Press Release: Hotels.com
August 21, 2002
DALLAS, TX -- Hotels.com (Nasdaq:ROOM), the largest specialized provider of discount lodging worldwide, confirmed
that a reported incident yesterday morning at one of its facilities in Pharr, Texas was a false alarm.
Various media sources had initially reported that the company's reservation processing facility might have been
contaminated with a "white powder" substance. However, after a thorough investigation by authorities,
this proved to be a false alarm. Within just a few hours, personnel were back in the building conducting business
as usual after an initial evacuation, and the company's operations were not affected.
David Litman, chief executive officer of Hotels.com, said: "Thankfully, our employees were not in any danger,
and we are grateful to the local, state and federal authorities that acted quickly and professionally in helping
us resolve the situation. Our company's preparedness was instrumental in bringing things to a positive conclusion."
About Hotels.com
Hotels.com (Nasdaq:ROOM - News), a majority-owned subsidiary of USA Interactive (Nasdaq:USAI), is the largest specialized
provider of discount lodging worldwide, providing service through its own websites (including www.hotels.com and
others), more than 28,000 affiliated websites, and its toll-free call centers (1-800-2-HOTELS). Hotels.com provides
accommodations to travelers at over 6,400 properties in more than 240 markets in North America, Europe, the Caribbean
and Asia. The company offers a one-stop shopping source for hotel pricing, amenities and availability, and also
specializes in providing travelers with accommodations for sold-out periods.
----------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Hotel Reservations Network
General and Analyst Inquiries:
Molly Branch, 214/361-7311, ext. 1331
mbranch@hotels.com
or
Media Inquiries
Fuhr & Associates
Lois Fuhr, 206/236-0606
lfuhr@fuhrassoc.com