This policy explains how Villa Familia ("we", "us", "our") processes personal data in connection with the El Masero holiday villa in Beniganim, Valencia, Spain. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who We Are
Villa Familia is the trading name of the holiday rental operation for El Masero, a private villa located in Beniganim, Valencia, Spain.
For the purposes of data protection law, Villa Familia is the Data Controller — meaning we determine why and how your personal data is processed.
If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please contact us using the details in Section 13.
Personal Data We Collect
We only collect the personal data that is necessary to provide our services. This may include:
Information you provide to us
- Identity data: first name, last name
- Contact data: email address, telephone/WhatsApp number
- Booking data: check-in and check-out dates, number of guests, preferred room, special requests (e.g. dietary requirements, accessibility needs)
Information collected automatically
- Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, operating system — collected automatically by our web hosting server logs
We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as health data, racial or ethnic origin, or payment card details through this website).
How We Collect Your Data
We collect personal data through the following means:
- Online booking enquiry form — when you submit a booking request on our website
- Direct communication — when you contact us via WhatsApp, email or phone
- Server logs — automatically collected when you visit our website
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:
- To respond to your booking enquiry and confirm availability
- To process and manage your reservation at El Masero
- To send you pre-arrival information, directions and property details
- To communicate with you during your stay (e.g. via WhatsApp)
- To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
- To keep records of bookings for accounting and tax purposes
We do not use your data for marketing or advertising purposes, and we do not send unsolicited marketing communications.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We process your personal data on the following lawful bases under the UK/EU GDPR:
- Legitimate interests — to respond to your booking enquiry and manage our holiday rental business, where our interests do not override your rights
- Contract performance — where a booking has been confirmed, processing is necessary to fulfil the contract between you and Villa Familia
- Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law (e.g. accounting records)
Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:
- Booking enquiries (not confirmed): deleted within 6 months of the initial enquiry
- Confirmed bookings: retained for up to 7 years from the date of the stay, in compliance with legal and accounting obligations
- Website server logs: retained for up to 12 months
When your data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
Sharing Your Data with Third Parties
We do not sell, rent or trade your personal data to any third party.
We may share limited data with the following trusted categories of third party only where strictly necessary:
- Email delivery provider (SMTP) — to transmit booking enquiry emails. Our SMTP provider processes data only on our behalf and is not permitted to use it for any other purpose.
- WhatsApp (Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd) — if you contact us via WhatsApp, your communications are subject to WhatsApp's own privacy policy.
- Local management team — our local team in Beniganim may receive your name and contact details solely for the purpose of welcoming you to the villa and assisting during your stay.
- Legal or regulatory authorities — where we are required to disclose data by law.
We ensure that any third parties with whom we share data are subject to appropriate data protection obligations.
International Data Transfers
Our primary operations are based in the UK, and the villa is located in Spain (an EU member state). Some data may be processed or stored in the European Economic Area (EEA) through our SMTP and hosting providers.
Where data is transferred outside the UK or EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place — such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or an adequacy decision — in line with UK GDPR requirements.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK and EU data protection law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 13. We will respond within 30 days. You will not normally be charged a fee.
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority:
- UK: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — ico.org.uk — Tel: 0303 123 1113
- Spain/EU: Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) — aepd.es
Cookies
Our website uses minimal cookies. Specifically:
- Session cookies — temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser. These are used purely for the functioning of the website.
We do not use:
- Third-party advertising or tracking cookies
- Analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics)
- Social media tracking pixels
Because we use only strictly necessary session cookies, you do not need to provide consent for cookies on this website. If this changes, we will update this policy and add a cookie consent mechanism accordingly.
Children's Privacy
Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal data without parental consent, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Where guests include children under 16 as part of a family booking, personal data is provided by the adult making the booking.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology or legal requirements. Any changes will be published on this page with an updated "last updated" date at the top.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Where changes are material, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you directly (for example, by email if you have made a recent booking).
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have a concern about how your data is being handled, please get in touch:
Villa Familia — Data Controller
📍 El Masero, Beniganim, Valencia, Spain
✉️ Email: enquiries@villa-familia.com
💬 WhatsApp: Preferred for all enquiries
We aim to respond to all data-related requests within 30 calendar days.