INTRODUCTION: We have a strong commitment to providing excellent service to all of our customers, including respecting their concerns about privacy. We understand that visitors to our website may have questions about whether and how this website collects and uses information. Accordingly, we have prepared this statement to inform you of our privacy principles. Use of this website by you will be deemed your acknowledgment and acceptance of this privacy statement.
BROWSING: Visitors who browse this website do so on an anonymous basis. We have not configured this website to collect any information from your computer without your input. This means that, unless you voluntarily and knowingly provide us with information, we will not know your identity, your e-mail address, or any other information identifiable to you.
INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) ADDRESS: An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer every time you browse the internet. When users request a page from our site, our servers log the user’s current IP address. We use IP addresses to help diagnose problems. We do not link IP addresses to anything personally identifiable. Thus, each user session is anonymous.
INFORMATION: When we need to collect information from you, we will ask you to voluntarily supply us with the information we need. For example, if you would like to make a reservation, we will ask you for information such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, credit card type, credit card number, expiration date and room preference to process your reservation. We will use your e-mail address to send a confirmation and, if necessary, might use the other information to contact you for help to process the reservation. When we ask you for personal data when making a reservation or purchasing a gift card including your name, address and credit card data, it is transferred over a Secured Sockets Layer (SSL) line provided you are using a SSL enabled browser. This ensures that your information is encrypted as it travels over the internet. This secure mode is enabled before any such information is transmitted from your computer. You will know you are in a secure mode when the padlock icon in the lower right hand corner of your computer screen appears in the locked position. In addition, when accessing a secure server, the first characters of the site address will change from “http” to “https”. After information reaches us it is stored on a secure server that resides behind a firewall that is designed to block access from outside the company. We may also ask you to fill out an online customer survey, to obtain your suggestions or comments about your use of our services. Providing this information is voluntary.
COOKIES: Like many companies, from time to time we may use “cookie” technology on our site. When you visit our site, the cookie tells us whether you have visited us before or are a new visitor, where you were referred from and also tells us if you booked. The cookie does not track any personal information about you or provide us with any way to contact you, and the cookie does not extract any information from your computer.
USE OF INFORMATION: We treat the information you provide to us as confidential information; it is, accordingly, subject to our company’s security procedures and policies regarding protection and use of confidential information. Information is generally processed and stored in the United States, in which data protection laws are not as comprehensive as the European Union. Information gathered is used only for the purpose for which the information was collected and is not used or shared with other companies. The personal information you provide to us for making a reservation is made available to the hotel for the purpose of meeting your reservation request. If you cancel your reservation, the information is stored for record keeping purposes only and is not accessed again. After completing your stay, the information you provide may be used for direct marketing our hotel. We may use the services of a third party mail house for the sole purpose of mailing materials.
DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION & OPT-OUT: We will not sell, trade, rent or release such information to entities outside of the hotel for their use without your approval and giving you the opportunity to opt-out. Links to other sites: if you choose to leave this site via links to other hotel sites, including those of advertisers, we are not responsible for the privacy policies or content of those sites, nor are we responsible for the cookies those sites might deposit on your hard drive.
MINORS: Our web site does not sell products for purchase by children. If you are under 18, you may only use our web site with the involvement of a parent or guardian. LEGAL ISSUES: We will disclose personal information when required by law or in good faith belief if such action is necessary or desirable to comply with the law, protect or defend the rights or property of the hotel, the site or its users.
PRIVACY STATEMENT CHANGES: In the future, we may need to change the privacy statement of our hotel. All changes will be made here so that you will always know what information we gather, how we might use that information and whether we will disclose it to anyone. Changes in the privacy statement will only affect our treatment of information supplied by you to us following the effective date of such changes, i.e., for information supplied by you prior to the change in the privacy statement, we will continue to honor the obligations of the privacy statement, for such information, in effect when the information was originally supplied by you. Information entered or re-entered following a change in the privacy statement will be governed by the new privacy statement.
ADA STATEMENT
The Francis Marion Hotel intends to make its website usable by all people by meeting or exceeding the standards outlined by World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA). While the hotel industry is not operating under approved, regulated legislation, the Francis Marion Hotel is committed to our good faith effort to follow the guidelines available. If you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of www.francismarionhotel.com or need assistance in using the processes found within this site, please contact us at info@thefrancismarion.com or call us at 843-722-0600. If you do encounter an accessibility issue, please be sure to specify the Web page URL and we will make all reasonable efforts to make that page accessible.
CONCLUSION: Your privacy concerns are important to us. We hope this privacy statement has been helpful to you. If you have any questions about this privacy statement or privacy concerns, please contact us.