Have you received a WhatsApp message, email, or message via Booking.com, Airbnb, or Expedia that you do not trust? Please stay alert. Fake messages are circulating in which cybercriminals pretend to be WestCord Hotels, one of our hotels, or an employee of a booking platform.

In these messages, you may sometimes be asked to make a payment, share payment details, confirm a reservation, or click on a link. These messages do not come from WestCord Hotels.

WestCord Hotels sends payment requests only through our official reservation confirmation or via the secure MEWS payment portal. We never ask for your payment details, passwords, PIN codes, or verification codes afterwards via email, SMS, or WhatsApp.

Do you receive such a request? Do not click on any links, do not share any information, and contact the hotel directly using the official contact details on our website.

Privacy Statement

For us, careful handling of personal data is of the utmost importance. Personal data is therefore processed, secured, and treated confidentially by us with great care. In doing so, we comply with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please also read our privacy statement to learn more about this.

How do you recognize a suspicious message?

A message may be suspicious if:

• you are asked via WhatsApp, SMS, or email to pay immediately;
• you are asked to share payment details, passwords, PIN codes, or verification codes;
• you are put under pressure, for example with phrases such as “pay immediately” or “your reservation will be cancelled”;
• the link in the message does not lead to an official WestCord website or the secure MEWS payment portal;
• the sender is unknown or pretends to be an employee of WestCord Hotels;
• the message contains spelling mistakes, strange wording, or unclear information;
• the message appears to come from Booking.com, Airbnb, or Expedia, but directs you to an unknown or external payment page.

When in doubt, always contact the hotel directly.

What does WestCord Hotels do and not do?

WestCord Hotels communicates with guests through official channels, such as our website, reservation confirmations, hotel receptions, and recognized booking platforms.

We will never ask you to:

• share payment details via WhatsApp, SMS, or a separate email;
• send passwords, PIN codes, or verification codes;
• make a payment through an unknown link;
• confirm your reservation outside the official channels;
• enter personal details on an unreliable or unknown website.

Have you booked through Booking.com or Expedia? Always carefully check messages and payment requests within your Booking.com or Expedia account. When in doubt, contact the hotel directly using the official contact details on our website.

What can you do if you receive a suspicious message?

1. Do not click on any links in the message.
2. Do not share payment details, passwords, PIN codes, or verification codes.
3. Forward the suspicious message to us so that we can investigate it.
4. Block the sender.
5. Report the message via WhatsApp, Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, or your email provider.
6. When in doubt, contact the hotel directly.

We take reports of suspicious messages very seriously and investigate them carefully, where necessary together with our external software suppliers.

Have you clicked anyway or entered your details?

Have you clicked on a link, entered details, or made a payment? Take immediate action:

• Contact your bank or credit card company.
• Change passwords if you entered them.
• Do not share any further information with the sender.
• Report the message to the police or the Fraud Help Desk.
• Contact the hotel where you made your booking.

Always contact the hotel where you made your booking directly. Use the official contact details on our website for this.

Together, we can help ensure that your reservation and personal details remain safe.