01 Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains how PacificStayGuide handles information when you visit pacificstayguide.com. We aim to collect as little information as possible, and this policy describes what the website actually does today rather than what it might do in the future.
By using this website you acknowledge that you have read this policy. If you do not agree with it, please stop using the website or contact us with your concerns. We have written the policy in plain language and numbered each section so that you can find the topic you need quickly.
02 About PacificStayGuide
PacificStayGuide is an independent travel information website about Australian hotels and destinations. It is not a booking service and does not sell products or services. In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to PacificStayGuide. You can contact us at [email protected].
Because we do not take reservations, we never receive booking details, credit card numbers, passport information or travel dates from you. Anything you share with a hotel when you enquire or book is shared with that hotel and not with us.
03 Scope of the Policy
This policy applies to the pages of pacificstayguide.com. It does not apply to other websites that we link to, including hotel websites, Google services and support organisations. Those sites have their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to read them.
The policy covers visitors from Australia and elsewhere, and it covers emails that you send us directly. It does not cover communications with hotels, casino operators, support services or any other third party.
04 Personal Information We Collect
We collect personal information only when you choose to give it to us, for example by using our contact form or by emailing us. This may include your name, email address, optional telephone number, the content of your message and the hotel you are asking about. You do not need an account to use the website, and we do not sell goods or take payments, so we do not collect payment details.
Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. The information we may receive from you is limited to:
- your name and email address;
- your telephone number, if you choose to provide one;
- the subject and content of your message and the hotel or topic you are asking about;
- anything else you decide to include in a message or email.
We do not intentionally collect sensitive information such as health, financial, political or religious details. Please do not include this kind of information in your message.
05 Information Submitted Through Contact Forms
When you submit the contact form, your message is sent to the FormSubmit form delivery service (formsubmit.co), which forwards it to our mailbox. The form contains a hidden field intended to stop automated spam. Please do not include sensitive information in your message. If form delivery is unavailable, the form says so and you may email us directly instead.
The contact form asks for the following fields: full name, email address, phone number (optional), subject, hotel of interest, message, and your confirmation that you have read this policy. The form also records that the privacy box was ticked. We use only what you submit, and we do not add information from other sources.
If you ask us a question about a particular hotel, we will answer in general terms. We cannot make, change or cancel reservations, and we will direct you to the hotel for those requests.
06 Automatically Collected Information
Like most websites, the servers that host pacificstayguide.com typically record technical details when a page is requested, such as your IP address, the pages requested, the date and time and your browser type. These logs are generated by our hosting provider for security and reliable operation. We do not currently use them to identify individual visitors.
Server logs may be reviewed to investigate errors, to diagnose technical problems or to detect security incidents such as unusual traffic. We do not combine logs with other information to build profiles of visitors.
07 Technical Information
Your browser sends information such as device type, language and screen size so that pages can be displayed properly. Our responsive layouts use this information in your browser only. We do not collect or store it ourselves.
The website relies on JavaScript for features such as the age prompt, the navigation menu, the contact form validation and the cookie settings. If you disable JavaScript, some of these features may not work, and parts of the website may not display as intended.
08 Cookies and Browser Storage
The website does not set cookies of its own. It uses your browser’s localStorage and sessionStorage to remember your 18+ self-declaration (psg_age_confirmed), whether you said you were under 18 during the current session (psg_age_denied) and your cookie choices (psg_cookie_consent). These items are described in detail in our Cookie Policy.
Third-party content that you choose to load, such as an embedded Google Map, may set cookies of its own. We describe how browser storage works, what each stored item does and how to manage it in the Cookie Policy.
09 How We Use Information
We use information you send us to read and reply to your enquiry and to improve our content. We do not send newsletters, and we do not use your contact details for marketing. Information in your browser storage is used only to apply your choices as you move between pages.
In practice, this means that we may:
- read your message and reply to the email address you provided;
- keep a record of the exchange so that we can answer follow-up questions consistently;
- correct or improve a page if your message points out an error or an omission;
- investigate and prevent misuse of the contact form, such as spam;
- keep the age and cookie choices you make on this device so that we do not ask you again on every page.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing.
10 Information Processing Purposes
Our purposes are limited to: responding to enquiries; operating, securing and maintaining the website; remembering your age declaration and cookie preferences; and meeting legal obligations. Essential browser storage is used because it is needed to run the website as you have asked it to run. Optional technologies would only ever be used with your consent.
We do not carry out automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects for you. We may disclose information where the law requires it, for example in response to a lawful request from a court or regulator.
11 Third-Party Service Providers
Several providers are involved in delivering the website. Google Fonts supplies typefaces and Font Awesome icons are delivered through the cdnjs service (Cloudflare) when a page loads, so those providers receive your IP address and browser details. Our hosting provider processes server logs, and FormSubmit receives and forwards the details you submit through the contact form.
