This policy describes how Best Western International, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("BWI," "we," or "us"), collect, use, and share personal information. Please note that Best Western® branded hotels and properties ("Licensed Hotels") are independently owned and operated and are not owned, managed, or controlled by BWI. In addition, outside of the United States, companies that are not owned by BWI are sometimes permitted to license the Best Western® brands. Although these companies are referred to by BWI as "Affiliates" they are not under our ownership or control. When you provide information to a Licensed Hotel or to an Affiliate, those companies may have their own privacy practices and policies.
You can select among various topics by clicking on the following options below:
Use And Processing Of The Information We Collect
The following chart provides examples of the type of information that we collect from you and how we use that information.
| Context | Types of Information | Primary Purpose for Collection and Use of Information |
|---|---|---|
| Room Reservations | We collect your contact information, payment information, reservation information, and accommodation preferences. That information is collected directly from you when you make a room reservation. In a small number of cases we collect information about a guest's health. For example, a guest may voluntarily choose to provide information about a disability as part of a request for an accommodation preference. | We use your information in order to perform our contractual obligations, fulfill your requests for a reservation, and to take steps in anticipation of those obligations. In some jurisdictions we also need your information to comply with legal obligations to collect and maintain information about guests. We also have a legitimate interest in analyzing trends and patterns among guests. In the rare circumstances in which we collect information about a guest's health, that information is collected only for the purpose of accommodating a guest's needs and is used for no other purpose. |
| Best Western Rewards®("BWR") | BWR is Best Western's loyalty rewards program. We collect your contact information, communication preferences, reservation history, redemption details, and partner loyalty program elections. Information is collected when you register for BWR, redeem reward points, make a hotel reservation, update your BWR account, or link your BWR account to a partner loyalty program. | We use your information in order to perform our contractual obligations to you. For example, we use the information to allow you to earn and redeem rewards, points, or credits in connection with loyalty programs. We also have a legitimate interest in marketing to you and analyzing trends and patterns among our rewards members. View complete BWR program terms and conditions. |
| Best Western Travel Card® | We collect your contact information and payment information when you purchase a Best Western Travel Card | We use your information in order to perform our contractual obligations to you. We also have a legitimate interest in marketing to you and analyzing trends and patterns among our Best Western Travel Card holders. View the complete Best Western Travel Card terms and conditions. |
| Cookies and First Party Tracking | We use cookies and clear GIFs. "Cookies"are small pieces of information that a website sends to a computer's hard drive while a website is viewed. | We have a legitimate interest in making our website operate efficiently and analyzing trends and patterns among our website visitors. |
| Cookies and Third Party Tracking | We participate in behavior-based advertising. This means that a third party uses technology (e.g., a cookie) to collect information about your use of our website so that it can provide advertising about products and services tailored to your interests on our website or on other websites. | We have a legitimate interest in engaging in behavior-based advertising. |
| Email Interconnectivity | If you receive email from us, we use certain tools to capture data related to when you open our message, click on any links or banners it contains, or make reservations. | We have a legitimate interest in understanding how you interact with our communications to you. |
| Customer Care | If you contact us with an issue we will collect your name and e-mail address, as well as any other content that you send to us in order to reply. | We have a legitimate interest in receiving and acting upon the information that you provide to us concerning issues that you raise. |
| Mailing List | When you opt-in or sign up for one of our mailing lists we collect your email address or postal address. | We share information about our products and services or the products and services of other companies, if you consent to receive that information. We also have a legitimate interest in sharing information with you about our services and those of our partners. |
| Mobile Devices | We collect information from your mobile device such as unique identifying information broadcast from your device when visiting our websites or applications | We have a legitimate interest in identifying unique visitors and in understanding how users interact with us on their mobile devices. |
| Partner Promotion | We collect information that you provide as part of co-branded promotions with other companies. For example, we collect information if you apply for a Best Western co-branded credit card. | We have a legitimate interest in fulfilling our promotions. That interest includes sharing your information with our partners to, among other things, determine your eligibility for a promotion. |
| Surveys | When you participate in a survey we collect information that you provide through the survey. | We have a legitimate interest in understanding your opinions and collecting information relevant to our organization to improve our services. |
| Sweepstakes or Contests | When you participate in a sweepstakes or contest we collect information about you that includes contact information to notify you if you are selected. | We have a legitimate interest in operating sweepstakes. In some contexts we are also required by law to collect information about those that enter into our sweepstakes, and we have a legitimate interest in complying with those laws. |
| Website Interactions | We use technology to monitor how you interact with our website. This may include the links you click on or information that you type into our online forms. | We have a legitimate interest in understanding how you interact with our website to better improve it and to understand your preferences and interests in order to select offerings that you might find most useful. |
