Meracus Hotels and Travel Privacy Policy

1. To Provide Superior Customer Service to our Guests and Owners

Personal Information is collected to assist us in making your reservation and providing the services you request at any of our properties, to ensure we meet your needs while you are staying with us and/or to allow us to contact you in relation to matters that arise from your stay with us. By keeping certain stay related Personal Information on file, such as information regarding guest history and itemized spending, guests of Meracus have the ability to confirm prior transactions and reconcile statements or invoices.

2. To Keep Our Guests and Owners Informed

We may use the Personal Information you provide to send you newsletters regarding our properties and to advise you of promotions or to inform you of offers or other information that may be of interest to you. In order to do this, your information may be shared with a third party, for example, a customer relationship management company and/or a marketing and communications company. These companies are under contract with Meracus and are contractually required to protect all Personal Information to which they have access. If you do not wish to receive information from Meracus Hotels and Travel you may indicate your wishes on your registration card when you stay with us or you may advise one of our properties or send an e-mail to: [email protected]

3. For Marketing Research

Finally, we may wish to contact Guests to conduct surveys or focus groups to receive your views of our properties and service delivery. Such information may be collected by a third party under contract with us and they will be contractually required to protect your Personal Information as explained below. Occasionally we will combine information from a number of Guests  to better understand trends and Guest expectations. When this occurs, all identifiers are removed and the aggregate information cannot be linked to any specific Guest.

1. On Our Web Site and Mobile App

A. Initially Upon Contact With Our Web Site

When you visit our web site meracushotels.com or lejardinhotels.com you are initially given a “cookie”, and your computer is assigned an ID number. A cookie is a commonly used piece of software that tracks an individual user’s preferences, and is capable of enhancing your visit to the site. Cookies allow us to provide a customized experience without the visitor having to remind us of his or her preferences each time she or he visits our site. Our cookies do not contain any personally identifying information. Meracus cookies are exclusive to our websites and do not follow visitors to other Internet addresses. By not blocking the use of cookies, you will be deemed to have consented to the use of such a cookie by Meracus.

We also use cookies to collect and maintain aggregate web site data (such as the number of visitors to a particular site), which helps us see which areas are popular with our users and which are not. Among other things, this helps us improve and update the site, based on such data as total number of visitors and pages viewed.

If you do not want to accept cookies, you can block them by adjusting the settings on your Internet browser. Visitors should understand, however, that rejecting cookies will affect your ability to benefit from the conveniences afforded by the use of cookies, and you will not be able to use certain customization features associated with creating a user profile. Please note that because this is a setting on your browser, this adjustment may also block cookies for any website you visit.

Once you have visited our web site and accepted our cookie, an ID number is automatically assigned to your computer or mobile device whenever you visit our web site. Despite the fact that you remain anonymous until you enter Personal Information on the web site, the ID number allows us to log your session, so that we may better assist you should you need some individualized service or support. Once you enter Personal Information on the web site, we associate your ID number with your contact information so we can recognize you on a future visit. We also use it to keep track of information that appears to be of particular interest to you.

B. While Browsing Our Web Site and Mobile App

While in the process of browsing our web site, you also provide us with information that does not reveal your personal identity, for example, for what type of destination you are seeking information. We use this aggregated, anonymous data mainly for editorial purposes, but we do not connect it to any Personal Information, such as your name or address.

While you explore our mobile App for information that interests you, you will provide Personal Information when you create a profile or sign in to access an existing profile.

While browsing our web site and mobile App, you may also wish to put in a specific “Information Request” about one of our hotels or tour programs, or you may wish to participate in one of our on-line surveys or promotions. To respond to this request or to participate in our various programs, we may ask you for Personal Information, such as your name, zip/postal code, e-mail address, and phone number.

In the event you choose to provide us with this information, we will only use it for the purpose we have specified to you. We will only e-mail you if you want us to, and you can choose a number of alternate methods by which to receive a reply to a request. Your transmittal of your Personal Information shall constitute your acknowledgment and agreement to the terms and conditions contained in this Privacy Policy. If you are uncomfortable providing this information over the Internet, you can always call our Reservations/Sales Office for more details.

If you wish, you may also submit your e-mail address in order to be placed on a subscription list or to receive other information about our products and services. You will be placed on a subscription list only when you indicate your desire to be included. In deciding whether or not to join such lists, please note that they are only used for internal purposes and we do not sell or rent our subscription lists to anyone. In the event you choose to join one of our subscription lists, you may ask to be removed from the list at any time. You will always have the ability to accept or decline any form of communication from Meracus.

C. Making a Purchase on Our Web Site

When making a purchase, such as a gift card, you will be asked to complete a form that includes your contact information and payment information. The form is secure (see below). When the form is complete, your credit card number will be verified using a checking sequence, and once this is confirmed we authorize payment for the amount shown on your order form. Once your transaction is confirmed you will see a ‘Thank You’ screen, and if you requested an e-mail confirmation it will be sent within a few moments. Again, due to the personal nature of the information you provide when making a purchase through our web site, the form is secure, such that your credit card number is protected with encryption technology. Purchasing transactions are assisted by third party processors in Australia who are required by contract with us to protect the privacy of your Personal Information.

We retain a log file of transactions at our web site, excluding your credit card information, connected to your ID number. We will then use that information to assist in any inquiries about your transaction. We also occasionally combine information from a number of web visitors in a way that does not identify any user, in order to identify user patterns.

2. When Making a Reservation

A. On Our Web Site and Mobile App

You can search for rates and availability at our hotels and resorts without providing any Personal Information.