The providers we currently rely on are:
- Hosting provider: serves the website and generates server logs.
- Google Fonts (Google): supplies the Space Grotesk and Inter typefaces.
- Font Awesome via cdnjs (Cloudflare): supplies interface icons.
- FormSubmit (formsubmit.co): receives and forwards contact form submissions to our mailbox.
- Google Maps: loaded only if you click the map button on a hotel page.
Each provider has its own privacy practices. If we add or change a provider that affects how your information is handled, we will update this policy.
12 Google Maps
Hotel pages include Google Maps. The map does not load until you click “Load Google Map”. Once you do, your browser connects to Google, which may collect information and set cookies under the Google Privacy Policy. If you never click the button, no connection to Google Maps is made.
The map embed uses the hotel’s address as a search term. We do not pass any of your personal information to Google. Google may, however, receive your IP address, browser details and any cookies it sets, and it may associate them with a Google account if you are signed in.
13 External Hotel Websites
We link to the official websites of the hotels we feature and to support services. We do not control those websites, and we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Any information you give a hotel when you contact or book with it is handled under that hotel’s own policies.
The hotel pages link to the official websites of Wrest Point, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino (through Accor) and Eos by SkyCity (through SkyCity Adelaide). The responsible gambling page links to support services such as Gambling Help Online. Following any of these links takes you to a website with its own privacy policy, and we recommend that you read it.
14 Analytics and Optional Tracking
No analytics, advertising or tracking technologies are currently active on this website. If we add any in the future, we will update this policy and the Cookie Policy first and load them only after you have given consent.
If we ever add analytics or advertising tools, we would explain which provider is used, what information is collected, why it is collected, how long it is kept and how you can opt out. The cookie banner and settings are already built to hold your choices for those categories, and everything optional stays off until you switch it on.
15 Data Storage
Contact messages are held in our email system and in the form delivery service. Browser storage remains on your own device. Some providers may store data outside Australia, as explained below.
Where possible we keep personal information to a minimum, and we avoid storing it in more places than necessary. Emails received through the contact form are stored in the mailbox for [email protected], and we restrict access to that mailbox.
16 Data Retention
We keep enquiries only for as long as needed to respond and to deal with any follow-up questions, and we then delete them. Server logs are kept according to our hosting provider’s schedule. Browser storage remains on your device until you clear it or change your preferences.
If you ask us to delete a message, we will do so unless the law requires us to keep it. Information that no longer serves a purpose is deleted or de-identified.
17 Security Measures
We take reasonable steps to protect information, including serving the website over an encrypted HTTPS connection and limiting access to the mailbox that receives enquiries. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Our measures include:
- collecting only the information needed to answer you;
- serving the website over an encrypted HTTPS connection;
- restricting access to the mailbox that receives enquiries;
- using reputable third-party providers;
- asking visitors not to send sensitive information through the form.
If we become aware of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will assess it promptly and notify affected individuals and the regulator where the law requires.
18 International Data Transfers
Some of the providers described above, including Google, Cloudflare and the form delivery service, operate globally. Information may therefore be processed in countries outside Australia. We try to use reputable providers, but we cannot control where they process data. By submitting the contact form you acknowledge this.
Where information may be processed outside Australia, we take reasonable steps in choosing providers but we cannot guarantee how each provider handles information. If you are not comfortable with this, please email us instead of using the form, or choose not to load third-party content such as the map.
19 Individual Privacy Rights
Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, where they apply, you may ask to access and correct personal information we hold about you. We aim to handle personal information in a way that is consistent with those principles. This policy does not make any claim about whether the Act applies to a particular small operator.
Depending on the circumstances, you may:
- ask whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy;
- ask us to correct information that is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete;
- ask us to delete a message you sent us;
- withdraw consent for optional browser storage at any time using Cookie Settings;
- make a complaint if you believe your privacy has been breached.
20 Access and Correction Requests
To request access to, or correction or deletion of, information we hold, email [email protected]. We may need to confirm your identity before acting. We aim to respond within 30 days.
Please include enough detail for us to find your message, such as the date and the email address you used. There is no charge for making a request. In limited circumstances the law allows us to refuse access or correction, and if we do, we will explain why in writing.
21 Children’s Privacy
This website is intended for adults aged 18 and over and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. The age prompt is a self-declaration, not identity verification. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Parents and guardians who believe that a child has used the contact form can email us and ask for the information to be removed. We encourage parents to supervise their children’s use of the internet.
22 Changes to the Privacy Policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes to the website or the law. The “last updated” date at the top of the page shows when it was last changed, and we encourage you to review it periodically.
If we make a significant change, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, draw attention to the change on the website. By continuing to use the website after an update, you accept the revised policy.
23 Contact Information
If you have a question or a complaint about privacy, email [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.
Please put “Privacy” in the subject line of your email so that we can direct it to the right place. We will acknowledge your message and aim to respond within a reasonable time.