Know Your Rights: A Guest’s Guide to Our California Privacy Notice
Privacy matters, especially when you are sharing personal information to book a stay, manage an account, or interact with a hotel website. Our California Privacy Notice is designed to help California guests understand what rights they have, how personal information may be used, and what steps they can take to request access to or deletion of information on file.
If you have ever wondered what information may be collected, how it is used, or how to make a request, this guide explains the key points in clear language. You will learn about your rights under the California Privacy Notice, how to submit a verifiable consumer request, and what to expect during the process.
What Is the California Privacy Notice?
The California Privacy Notice explains additional privacy rights available to California residents regarding the collection and use of personal information. It outlines:
- What categories of personal information may be collected
- How that information may be used
- What information may be disclosed for a business purpose
- What rights California residents have
- How to exercise those rights
At its core, the notice is about transparency. It helps guests understand how their information supports reservations, website operations, account management, support, security, and related services.
Why the California Privacy Notice Matters to Guests
When guests make a reservation or interact with a website, they want confidence that their information is handled responsibly. A clear California Privacy Notice supports that trust by showing what happens to personal information and what controls are available.
For California residents, privacy rights are not just a policy preference. They are a practical tool for:
- Understanding what information is collected
- Requesting access to that information
- Requesting deletion of some or all of that information
- Learning whether personal information has been sold
- Receiving equal treatment when exercising privacy rights
These rights help guests stay informed and make decisions with greater confidence.
What Personal Information May Be Collected
The California Privacy Notice identifies categories of personal information that may be collected. In the preceding 12 months, the categories identified as collected include:
| Category | Description | Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Identifiers | Yes |
| Category B | Personal information listed in the California Customer Records statute | Yes |
| Category C | Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law | Yes |
| Category F | Internet or other similar network activity | Yes |
The notice also lists categories that were not collected in the same period, including:
- Category D: Commercial information
- Category E: Biometric information
- Category G: Geolocation data
- Category H: Sensory data
- Category I: Professional or employment-related information
- Category J: Non-public education information
- Category K: Inferences drawn from other personal information
What this means in practice
In plain terms, the information used may relate to identity, customer records information, protected classifications, and website interaction activity. This framework gives guests a more organized view of the kinds of information that may be involved when they use services or interact online.
How Personal Information May Be Used
The California Privacy Notice explains that personal information may be used or disclosed for one or more business or commercial purposes. These include:
- To fulfill the reason you provided the information, such as making a hotel reservation
- To provide requested products and services
- To operate, support, personalize, and develop the website
- To create, maintain, customize, and secure your account
- To provide support and respond to inquiries
- To investigate concerns and improve responses
- To personalize your website experience
- To deliver content and product and service offerings relevant to your interests, including targeted offers and ads through the website and by email or text message, with consent where required by law
- To help maintain the safety, security, and integrity of the website, products and services, databases, and other technology assets
- For testing, research, analysis, and product development
- To respond to law enforcement requests and comply with applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations
- To evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of assets
This is one reason privacy notices matter: they connect business operations to real guest interactions in a straightforward way.
What Information May Be Shared for a Business Purpose
The California Privacy Notice states that personal information may be disclosed for a business purpose to:
- Service providers
- Subsidiaries and affiliates
- Non-affiliated third parties with whom we partner to offer products and services
In the preceding 12 months, the following categories were disclosed for a business purpose:
- Category A: Identifiers
- Category B: Personal information listed in the California Customer Records statute
- Category C: Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law
- Category F: Internet or other similar network activity
Has personal information been sold?
No. In the preceding 12 months, no personal information has been sold.
Because the policy is not to sell personal information, there is no mechanism provided for exercising a right to opt out of sale.
Your Rights Under the California Privacy Notice
California residents have several important rights described in the notice.
1. Right to Access Your Information
You have the right to request disclosure of certain information about the collection and use of your personal information during the 12-month period preceding your request.
Once a request is received and verified, the response may include:
- The categories of personal information collected about you
- The categories of sources from which personal information was collected
- The business or commercial purpose for collecting personal information
- The categories of personal information disclosed for a business purpose
- The categories of third parties with whom personal information is shared
- The specific pieces of personal information collected about you
This right is especially useful if you want a clearer picture of your privacy footprint.
