Choice Hotels filed with the Attorney General of Vermont is below.