Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 1, 2025

1. Introduction and Scope

Hidden Weekends ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website hiddenweekends.com (the "Service").

This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our Service, including information collected online, via email, or through any other electronic communications.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter or email communications
  • Contact us via email, contact forms, or other communication methods
  • Participate in surveys, contests, or promotions
  • Leave comments, reviews, or feedback
  • Create an account or user profile
  • Submit content or user-generated materials
  • Interact with our social media accounts

This information may include:

  • Name and contact information (email address, phone number)
  • Demographic information (age, location, interests)
  • Travel preferences and interests
  • Communication preferences
  • Any other information you choose to provide

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Service, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns, including:

  • Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers
  • Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, search queries
  • Location Information: General geographic location (city, state, country) based on IP address
  • Referral Information: Website or source that referred you to our Service
  • Technical Information: Screen resolution, language preferences, time zone

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information about your interactions with our Service. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision and Operation

  • Provide, maintain, and improve our Service
  • Personalize your experience and content recommendations
  • Process transactions and fulfill requests
  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
  • Enable features and functionality of the Service

3.2 Communication

  • Send newsletters, updates, and promotional materials (with your consent)
  • Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
  • Send important notices about changes to our Service or policies
  • Provide customer support and technical assistance

3.3 Analytics and Improvement

  • Analyze usage patterns and user behavior
  • Improve our Service, content, and user experience
  • Conduct research and analytics
  • Develop new features and services

3.4 Legal and Security

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Protect our rights, property, and safety
  • Prevent fraud, abuse, and other harmful activities
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

  • Consent: When you have given clear consent for us to process your personal information
  • Contract Performance: When processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you
  • Legitimate Interests: When we have legitimate interests in processing your information (e.g., improving our Service)
  • Legal Obligation: When processing is necessary to comply with legal obligations

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our Service, including:

  • Email Marketing: Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or similar platforms for newsletter delivery
  • Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar services
  • Hosting and Infrastructure: Vercel, AWS, or similar cloud providers
  • Content Delivery: CDN providers for faster content delivery
  • Customer Support: Help desk and support platforms
  • Payment Processing: Stripe, PayPal, or similar payment processors

5.2 Business Partners and Affiliates

We may share information with business partners, including:

  • Travel companies and booking platforms
  • Affiliate marketing partners (Amazon Associates, etc.)
  • Advertising partners and networks

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
  • Protect and defend our rights, property, or safety
  • Prevent fraud, abuse, or other harmful activities
  • Protect against legal liability
  • Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

6. Third-Party Services and Integrations

6.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyze website usage and improve our Service. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends. You can opt out of Google Analytics by visiting Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on or by adjusting your browser settings.

6.2 Amazon Associates Program

We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. When you click on Amazon links and make purchases, we may earn commissions. Amazon may collect information about your interactions with these links in accordance with their privacy policy.

6.3 Social Media Platforms

Our Service may contain links to social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.). These platforms have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their practices. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

6.4 Advertising Networks

We may work with third-party advertising networks to display advertisements on our Service. These networks may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to our Service and other websites to provide targeted advertisements.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

Our security measures include:

  • Encryption: SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
  • Access Controls: Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular Assessments: Periodic security assessments and vulnerability testing
  • Secure Infrastructure: Secure hosting infrastructure with regular updates
  • Data Minimization: Collecting only the minimum necessary information
  • Staff Training: Regular training on data protection and security practices

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Our retention periods are as follows:

  • Newsletter Subscribers: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
  • Contact Inquiries: 3 years from the date of inquiry
  • Analytics Data: 26 months (Google Analytics default)
  • Account Information: Until account deletion or 3 years of inactivity
  • Legal Requirements: As required by applicable law

9. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

9.1 General Rights

  • Access: Request access to your personal information
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
  • Portability: Request transfer of your information to another service
  • Objection: Object to processing of your information
  • Withdrawal: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
  • Restriction: Request restriction of processing

9.2 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of receiving marketing communications from us by:

  • Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email we send
  • Contacting us at privacy@hiddenweekends.com
  • Updating your preferences in your account settings

9.3 Cookies and Tracking

You can control cookies and tracking technologies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Service.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information immediately.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@hiddenweekends.com.

11. International Data Transfers

If you are accessing our Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using our Service, you consent to this transfer.

We ensure that any international transfers of personal information are subject to appropriate safeguards, including:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
  • Adequacy decisions by the European Commission
  • Other appropriate safeguards as required by applicable law

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

12.1 Right to Know

You have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and sell about you.

12.2 Right to Delete

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

12.3 Right to Opt-Out

You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information to third parties.

12.4 Right to Non-Discrimination

You have the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@hiddenweekends.com or call us at [Phone Number].

13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

  • Right of Access: You can request a copy of your personal information
  • Right to Rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate information
  • Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your personal information
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can request limitation of processing
  • Right to Data Portability: You can request transfer of your data
  • Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Rights Related to Automated Decision Making: You have rights regarding automated decision-making and profiling

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@hiddenweekends.com.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

  • Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
  • Updating the "Last updated" date
  • Sending you an email notification (if you have provided an email address)
  • Displaying a prominent notice on our Service

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

15. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

For EU residents, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have not handled your personal information in accordance with applicable law.