Privacy Policy

1.  WHO WE ARE

The Briers is operated by The Briers Newcastle Ltd, a private country house at 39 Middle Tollymore Road, Newcastle, BT33 0JJ, Northern Ireland.

For the purposes of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, The Briers Newcastle Ltd is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

Data controller	The Briers Newcastle Ltd
Address	39 Middle Tollymore Road, Newcastle, BT33 0JJ, Northern Ireland
Website	thebriers.co.uk
Email (privacy enquiries)	hello@thebriers.co.uk
Governing law	UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018

2.  WHAT PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT

We collect personal information in the following ways:

2.1  Website enquiries, WhatsApp and email

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Nature of your enquiry (room stay, whole-house hire, event)
• Preferred dates and group size

2.2  Facebook and Instagram lead forms

When you submit an enquiry through our Facebook or Instagram advertising, we collect the information you provide in the lead form. This data is collected by Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd on our behalf and transferred to us via Meta Business Suite. Meta's own privacy policy governs how Meta handles your data before transfer.

2.3  Booking and reservation data

• Guest names, addresses and contact details, including bookings made through Booking.com, Expedia and Airbnb
• Payment details (processed securely via our payment provider; we do not store card numbers)
• Online check-in details, accessibility needs or requests you provide
• Correspondence by WhatsApp, email and messaging

2.4  Email marketing

If you opt in to receive communications from us, we collect your name and email address and record your consent.

2.5  Website usage data

Our website may use cookies and analytics tools (including the Meta Pixel) to understand how visitors use the site. This may include your IP address, browser type, pages visited and referring source. See Section 7.

3.  HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Purpose	Lawful basis (UK GDPR)	Data used
Responding to an enquiry	Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f))	Name, contact details, enquiry details
Processing a booking, check-in and door codes	Contract (Art. 6(1)(b))	Booking data, contact details, payment info
Email marketing (where opted in)	Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))	Name, email address
Improving our website and marketing	Legitimate interests	Analytics and pixel data
Complying with legal obligations	Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c))	Booking records, financial data

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

4.  WHO WE SHARE YOUR DATA WITH

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary with trusted service providers acting on our behalf, including our booking and channel management system (Smoobu), our guest messaging and online check-in platform (Guestway), WhatsApp (Meta), our payment processor, Meta for advertising, and our website host (Webflow). Where data is transferred outside the UK/EEA, appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses are in place.

5.  HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR DATA

Type of data	Retention period
Enquiry data (no booking made)	12 months from last contact
Booking and payment records	7 years (UK legal/financial obligation)
Email marketing list	Until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
Website analytics data	26 months

6.  YOUR RIGHTS UNDER UK GDPR

• Access: Right to access your personal data
• Portability: Receive a copy of your data in a portable format
• Rectification: Have inaccurate data corrected
• Erasure: Request deletion where there is no legal obligation to retain it
• Restriction and objection: Restrict or object to certain processing
• Withdraw consent: At any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, email hello@thebriers.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF).

7.  COOKIES AND TRACKING

Our website uses essential cookies to function, and analytics and marketing cookies (including the Meta Pixel) where you allow them via the cookie banner. You can also manage cookies in your browser settings.

8.  HOW WE PROTECT YOUR DATA

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures, including password-protected accounts with two-factor authentication, limited access, and secure deletion when retention periods end. In the event of a reportable breach we will notify the ICO within 72 hours.

9.  CHILDREN'S DATA

Bookings must be made by adults aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13.

10.  CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this policy from time to time. Continued use of our website or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11.  CONTACT US

Email	hello@thebriers.co.uk
WhatsApp	+44 7366 905377
Post	The Briers Newcastle Ltd, 39 Middle Tollymore Road, Newcastle, BT33 0JJ