| Web Logs | We collect information, including your browser type, operating system, Internet Protocol (IP) address (a number that is automatically assigned to a computer when the Internet is used), domain name, click-activity, referring website, and/or a date/time stamp for visitors. | We have a legitimate interest in monitoring our networks and the visitors to our websites. Among other things, it helps us understand which of our services is the most popular. |
| WiFi Access | Although we do not provide WiFi networks at Licensed Hotels, we do provide access to WiFi at BWI offices (e.g., our headquarters). We collect information about individuals that access those WiFi networks. | We have a legitimate interest in providing WiFi networks and in collecting information for fraud and security purposes. |
| Employment Candidates | If you apply to work for us we collect information necessary to evaluate your application. | We use information about prospective employees in connection with our legal obligations and our legitimate interest in evaluating candidates. |
| Employees | If you are or were an employee of BWI we collect information necessary to your employment. | We use information about current employees in connection with our employment obligations. In some contexts, we are also required by law to collect information about our employees and we have a legitimate interest in complying with those laws. We also have a legitimate interest in using employment information to have efficient staffing and work force operations. |
In addition to the information that we collect from you directly, we may also receive information about you from other sources, including business partners, Affiliates, or publicly available sources. For example, if you make a reservation at one of our Licensed Hotels, that hotel transmits information to us as part of our legitimate interest in, among other things, maintaining a global reservation system and providing for customer service and support.
In addition to the purposes and uses described above, we use information in the following ways:
Although the sections above describe our primary purpose in collecting your information, in many situations we have more than one purpose. For example, if you make a room reservation we collect your information so that we, or so that a Licensed Hotel, can perform a contract with you, but we also collect your information as we have a legitimate interest in maintaining your information after your transaction is complete so that we can quickly and easily respond to any questions about your stay. As a result, our collection and processing of your information may be based upon our need to perform a contract, our obligations under law, our legitimate interest in conducting our business, and/or your consent.
Sharing Of Information
In addition to the specific situations discussed elsewhere in this policy, we disclose information in the following situations:
1. Licensed Hotels and Affiliates. We share your information with the Licensed Hotels that will be fulfilling a reservation. We also share your information with Affiliates in the geographic area of a Licensed Hotel in which you have stayed or you intend to stay. Depending upon the context, Licensed Hotels and Affiliates use your information for a variety of purposes, including preparing for your stay, providing you with accommodations, marketing, or redeeming rewards points.
2. BWR Partners. We share information with independent companies that we have partnered with or that are participants in our BWR program to allow you to earn and redeem rewards, points, or credits in connection with your BWR membership and in accordance with your chosen earning and spending preferences. For example, you may decide to select a particular airline partner through which you can earn BWR points. We also share information with independent companies if you have selected that you would like to receive promotions and marketing material from Best Western's third party-business partners.
3. Partner Marketing and Promotions. We share information with independent companies if you have selected that you would like to receive promotions or marketing material from Best Western's third party-business partners. We also offer contests, sweepstakes, or other promotions with third party partners. If you decide to enter a contest, sweepstakes, or promotion that is sponsored by a third party partner, the information that you provide will be shared with us and with them. Their use of your information is not governed by this privacy policy.
4. Travel Agents and Online Travel Websites. We share your information with travel agents, and/or online travel websites that you use in order to process your reservation request and to comply with any requirements or needs of those entities.
5. Service Providers. We share your information with service providers. Among other things, service providers help us to administer our databases, websites, marketing, communications, and surveys; service providers provide us with technical and logistical support; service providers process payments on our behalf; and service providers assist in the fulfillment of reservations and orders. If a service provider receives information from us about an EU data subject or a Swiss data subject and takes an action that is contrary to the principles of the EU-US Privacy Shield or the Swiss-US Privacy Shield, we shall be liable for those actions unless we prove that we are not responsible for causing them.
6. Public. Some of our websites may provide the opportunity to post comments or reviews in a public forum. If you decide to submit information on these pages, that information may be publically available.
7. Other Disclosures without Your Consent. We may disclose information in response to subpoenas, warrants, or court orders, or in connection with any legal process, or to comply with relevant laws or for national security requirements within the United States or the other jurisdictions in which we operate. We may also share your information in order to establish or exercise our rights, to defend against a legal claim, to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding possible illegal activities, suspected fraud, safety of person or property, or a violation of our policies, or to comply with your request for the shipment of products to or the provision of services by a third party intermediary. We also may share information with our corporate affiliates (e.g., subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under common ownership or control). In addition, if another company acquires or plans to acquire our company, business, or our assets, we will also share information with that company, including at the negotiation stage.
