Spavulo legal information and guest policies

What we collect and when

We collect the details you hand over when you book a room, reserve a seat at the chef's table, sign up for the newsletter or send us a message through the site. In practice that means your name, email address, phone number, dates of stay and any notes you leave about dietary needs or arrival times. If you pay by card, the payment processor handles the card number and we only ever see the last four digits plus a transaction reference.

There is also a small amount of technical data collected automatically by the web server: the pages you opened, roughly where in the world the request came from, and the browser you used. We keep this to fix broken pages and spot patterns of abuse, and it is not tied to your name.

• Name, email, phone number and postal address when you book or enquire
• Stay details: dates, room type, number of guests, special requests
• Messages you send us by email, phone or the contact form
• Basic server logs and, if you accept them, analytics cookies

Why we use it

The short version is that we use your data to give you the room or table you asked for, to take payment, to answer your questions and to keep the building running properly. That covers confirming a reservation, sending an arrival note, handling a complaint about a noisy corridor, and reminding ourselves who needs the gluten-free menu on Saturday.

We also use your email to send the newsletter if you subscribed, and to tell you about seasonal menus or rate changes if you booked before. You can stop those at any time by replying to any email with the word stop, or by using the unsubscribe link at the bottom. We do not sell your data and we do not pass it to advertising networks without your consent.

Who gets to see it

Your details stay inside Spavulo and the handful of suppliers we need to run the place. That is the booking engine that processes reservations, the payment provider that takes the card, and our email host. Each of them sees only the part of your record they need and each is bound by a written agreement to keep it confidential.

There are two situations where we might pass information to someone else. If a guest is injured or a crime is reported on the premises, we cooperate with police and emergency services. If the business changes hands, guest records would transfer to the new owner, and you would be told by email before that happened.

• Booking platform and property management system
• Card payment processor
• Email and newsletter provider
• Police or emergency services, only when the law requires it

How long we hold on to it

Booking records and the invoices that go with them are kept for seven years because Australian tax law asks for it. Nothing in those records changes after checkout, so there is no reason to keep them active. Newsletter subscriptions stay until you unsubscribe, at which point the address is removed rather than just flagged.

Server logs are rotated out after ninety days. Emails from guests asking questions are deleted once the question has been closed and no follow-up is needed, usually within a few months. If you want your record removed sooner than these periods allow, see the next section.

Your rights

You can ask us what we hold about you, ask for a copy, ask us to correct something that is wrong, or ask us to delete it. In most cases we will answer within thirty days. We will not charge you for a reasonable request.

There are limits. We cannot delete an invoice we are legally required to keep, and we can decline a request that would expose another guest's details. Where we do decline, we will tell you why in writing.

• Ask for a copy of everything we hold about you
• Correct a name, address or phone number
• Ask us to delete records we no longer need
• Withdraw consent for marketing email at any time

How to reach us

Email is the fastest route. Write to spavulo@hotmail.com with privacy in the subject line and the request in the body. You can also send a letter to Spavulo, Heritage Lanes, 80 Ann Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, Australia. If you would rather talk it through, ring the front desk and ask for the duty manager.

If you are not satisfied with how we handled a complaint, you can raise it with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. We would rather sort it out directly first, so please give us the chance.