Statement from Chris Orrell, MD HotelHippo.com

Statement from Chris Orrell, Founder & Managing Director of HotelHippo.com

I was very alarmed to hear that our valued customers should have to face this worry. We are taking urgent steps to find out exactly what information might have been vulnerable.  Our initial investigations show that just 24 customers might be affected, but for even one customer, it is obviously completely unacceptable and we are very sorry.

This site was little used, but for each one of those affected customers their security, privacy and safety is of the utmost importance to us. This is not something we have ever had to deal with before and we are doing everything we can to deal with the situation and ensure that lessons are learned (both by us and others in the industry).

We have shut down the website HotelHippo.com and it will not reopen.

We are contacting, today, every affected customer who is due to go on a hotel break, booked through the HotelHippo.com site, to offer them alternative options, which will include a free hotel break and assistance to assure their security.  We have also set up a helpline where customers can contact us by calling 08446 646 000.