2. Right to Request Deletion
You have the right to request deletion of some or all of the personal information collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
Once a request is received and verified, personal information will be deleted from records, and service providers who were furnished that information will also be directed to delete it.
However, a deletion request may be denied in whole or in part when retaining personal information is necessary to:
- Complete the transaction for which the information was collected, provide a requested good or service, take actions reasonably anticipated within the ongoing business relationship, or otherwise perform a contract
- Detect security incidents and protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity
- Debug products to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality
- Exercise free speech, ensure another consumer’s free speech rights, or exercise another right provided by law
- Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act
- Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest, where deletion may likely render impossible or seriously impair the research’s achievement and where informed consent was previously provided
- Enable solely internal uses reasonably aligned with your expectations based on your relationship
- Comply with a legal obligation
- Make other internal and lawful uses compatible with the context in which the information was provided
3. Right to Opt-Out
You have the right to direct a business not to sell your personal information at any time. However, because the policy is not to sell personal information, the business is exempt from providing a mechanism for exercising that right.
4. Right to Non-Discrimination
The California Privacy Notice states that there will be no discrimination against you for exercising your California privacy rights.
Unless permitted by law, this means services will not be denied, different prices will not be charged, a different level or quality of services will not be provided, and no suggestion will be made that you may receive a different rate or level of service for exercising your rights.
How to Exercise Your Rights
If you want to make a request under the California Privacy Notice, the process is straightforward.
Submit a verifiable consumer request
You may request that personal information be disclosed or deleted by submitting a verifiable consumer request to:
email@hoteldomain.com
Who can make the request?
A request may be made by:
- You, or
- A person registered with the California Secretary of State that you authorize to act on your behalf
How often can you request access?
You may make a verifiable consumer request for access twice within any 12-month period.
What should your request include?
Your request must:
- Describe your request with sufficient detail so it can be understood, evaluated, and responded to
- Include your name and any email address or phone number you have provided, so identity can be verified
Practical Tips for Guests Making a Privacy Request
If you are planning to submit a request under the California Privacy Notice, these best practices can help the process go more smoothly:
Be specific about your request
State clearly whether you want:
- Access to your information
- Deletion of some or all personal information
- Details about categories collected or disclosed
Clear requests are easier to review and process.
Use the same contact details you previously provided
Including the name, email address, or phone number already associated with your interactions helps with identity verification.
Keep timing in mind
For access requests, remember that the request covers the 12-month period preceding your request, and access requests may be submitted twice within any 12-month period.
Review related website policies and resources
Privacy does not stand alone. Guests may also benefit from reviewing related website topics such as website accessibility, account security, and online support resources to better understand the full guest experience online.
Privacy, Trust, and the Guest Experience
A strong privacy notice does more than satisfy a legal requirement. It helps build trust by explaining what happens behind the scenes when guests book, browse, ask for support, or manage their information.
Transparency is especially important in hospitality, where convenience and confidence go hand in hand. Guests want smooth digital experiences, but they also want clarity about how their information is collected, used, shared, and protected within the scope of published policies.
The California Privacy Notice supports that goal by defining rights in practical terms and offering a direct path for submitting requests.
Quick Answers About the California Privacy Notice
What is the main purpose of the California Privacy Notice?
The main purpose is to explain how personal information may be collected, used, disclosed, and what privacy rights California residents have.
Can a guest request access to personal information?
Yes. California residents can request disclosure of certain information about the collection and use of their personal information during the preceding 12 months.
Can a guest request deletion of personal information?
Yes. California residents can request deletion of some or all personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
Has personal information been sold?
No. In the preceding 12 months, no personal information has been sold.
How can a guest submit a request?
A verifiable consumer request may be submitted to email@hoteldomain.com.
Conclusion
Understanding the California Privacy Notice helps guests make informed choices about their personal information. From the right to access information to the right to request deletion and the assurance of non-discrimination, these protections are an important part of a transparent guest experience.
If you are a California resident and want to learn more about your information or make a privacy request, review your options carefully and submit a verifiable consumer request to email@hoteldomain.com. Taking that step can help you better understand and manage your personal information with confidence.