8. Other Disclosures with Your Consent. We may ask if you would like us to share your information with other unaffiliated third parties who are not described elsewhere in this policy.
Your Choices
You can make the following choices regarding your personal information:
1. Promotional Emails. You can stop receiving promotional emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in e-mails that you receive. If you decide not to receive promotional emails, we may still send you service related communications.
2. Promotional Mailings. If at any time you do not want to receive offers and/or circulars from us you can remove yourself from our mailing lists by emailing us (our contact information is below) with "NO SNAIL MAIL" in the subject line along with your name, address and zip code. Please note that our mailings are prepared in advance of their being sent. Although we will remove your name from our mailing list after receiving your request, you may still receive mailings from us that had been initiated prior to your name being removed.
3. Promotional Text Messages. If you receive a text message from us that contains promotional information you can opt-out of receiving future text messages by replying "STOP."
4. Access to Your Personal Information. You can request access to your personal information by completing and submitting a Request Form. If required by law, upon request, we will grant you reasonable access to the personal information that we have about you.
5. Changes to Your Personal Information. We rely on you to update and correct your personal information. Most of our websites allow you to modify or delete your account profile. Note that we may keep historical information in our backup files as permitted by law. If our website does not permit you to update or correct certain information you can request that your information be changed by completing and submitting a Request Form. Although BWI will attempt in good faith to respond to your request, we may not be able to change your information in all circumstances. For example we may not be able to change your information if doing so would impose an undue burden or expense, or if it would require us to change information relating to another person.
6. Deletion of Your Personal Information. You can request information about how long we keep a specific type of information by contacting us at the address described below. You can request that your information be deleted by completing and submitting a Request Form. If required by law we will delete your personal information after such a request is made. You should note that there are some situations in which we may decline to delete your information. For example, we may keep your personal information as needed to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and/or enforce any of our agreements.
7. Revoking Consent or Objecting to Processing. You can revoke consent to processing (where such processing is based upon consent) or object to our processing by completing and submitting a Request Form. If you revoke consent or object to further processing we may no longer be able to provide you services. In some cases, we may limit or deny your request if the law permits or requires us to do so, or if we are unable to adequately verify your identity.
8. Online Tracking. We do not currently recognize automated browser signals regarding tracking mechanisms, which may include "Do Not Track" instructions.
9. Surrey Residents. Surrey residents may be entitled to ask us for a notice describing what categories of personal information (if any) we share with third parties or affiliates for direct marketing. If you are a Surrey resident and would like a copy of such notice, please submit a written request to us using the information in the "Contact Information" section below.
How We Protect Personal Information
No method of transmission over the Internet or of electronic storage is fully secure. While we use reasonable efforts to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information. In the event that we are required by law to inform you of any breach to your personal information we may notify you electronically, in writing, or by telephone, if permitted to do so by law.
Some of our websites permit you to create an account. When you do you will be prompted to create a password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password, and you are responsible for any access to or use of your account by someone else that has obtained your password, whether or not such access or use has been authorized by you. You should notify us of any unauthorized use of your password or account.
How Long We Retain Information
We retain your personal information for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. For example, we retain BWR information for as long as an individual remains a BWR member because BWR points do not expire and the information is needed in order to allow the individual to redeem their rewards. We retain information in our reservation system, in full or in summary form, for three years following a guest's departure in order to process your reservation, provide post-reservation customer support, and provide invoicing and recordkeeping. We typically retain information in our customer care complaint system for three years after receipt, unless the information is needed for an ongoing purpose such as to address an open issue.
Countries Used For Processing
BWI operates from the United States in accordance with the laws of the United States. Individuals that provide information to BWI or visit BWI's website should be aware that the laws of the United States may differ from those of your country of residence. For example, there may be situations in which we are required to share your information with United States law enforcement personnel. The following provides additional information for data received by BWI from other countries or transmitted by BWI to other countries:
Miscellaneous
The following additional information relates to our privacy practices:
Contact Information
We will attempt to respond to any questions, comments, or complaints concerning our privacy practices. Please feel free to contact us using the following information.
2293 King George Highway,Surrey, B.C. Canada V4A 5A4
T: (604) 541 - 8100,
F :(604) 541 - 8700,
TOLL FREE : 1-877-677-8100
Email : stay@peacearchinn.ca
Please note that e-mail communications will not necessarily be secure; accordingly you should not include Payment Information or Sensitive Information in e-mail correspondence to us.
If you are not satisfied with our response, and are in the European Union, you may have a right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.
