Introduction
Welcome to the website of Vio. Your privacy and the security of your personal data are very important to us. We therefore collect and manage your personal data with the utmost care and take specific measures to keep it secure.
Below, you will find the main information regarding our processing of your personal data in relation to your browsing on the websites https://www.vio.com (Booking Website) and vio.com/careers (Career Website) and the use of our services. We may also redirect you to a third-party website where you can book the best hotel deal (Third Party Website).
We process your personal data in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations in your jurisdiction, including the General Data Protection Regulation. In this privacy statement, we explain what personal data we process for what purpose. We encourage you to read it carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us via support@vio.com.
If you provide us with personal data relating to another individual, you confirm that you have the right to share it with us and that, where required, you have informed the relevant individual and obtained any necessary consent for us to use it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Please note that providers of accommodations (such as hotels, motels, apartments, B&B's etc.) (hereinafter: “Hotel”), attractions, transportation providers, tour operators or any other travel provider or provider of any related product or service as available on the Booking Website may have, use or apply its own privacy policy in addition to the following Privacy Policy of Vio.
Data Controller
Vio.com is a FindHotel B.V. brand, with its registered office at Nieuwe Looiersdwarsstraat 17 (1017 TZ) in Amsterdam. For US bookings and operations, Vio.com is represented by FindHotel LLC, with its registered office at 112 Capitol Tr a324, Newark, DE 19711, USA. FindHotel B.V. (or we) is the party responsible for all data processing.
Collection and processing of personal data
In order to perform our service to provide you with the best service, get you the best deals and in order to book Hotels, we have to process your personal data. We only process personal data if we have a legal basis for doing so. The categories of (personal) data that we collect and process when you browse or book a Hotel on the Booking Website are as follows:
Contact details for concluding a booking
We process your name and surname, email, phone number and address, guest details (if the booking is made for someone else), special requests, and credit card details.
Contact details for creating a membership account
We process your personal data, which is necessary to create an account on Vio, such as your name and surname, email, phone number and address.
We store your personal data in order to automatically re-use it for your next booking. If you create an account using your Facebook or Google account, we will import your information from this third party. If you decide to connect using your Facebook or Google account, review the following links for info about how these parties use data they receive: Facebook and Google.
Personal data related to inquiries and requests
We process your name, e-mail address and inquiry or request which you have submitted via the contact form on our Booking Website in order to be able to manage your inquiry or request.
Contact details for non-commercial messages
We process your e-mail address for non-commercial messages, for example to inform you about changes in this privacy policy or – if you have an account with us – membership upgrades.
Contact details for marketing activities
We process your name and e-mail address in order to send you commercial communications about our travel-related products and services, if you have made a booking on our Booking Website, or on the Third Party Website. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included in each newsletter or other commercial communication, or by emailing your unsubscribe request to the following address: inquiries@vio.com. Furthermore, we may process your e-mail address and/or telephone number if you have specifically indicated that you would like to receive special deals.
Location data
We may process information about your current geographical location when you use the Booking Website on a mobile phone or other electronic device. We may use such data only for the purpose of suggesting Hotels that are nearest to you at that time.
Browsing data
We may process information on how you use our Booking Website with the device you use to access our Booking Website, such as device data, log data and other data about your usage of our Booking Website.
Booking identification (ID) number
In case you made a booking on the Third Party Website, we will receive a booking identification number for administration purposes from the relevant third party.
Purposes of processing and legal basis for processing
We rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:
For the conclusion and execution of an agreement
We process your personal data for the conclusion and execution of an agreement of which you are part, or in order to take steps, at your request, prior to entering into an agreement. This legal basis legitimizes the processing of personal data that takes place in the following activities:
Bookings
We use your personal data to complete and administer your online booking.
We share relevant reservation details with the Hotel you have booked. Depending on the booking and the Hotel, the data we share can include your name and surname, e-mail address, telephone number and payment details, and any other info or preferences you specified when you made your booking.
We may contact the Hotel if you have a question or request about your booking.
In case the Hotel will process the payment for the booking, we will forward your credit card details to the booked Hotel for handling.
We may provide the Hotel with your contact details in case of a dispute relating to the booking for the Hotel. This may include a copy of the reservation confirmation as proof that the booking was actually made.
