Privacy & Cookies Policy

1. Introduction

Accommodation Orkney (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently. This Privacy & Cookies Policy explains what personal data we collect when you use our website https://accommodationorkney.com/, make an enquiry, or book to stay with us, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

By using our website or contacting us, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Policy.

2. Who we are and how to contact us

Accommodation Orkney

Telephone: +44 (0)7784 026379
Email: info@accommodationorkney.com

If you have any questions about this Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us using the details above. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk if you are unhappy with how we use your data.

3. What information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

We may collect:

• Identity data: first name, last name, title.
• Contact data: email address, phone number, postal address where provided.
• Booking data: property booked, dates of stay, number of guests, special requests or requirements, booking source.
• Communication data: messages sent via our website contact form, email, text message, or phone, and any feedback or reviews you provide.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, device information, pages viewed, time and date of visit, and other diagnostic data collected through cookies and Google Analytics.
• Usage data: information about how you use our website, such as links clicked and time spent on pages.

If you choose to share information about health or accessibility needs, we will only use it where necessary to provide appropriate accommodation and support during your stay.

4. How we collect your information

We collect information in the following ways.

• Directly from you
  • When you contact us by phone, email or via the website contact form.
    When you make an enquiry or booking.
  • When you stay in one of our apartments and provide feedback.
• Through our online booking partners and systems
  • If you book via third-party platforms (such as online travel agents) or a direct booking engine, those providers share relevant booking and guest details with us so that we can manage your reservation.
• Automatically when you use our website
  • Through cookies and similar technologies, including Google Analytics, which collect technical and usage information as described in section 8 below.

5. How we use your information and legal bases

We only use your personal data when the law allows us to, and for the purposes set out below.

• To respond to enquiries
  • To answer questions sent via our contact form, email or phone and to provide information about our apartments.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (to respond to your request and run our business).
• To manage bookings and your stay
  • To process and confirm your booking, take or confirm payment via third parties, send arrival instructions and check-in details, and manage any issues during your stay.
  • Legal basis: Performance of a contract (to provide the accommodation you have requested).
• To manage our relationship with you
  • To send essential service messages, such as booking confirmations, check-in information, or changes to our terms or this Policy.
  • Legal basis: Performance of a contract and Legal obligation.
• To improve our website and services
  • To monitor and analyse usage so we can improve our website content, layout and performance.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (to keep our website updated and improve our services).
• Marketing
  • If we choose to send occasional news or offers about our accommodation by email, we will only do this with your consent or where you are an existing customer and the law allows it.
  • You can unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions in our emails or contacting us.
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our business
  • To maintain appropriate business and tax records, meet legal and regulatory requirements, and handle complaints or legal claims.
  • Legal basis: Legal obligation and Legitimate interests (to protect our business).

6. Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal data. We may share it with:

• Booking and payment providers and online travel agents involved in your booking, so that your reservation can be processed and managed.
• IT and website service providers who support our website hosting, email and analytics.
• Professional advisers (such as accountants, legal advisers and insurers) where necessary.
• Law enforcement or regulators where we are legally required to do so.

Where third parties process personal data on our behalf, we require them to keep it secure and use it only for the purposes we specify, in accordance with data protection law.

7. International transfers

Some of the tools and service providers we use (including Google) may process data outside the UK. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses, or equivalent measures, to help protect your information to UK standards.

8. Cookies and Google Analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to make the site work and to understand how visitors use it. Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.

We currently use:

• Strictly necessary cookies
  • These are required for the website to function, such as security and basic functionality.
• Analytics cookies (Google Analytics)
  • We use Google Analytics (GA4) to collect anonymised, aggregated information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited, how long visitors stay and which links are clicked.
  • Google Analytics uses first-party cookies and similar technologies to generate this information, which we use to improve our website and services.

We configure Google Analytics with privacy in mind, for example by using IP anonymisation where available and limiting how long analytics data is retained. We do not use Google Analytics to identify you personally or to track you across other websites.

Because analytics cookies are not strictly necessary, we will ask for your consent to place them, typically via a cookie banner or preferences tool when you first visit our site. You can change your cookie settings at any time through your browser or, where available, our cookie management tool.

You can also control cookies in your browser settings by blocking or deleting them, and you can opt out of Google Analytics by using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

If we introduce additional non-essential cookies (for example, for advertising or remarketing), we will update this Policy and (where required) ask for your consent.

9. How long we keep your information

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to meet legal, accounting and reporting requirements.

Typical retention periods are:

• Enquiry information: usually up to 2 years after our last interaction, unless required longer for legal reasons.
• Booking and guest records: normally up to 7 years to comply with tax and accounting rules.
• Marketing preferences: until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your data (subject to any legal obligations we have to retain certain records).

After these periods, we will either delete your data securely or anonymise it so that it can no longer be linked back to you.

10. Your rights

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data.

• Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification – to have inaccurate or incomplete data corrected.
• Right to erasure – to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing – to ask us to stop processing your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to object – to object to processing that is based on our legitimate interests, including for direct marketing.
• Right to data portability – to request your data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, where the processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means.
• Right to withdraw consent – where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in section 2. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the ICO.

11. Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration. These include using secure hosting, access controls and appropriate security settings on our systems and devices.

12. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to other websites, including booking platforms, review sites and local attractions. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites and recommend you read their privacy policies.

13. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy & Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, the law or technical developments. Any updates will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date, and important changes may be notified to you by email where appropriate.

Last updated: April 3, 2026