Last updated: 24 October, 2025
Your privacy is very important to us.
This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how [Hotel Name] (“we”, “our”, “us”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information when you visit our website https://www.example-hotel.de, make a reservation, or stay at our property.
We comply fully with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) of Germany.
1. Data Controller
[Hotel Name]
[Street Address]
[Postal Code, Berlin, Germany]
Email: [Email Address]
Phone: [Phone Number]
If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at:
Email: [DPO Email, if applicable]
2. What Personal Data We Collect
We collect and process personal data that you voluntarily provide or that is automatically generated when you interact with our website or services.
Data you provide may include:
- Your name, surname, address, email address, and phone number
- Booking details such as check-in and check-out dates, room preferences, and number of guests
- Payment details, including billing address and credit card information
- Special requests or dietary preferences you may share
- Information you send through our contact forms or by email
Automatically collected data may include:
- Your IP address, browser type, and operating system
- The date, time, and duration of your website visit
- Referring website or link
- Device identifiers and approximate geolocation
During your stay, we may also collect:
- Identity information from passports or ID cards (as required by German law)
- Vehicle registration details if you use our parking facilities
- Wi-Fi usage data such as device MAC address and session duration
- CCTV footage from public areas of the hotel for security purposes
3. Purposes and Legal Basis for Processing
Your personal data is processed only for legitimate and specific purposes, including:
- To process and confirm your booking
- To communicate with you before and during your stay
- To process payments and issue invoices
- To comply with legal obligations such as guest registration and tax reporting
- To send you newsletters and special offers (only with your consent)
- To improve our website and services through analytics
- To ensure the safety and security of our guests and property
The processing of your data is based on one or more of the following legal grounds:
- Performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures
- Compliance with legal obligations
- Your explicit consent
- Our legitimate interests, such as improving customer service and preventing fraud
4. Sharing and Disclosure of Data
We only share your data when necessary and always in accordance with GDPR requirements.
Your data may be shared with:
- External booking platforms such as Booking.com or Expedia
- Payment providers or banks to process your transactions
- IT, web hosting, and customer support service providers
- Tax authorities and local registration offices as required by law
- Law enforcement agencies in cases of legal investigation
All third parties are bound by confidentiality and data protection agreements.
5. International Data Transfers
If any transfer of personal data occurs outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision by the European Commission.
6. Data Retention
We store your data only as long as necessary for the stated purposes or as required by law.
- Booking and billing records are kept for up to 10 years in accordance with German tax law.
- CCTV recordings are automatically deleted after 72 hours, unless required for investigation.
- Wi-Fi logs are kept for 7 days for network security purposes.
- Newsletter and marketing data are kept until you withdraw your consent.
- Contact form submissions are deleted after approximately 6 months.
After these periods, data will be securely deleted or anonymized.
7. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data against loss, misuse, or unauthorized access.
Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption, and access to personal data is restricted to authorized staff only.
We also conduct regular security checks and staff training.
8. Your Rights Under GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access – You can request a copy of your personal data.
- Right to rectification – You can correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to erasure – You can request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”).
- Right to restrict processing – You can limit how your data is used.
- Right to data portability – You can request transfer of your data to another service provider.
- Right to object – You can object to data processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.
- Right to withdraw consent – You can withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting prior lawful processing.
If you believe that your rights have been violated, you can lodge a complaint with the data protection authority:
Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit
Friedrichstraße 219, 10969 Berlin
Website: https://www.datenschutz-berlin.de
9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies to provide you with the best possible experience, improve functionality, and analyze visitor behavior.
What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device by your web browser. They allow the website to recognize your device and remember certain information such as preferences or login sessions.
Types of Cookies We Use
Essential cookies – Necessary for the operation of the website and booking functionality.
Functional cookies – Store user preferences such as language, region, or currency.
Analytics cookies – Help us understand how visitors use our website to improve usability.
Marketing cookies – Used by third-party services to display personalized advertisements.
Cookie Consent
When you visit our website for the first time, you will see a cookie banner.
You may accept all cookies or manage your preferences.
You can also change or withdraw your consent at any time through the “Cookie Settings” link in the website footer.
Managing Cookies
You can delete or block cookies directly in your browser settings.
Instructions are available under:
- Chrome: chrome://settings/content/cookies
- Firefox: about:preferences#privacy
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions
Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of our website.
10. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC.
Your IP address is anonymized before transmission to Google.
This helps us measure website traffic and improve our online services.
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available on Google’s official website.
11. Newsletters and Marketing Communication
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will process your name and email address for sending updates, promotions, and hotel offers.
You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in each email or by contacting us directly.
12. Social Media and External Links
Our website may include links or buttons that connect to external social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
When you click these links, data may be collected by those platforms under their own privacy policies.
We are not responsible for the content or data processing on third-party websites.
13. Children’s Data
Our services are not directed toward children under 16 years of age.
We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors.
If we become aware that such data has been collected, it will be deleted immediately.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time to comply with new legal requirements or to reflect changes in our operations.
The latest version will always be published on this page with the “Last updated” date at the top.
15. Contact Information
If you have any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy and Cookie Policy or your personal data, please contact us at:
[Hotel Name] – Data Protection Officer
[Street Address]
[Postal Code, Berlin, Germany]
Email: [Email Address]
Phone: [Phone Number]