Introduction

Your privacy is of the utmost importance and Finest Retreats is committed to safeguarding your personal data. Here, we describe the personal information we collect, how it is used and shared, your choices regarding this information and applies to any users of our services.

 

Any reference in this statement to information or personal information is to “personal data” as defined under the General Data Protection Regulation.

 

Who are we?

We are E&M Digital Ltd, trading as Finest Retreats. We operate the website www.finestretreats.co.uk. Our registered office is 19 Zest House, Beechwood Road, London, E8 3FQ.

 

Data controllers

For your reference the data controller is:

Finest Retreats, 19 Zest House, Beechwood Road, London, E8 3FQ.

 

The Data controller representative is:

Richard Bond, Director who can be contacted at data@finestretreats.co.uk.

 

The personal information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

 

1. Personal information you provide

For example, this information may be collected when you:

 

Contact us about any of our services

Create or update your account

Subscribe to a newsletter

Enquire about, book or review a holiday or other service

Enter a competition

 

The type of information we collect from you may include your name, email address, phone number, postal address and account password. If you are an owner who is looking to let a property with us it may include your property name and property location. For training and compliance purpose, phone calls with our contact centre may be recorded. Calls may be recorded.

 

We may ask for information such as the names and ages of guests in your party, some of whom may be under 18. If you provide us with information for anybody under the age of 18, you will be asked to confirm that you are their parent or guardian and you agree to us handling their personal details.

 

2. Information created when you use our services

The following types of information are created when using our services:

 

Session information

So that we can continually improve our service to you we record session information. This data includes booking information, any searches performed and saved, cottages shortlisted along with dates and times for each. It may also include non-personally identifiable information such as your IP address and customer ID, along with your device information such as operating system with browser or app version as applicable.

 

Analytics information

We use analytics tools to understand how users find, move around and interact with our websites and apps to continuously improve and optimise our service.

 

3. Information from other sources

We may collect information relating to you or products or services you purchase from us from other sources which may include:

 

Business partners who help us facilitate the services we provide, such as payment providers, email service providers and review partners.

Marketing service providers such as social media and search engines

Insurance providers when you make a claim on either of our holiday insurance or damage waiver products

Businesses that collect, collate and supply information to us, such as marketing list and database providers

Other businesses through whom we advertise our products and services

Consultants who provide services to us, such as recruitment agencies

Publicly available sources

Information from these sources may be combined with other information in our possession.

 

Cookies and third-party technologies

We may also gather information from cookies, pixels or similar technologies from the internet.

 

'Cookies' are small text files stored on your computer by your browser or device by websites, apps, online media and advertisements. Like most websites this one uses cookies. To learn more about these technologies, please see our Cookie Policy.

 

How we use your information

Our main purpose in collecting your personal information is to provide you with the services you requested and those which we believe will improve your experience with us.

 

We may use your information in the following ways:

Providing services and features

Show you recently viewed, wishlisted items or saved searches.

Understand your onsite behaviour so that we may personalise our marketing service to you

Verify your eligibility for any products, promotions or services we offer

Provide guest or user reviews on our website

To assist you when you contact us

Monitor and improve our services

To fulfil a contract

When you use our services, for example booking a holiday or letting your property through us, we will need you to supply us with specific information required to fulfil a contract or related contracts, such as the contract created between the property owner and guest. If you refuse to supply part or all of this information, we may not be able to fulfil these contracts.

Research and development

We may use the information we collect for testing, research, analysis and product development. This allows us to gain better market insights, improve and enhance the safety and security of our services and to develop new features and products. It also enables us to track the performance of our website and the content within it. 

Marketing communications & advertising

We may communicate with you about our products, services, promotions and news or, where applicable, relevant third parties services.

We may also provide you with relevant advertising and content about our services through third party providers as well as tracking performance of this advertising. For information on how to opt out of this advertising, please see ‘Your Rights’ below.

Verifying information

We may use or share your information with third parties to verify its accuracy.

Legal proceedings and requirements

We may use the information we collect to investigate or address claims or disputes relating to your use of our services, or as otherwise allowed by applicable law.

 

 

Information sharing and disclosure

We always treat your data with sensitivity and keep it secure. At times we share your information with others where it is either necessary to perform our services or where you have given your consent to do so.

 

Other parties that we share your data with include:

Guests and property owners

When enquiring about a holiday we are required to share details about the guests with the owner to arrange the booking. When booking a holiday, we will share both the guest details to the owner and the owners details to the guest. This is necessary for Finest Retreats to fulfil our contractual obligations to owners and holidaymakers.

 

Users of our services

When using one of our services (a guest enquiring about a holiday, for example) we may share details about them with parties we contract with. For example, when booking a holiday, we will share both the guest details to the owner and the owner's details to the guest.

 

External service providers and business partners

In order to perform or market our services to you, we may provide information to trusted third parties such as consultants, marketing partners, mailing houses, research firms and other service providers or business partners (for example when sending you the latest brochure or other direct mailings). We do this where we believe we have a legitimate interest or you have given consent to do so. Where we provide your information for these purposes to a party that operates outside of the European Union we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. The holiday rental booking software we use, Avantio, is the main example of a third party that we share our data with in order to provide our service to guests and holidaymakers.

 

We will not share your information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes without your consent.

 

Third party advertising platforms

Where we share your data with third party advertising platforms (such as Google or Facebook) to provide you with relevant and personalised marketing content. This information may be joined with information held within that platform. To opt out or review your privacy settings, please see ‘Your Rights’ below.

 

With relevant authorities

For legal reasons or in the event of a dispute we may share your information when required or allowed to do so by law. For example, if you use another person's credit card, we may be required by law to share information with that credit card holder, including holiday information.

 

Safety and security

We know how much data security matters to all our customers and we treat your data with the utmost care. Our values are to provide excellence for guests ad owners and this extends to protecting your data too. We are committed to using it only for the correct and ethical purposes relating to our duties as a holiday lettings agent and listings website.

 

We adopt best practices and operate secure data networks protected by industry standard firewall and password protection to safeguard personal identifiable information. Sensitive data such as payment card information is secured by SSL encryption and is managed by industry leading experts Avantio and Stripe.

 

Marketing Opt-Outs

You may opt-out of receiving marketing communications from us by contacting us at data@finestretreats.co.uk or by writing to the Data controller representative, 19 Zest House, London, E8 3FQ.

 

You can also opt out of certain marketing communications through the following means: 

Email: By following the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each marketing email or updating your preferences in your account (where applicable). Please note that if you do opt out, you may still be sent non-marketing messages, such as booking confirmations or balance reminders that would be relevant to the service we are providing to you.

Post: By following instructions from within the mailing itself or sending back to the sender address.

Advertising on third party websites: You can opt out of personalised marketing from us on third party websites or apps by visiting the following links:

Google: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences

 

How long we keep your data for

We will only keep personal data for an appropriate period of time for the purpose(s) for which we are using it. This period will vary and be dependent on our contractual and legal requirements.

 

Your rights

As per the GDPR regulation, you have the right to ask us to provide you with the personal information we may hold for you and what we are using this information for. This is known as a “Subject Access Request”. You also have the right to request that we delete your personal information. Upon receipt of such requests we will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible, but at least within one month.

 

If you believe the personal information we hold for your is incorrect, please let us know and we will rectify this as soon as possible.

 

If you would like to exercise these rights, please contact us at data@finestretreats.co.uk or write to the Data controller representative, 19 Zest House, London, E8 3FQ.

 

If you are not happy with the manner in which we have used your personal information you have the right to complain to a statutory authority, in the UK this would be the Information Commissioner’s Office.