Visitors to meracushotels.com or lejardinhotels.com or users of the mobile App who elect to make reservations online will be required to complete a reservation profile the first time they make a reservation. When you create a reservation profile you will be asked to provide specific Personal Information, including your name, address and contact information, as well as certain guarantee and deposit information to secure your reservation, such as your credit card number. Your transmittal of your Personal Information shall constitute your acknowledgment and agreement to the terms and conditions contained in this Privacy Policy.

Your credit card number will be verified using a checking sequence, but we do not authorize any payments at this point. Once you indicate confirmation of your reservation, all of the reservation information that you submitted will be sent to Meracus. From this point the information is sent to the selected hotel in exactly the same way as if you called us directly or if your travel agent made the reservation.

Due to the personal nature of the information you provide when making a reservation through our web site or mobile App, Meracus employs encryption technology to keep your data secure.

We also retain a copy of the reservation profile on our web site, excluding the credit card number connected to your ID number. We will then use that information to create a log in our web site database.

We also may combine information from a number of web visitors in a way that does not identify any user, in order to identify user patterns.

B. Through our Reservations Offices or Hotels

Reservations can also be made by calling one of our Reservation Offices or by contacting a particular hotel directly. When you make a reservation we may ask you for Personal Information such as your name, address, telephone number and method of payment. We may also obtain from you any room preferences or special requests. Personal Information obtained by Reservation Office will be sent in a secured communication to the relevant hotel. Confirmation of your reservation will be provided to you, generally by e-mail, directly from the hotel or resort.

3. During your stay at a Hotel or Resort

During your stay, we record your itemized spending to properly assemble your folio, which sets out your room rate and other expenses billed to your room. We also record this information to comply with financial reporting requirements, including those imposed by auditors and government regulators. We may also collect certain information as required by local laws (e.g. passport number). Information particular to your stay may also be stored (i.e. health issues, payment difficulties, special requests, service issues). This stay specific information is stored in the property management system at the particular hotel where you stayed and is combined with information from previous visits that you have made to that hotel. Certain information regarding your service preferences is also stored centrally by us and may be made available to other Four Seasons properties through the Four Seasons guest history database. You may advise the hotel if you do not want personal preferences shared.

In addition, we may retain the content of any document (including letters, comment cards, electronic documents such as e-mails and other similar forms of communication) that you send us before, during or following your stay. This information may be shared with employees of the hotel.

1. At the Hotel

Each Meracus managed property goes to great measures to ensure that all Personal Information is kept in a secure location, be it a database or filing cabinet. Furthermore, we take steps to ensure that only designated individuals have access to this information.

2. In Our Guest Reservation System

In order to serve you better we also store certain guest information in our Reservation System (“RS”).

The stored information includes guest name, address, phone numbers and credit card number. We may also store certain information regarding your service preferences. When you make a reservation at another Four Seasons property, this information is sent to that hotel.

We also store other transaction information in our RS, including the number of stays you have had at properties managed by Meracus and the number of nights of each stay. This information may be available to another Meracus property when you make a reservation at that property, in order to serve you better.

3. In Our Marketing Database

Meracus maintains a database of Guest information which is used for marketing, promotion and research purposes. Guests will only receive such information if they have provided permission on their Hotel registration form, on the Meracus web site, or in some other form. Any information sent provides a clear notice of how to discontinue receiving promotional materials.

When you log-in to complete or modify a Booking Profile, Guest Service Profile, your online interaction with us is protected from eavesdropping using the highest level encryption technology based on the browser you use. In order to ensure your privacy and the protection of information you choose to share with us, we allow only encrypted communications from all of our web forms.

It is important to note that any e-mail communication is not secure. This is a risk inherent in the use of e-mail. Please be aware of this when requesting information or sending forms to us by e-mail (for example, from the Contact Us section of our web site). We recommend that you do not include any confidential information when using e-mail. For your protection, our e-mail responses to you will not include any confidential information.

Finally, to be prudent, please be sure to always close your browsers when you are done using a form or the reservation site. Although the session will terminate after a short period of inactivity, it is best to close your browsers immediately upon completion.

Information is shared between certified data privacy personnel at individual Meracus hotels and travel in certain limited circumstances, particularly where health or safety concerns have arisen in the past. Preference information may also be shared to enhance your guest experience.

Further, if a guest does not pay an outstanding account on time, or acts in an unlawful manner in regards to payment obligations, this information may be shared among accounting personnel at other Meracus managed properties.

Agents, contractors or third party service providers of Meracus may receive your Personal Information in the course of providing services to Meracus to better serve your needs as a Guest. Using contractual or other arrangements, Meracus ensures these parties protect your Personal Information in a manner consistent with the principles articulated in this Privacy Policy.

Personal information is shared with third party residential property developers as set out above. The particular developer’s website can be consulted for the developer’s policy on the collection, storage and use of such information.

We will only share Personal Information about you outside Meracus Hotels and Travel without your consent, where: (a) it is required or authorized by law (for example, in response to a legal subpoena); (b) it is required to provide you with services you have requested in which case you will be considered to have implied your consent (e.g. car rental); (c) if your stay has been paid for by a third party we will provide billing information to the paying party; or (d) if you have failed to pay amounts owed to a property.

If Meracus Hotels and Travel suspects any unlawful activity is taking place, it may investigate and/or report its findings or suspicions to the police or other relevant law enforcement agency.

Your Personal Information will be stored for the period of time required by law in the jurisdiction of any hotel holding the information. It may be stored indefinitely by Meracus as long as there is a business purpose for doing so. From time to time we may delete your Personal Information if you have not stayed with us for a certain period of time.