Privacy

Who we are

This policy covers Superior Stays Ltd, a short-stay property management business in Hamilton and Cambridge, New Zealand. It applies to this website, our booking site at superiorstays.guestybookings.com, and how we deal with guests and property owners. Our privacy officer is Danelle Corfield, who can be reached at info@superiorstays.co.nz.

What we collect

If you contact us or ask for an appraisal: your name, email address, phone number, and the address and details of your property.

If you stay with us: your name, contact details, the number of guests, your dates and arrival details, and any messages you send us. If you book through Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo, that platform shares your booking details with us. If you complete online check-in, we also collect a photo of your ID, a selfie, and the card used for any bond or extras (see Online check-in, ID and bonds below).

If you book direct on our booking site: payment is processed by Stripe, which is certified to the highest level of the card industry's security standard (PCI Service Provider Level 1) and encrypts card numbers. We see only the card type and the last four digits, never the full number.

If we manage your home: your name and contact details, the property's details, the bank account we pay you into, and your GST status where the law needs it for your statements.

When you visit this website: cookies record which pages are viewed and how visitors arrived (see Cookies below).

Online check-in, ID and bonds

Guests often ask how their ID and card details are handled. Here is exactly what happens.

Why we ask for ID. For some bookings we ask guests to complete online check-in before arrival. It confirms who is staying, protects your booking from fraud, and protects the homes our owners trust us with. You upload it through our secure guest portal, not by email.

How it works. Our guest portal is run by SuiteOp, a specialist check-in service. You upload a photo of your driver licence or other ID and take a selfie. An automated check compares the two to confirm they match. You may also be asked to agree to the house rules.

How your ID is protected. Your ID and selfie are encrypted with AES-256, the same standard banks use. Only our team can see them, and we use them only to confirm who is staying and, if needed, to deal with damage to the home. We never sell them or share them for marketing. The face-matching data is used only for the check and is not stored permanently.

When it is deleted. SuiteOp keeps your ID documents only for your stay plus a short period afterwards, typically 30 days, unless the law requires longer. After that they are deleted. You can ask us to delete them sooner once your stay is over.

Security bond. Some stays need a security bond. The amount is held on your card through Stripe and released after check-out, as set out in your booking terms. We never see your full card number.

Optional extras. Extras such as a porta cot or a damage waiver are paid through the same secure Stripe checkout. You only pay for what you choose.

How we use it

To reply to your enquiry and prepare an appraisal. To take and manage bookings, send check-in instructions and look after you during your stay. To manage owners' homes, pay owners and send statements. To keep our accounts and meet tax and legal obligations. To see how well our website and ads work. We only use your details for the reason we collected them, or a reason directly related to it.

Who we share it with

We never sell your information. We share it only where needed with: our booking and property management system (Guesty); our guest check-in service (SuiteOp); our payment provider (Stripe) and bank; the company that hosts this website; our email service; our cleaners and tradespeople, who are told only what they need to do the job (for example, a check-out date); Google and Meta, for website measurement and ads; our accountant and Inland Revenue, where the law needs it. If you book through a platform such as Airbnb, its own privacy policy also applies.

Information stored overseas

Some of the services we use store information on servers outside New Zealand. SuiteOp and Stripe store information in the United States; other services may use Australia or Europe. We choose services that protect personal information in ways comparable to the New Zealand Privacy Act, with encryption and strict access controls.

Keeping it safe, and for how long

We keep your information in password-protected systems that only our team can access. We keep it only as long as we need it for the reason it was collected. Financial records are kept for seven years, as New Zealand tax law requires. After that, we delete it.

Cookies

This site uses Google Analytics, Google Ads and the Meta Pixel (for Facebook and Instagram ads). They set cookies to measure how people find the site, which pages they view, and whether our ads lead to enquiries, and they let us show our ads to people who have visited the site. They do not tell us who you are. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and you can manage ad personalisation at adssettings.google.com and in your Facebook or Instagram ad preferences.

Your rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020 you can ask to see the information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it is wrong. Email info@superiorstays.co.nz or call 020 402 72715. We will reply within 20 working days.

If we send you news or updates by email, you can ask us to stop at any time.

If something goes wrong

If a privacy breach could cause you serious harm, we will tell you and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as soon as we can. If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, contact us first. You can also complain to the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz or 0800 803 909.