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Norwalk, Connecticut-based HEI, which is privately held, has reported a malware designed to collect card data was found on HEI's systems.A data breach at 20 U.S. hotels operated by HEI Hotels & Resorts for Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Intercontinental may have divulged payment card data from tens of thousands of food, drink and other transactions, HEI said.The malware affected 12 Starwood hotels, six Marriott International properties, one Hyatt hotel and one InterContinental hotel. It was active from March 1, 2015 to June 21, 2016, with 14 of the hotels affected after Dec. 2, 2015, HEI said on its website.

The number of customers affected, however , is difficult to calculate because they might have used their cards multiple times, Daly said. Roughly about 8,000 transactions occurred during the affected period at the Hyatt Centric Santa Barbara hotel in California, and about 12,800 at the IHG Intercontinental in Tampa, Florida.

The malware was discovered in early to mid-June on payment systems used at restaurants, bars, spas, lobby shops and other facilities at the properties, Chris Daly, a spokesman for HEI, said in emails and phone calls.The breach follows similar attacks at Hyatt Hotels and Starwood Hotels & Resorts in recent months.

Marriott and IHG declined to comment. Representatives from the other hotel groups did not respond to requests for comment.