Creating an account
We use your personal data to create a membership account on Vio.
Managing your inquiries
We use your personal data to manage your inquiries and requests which you have submitted via the contact form on our Booking Website.
Managing your job application details
We use your personal data to manage your application for a job at Vio.
For compliance with legal obligations
We may process your personal data if we are required to do so in order to comply with a legal obligation, such as keeping records for tax purposes or providing information to a public body or law enforcement agency.
For our legitimate interest
We process your personal data where it is in our legitimate interest to run a lawful business and to promote and innovate that business, as long as it does not outweigh your interest. Examples of the ‘legitimate interests’ referred to above are:
- Preventing fraud or criminal activities: We may process your personal data in order to prevent fraud and criminal activities.
Based on your consent
In some cases, we will ask your express consent to process your personal data and we will only process your personal data if you agree to us doing so. This legal basis legitimises the processing of personal data that takes place in the following activities:
- Marketing activities: If you did not book a Hotel on the Booking Website, but gave us your consent, we process your name, e-mail address and (optional) telephone number to send you special hotel and/or price deals and notify you about shopping cart abandonment.
- Analysis of your browsing data: We only process your browsing data to determine where your interests lie, if you have given us your express consent. With your browsing data, the content on our Booking Website can be tailored to your needs and an assessment can be made as to which services may be of interest to you.
Transfer to third parties
We may share your personal data with the following categories of third parties for the purposes described in this privacy policy:
Hotels
In order to complete your booking, we will share your relevant booking information with the Hotel in order to fulfil your booking, such as your name and surname, e-mail address, telephone number and payment details, requests, dispute related information, and any other info or preferences you specified when you made your booking.
Affiliated companies
We may share your personal data with our affiliated companies, which may use this data to offer services to you consistent with the purposes identified in this Privacy Policy.
Service providers
We may share your personal data with our service providers, such as parties we have engaged to provide and support our services or assist in protecting our systems and other business-related functions. We will ensure your data is only being used in a way similar to, or for a similar purpose as the purpose for which your personal data has been gathered, and only in accordance with this Privacy Policy and any legal obligation.
Competent law enforcement, regulatory or government bodies
We may share personal data with third parties if we are obliged to do so pursuant to a statutory provision or a decision of the court or supervisory body, or if this is necessary in the interest of preventing, detecting or prosecuting criminal offences (such as fraud or scams).
Advertising parties
We may partner with third-party advertising networks (Google) and social media platforms (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) to display advertising on our Booking Website or to manage and serve our advertising on other sites. We and our third-party partners may use cookies and other similar tracking technologies to gather information about your activities on the Booking Website in order to provide you with targeted advertising based on your browsing activities and interests. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
Corporate Transactions
We may disclose or transfer your personal data in connection with any merger, acquisition, reorganization, sale or transfer of all or part of Vio or our affiliated companies, or in the course of negotiations relating to such transactions.
Research
User studies data
We process all information that you share with us voluntarily by participating in surveys on our Booking Website (directly or by following the link to the Third Party Websites which is embedded on our Booking Website) or surveys sent to you via our official Vio email. By filling in the “Join our Research session!” survey you can also give your consent to receive invitations to regular studies conducted by our User Research team. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included in each study-related communication.
Furthermore, if you participate in our regular user studies we also process all study-related information (depending on the type of the study, it might include survey answers, screen recordings, face recordings & voice recordings made during these research sessions). We can link the information you provided during those studies and by participating in our surveys with your activity on our Booking Website.
Retention periods
If you took part in our “Join our Research session!” survey and gave your consent to receive invitations to regular studies conducted by the User Research team, we may store your personal information provided by you in this survey on third-party platforms for 12 months (e.g. user research and data storage platforms). Then we delete this information from third-party platforms and store it internally until you decide to unsubscribe from invitations to regular studies conducted by our User Research team, request us to delete your personal data or delete your account, or are inactive for 36 months.
If you take part in one of our user studies or other surveys, we store your personal information internally and on third-party platforms for 12 months (e.g. user research and data storage platforms), unless you request us to delete your personal data or delete your account earlier. After that, we delete the information from third-party platforms, depersonalize it, and store it internally indefinitely.
Usage of third-party services
User research platforms and data storage platforms. We may collect and store your personal data provided by you voluntarily, while participating in our user studies (surveys, user interviews, usability tests, etc), using third-party user research platforms or data storage services owned or operated by other entities. We will ensure your data is only being used in a way similar to, or for a similar purpose to, the purpose for which your personal data has been gathered, and only in accordance with this Privacy Policy and any legal obligation.
For what purposes we collect data
Analysis of user studies data. We only process the data you provide during user studies and by participating in surveys to identify how to improve our products to make them more convenient and advantageous for our users in general.
Cookies
Accepting, rejecting and deleting cookies
Cookies that require your consent will only be placed on your Device if you have allowed it by clicking on the accept button in the cookie banner that will be shown to you on your first visit to our Website.
You can also manage your cookies using your browser settings. You can set your browser so that no cookies are stored, you can allow or refuse each cookie, or all cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
Cookies are placed on every Device on which you visit websites. If you do not want to receive any more cookies at all, you will need to adjust the settings on all the Devices you use. Please note that if you reject and/or delete cookies, this may also affect the functional cookies. This may limit the possibilities to use our Website or parts of it.
How we use cookies
For you to get the most from the user experience on the Booking Website, we collect certain information or “cookies”. Cookies are used for the Booking Website to send certain information to your browser and for your browser to return the information at a later time. What this means is that when you browse the Booking Website in the future, your browser will send us data about your previous activity on our Booking Website in order for you to get optimal user experience. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
Security
We have taken technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from loss, destruction, manipulation and unauthorized access. All of our employees and all persons involved in data processing are obliged to comply with the data protection laws and to handle personal data confidentially. In the case of collection and processing of personal data, the information is transmitted in encrypted form to prevent misuse of the data by third parties. Our security measures are constantly being revised according to technological developments.
We draw your attention to the fact that data transmission over the internet (e.g. e-mail communication) may involve loopholes in security. It is not possible to protect such data completely from third-party access. We will, however, always process personal data in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organizational measures.
Storage
We store your personal data for a limited period of time which period differs depending on the type of activity that involves the processing of your personal data. After this limited period, your data will be permanently erased or otherwise rendered anonymous in an irreversible way. Your personal data is stored in compliance with the terms and criteria specified below:
- Booking data: We store your personal data for up to six months after the checkout date of your last booking with us. The billing data will be kept for ten years from the billing date.
- Membership account and booking history: If you have created an account with Vio, we store your personal information as long as you did not request us to delete your personal data or delete your account, or are active at least once every 36 months.
- CV and/or application letter: We store your CV and/or application letter for a maximum of 4 weeks after the end of the job application process, or up to a maximum of 3 years with your consent.
- Data related to your requests or questions: We store your personal data, including the contact details you enter in the e-mail, for six months after your request is processed or your questions have been answered, in order to be able to help you easily when you come back to us on the same issue.
- Data used for commercial communications: We store your personal data for sending commercial communications, until you exercise opposition by unsubscribing from the mailing list, or within two years after your last booking.
- Location data: We store your location data for the duration of use of the Booking Website.
- Browsing data: We store your browsing data combined with other information from cookies for a maximum of six months.
Your personal data will be stored on our servers which are located in the European Economic Area.
Changes to this privacy policy
We reserve the right to modify this statement. We recommend that you consult this statement on a regular basis, so that you remain informed of any changes.
Your privacy rights
You have the right to view and change the personal data that we have collected from you. You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. In certain cases, you can also ask us to limit the processing of your personal data, erase your data, transfer your data to another data controller or have it deleted. If you wish to do any of these, please send a request to: support@vio.com and indicate that it concerns a personal data request.
Please enclose a copy of your identity document so that we can be sure that you are the person submitting the request. Make sure that you conceal your passport photograph and citizen service number. This is to protect your privacy. Also provide your private address. You will receive an overview of your data or a response to your request within one month of your request. We store this information until we are sure that you are satisfied with our response.
Right to make a complaint
You can submit a complaint about the processing of your personal data. If we do not meet your request for access, rectification, objection, restriction, erasure or transfer of your personal data, you can submit a complaint with the Data Protection Authority in your country.
If you are not happy with how the complaint is resolved, you can lodge an appeal with the courts.