Privacy and Cookie Policy

Chalet Oz Privacy and Cookie Policy

Last updated: 23 August 2026

  1. Introduction

This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how Chalet Oz collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when you visit our website, contact us, make a booking, stay at Chalet Oz or subscribe to our newsletter.

It also explains how cookies and similar technologies are used on our website and what rights you have in relation to your personal information.

We handle personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection and, where applicable, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation.

This policy applies to:

  • Visitors to www.chalet-oz.ch.
  • People who contact us with an enquiry.
  • Guests who book directly with Chalet Oz.
  • Guests who book through third-party booking platforms.
  • Newsletter subscribers.
  • Other individuals whose personal information is processed in connection with our accommodation services.
  1. Who is responsible for your personal information?

Chalet Oz is operated by Karen Zimmermann and Philipp Zimmermann.

For the purposes of this policy, the persons responsible for processing personal information are:

Karen Zimmermann and Philipp Zimmermann
Chalet Oz
Seestrasse 45
6354 Vitznau
Switzerland

Email: bookings@chalet-oz.ch

Throughout this policy, references to “Chalet Oz”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Karen Zimmermann and Philipp Zimmermann in connection with the operation of Chalet Oz.

  1. What personal information do we collect?

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

3.1 Enquiries and communications

If you contact us by email, telephone, WhatsApp, a website form or another communication channel, we may collect:

  • Your name.
  • Your email address.
  • Your telephone number.
  • The content of your enquiry or message.
  • Any other information you choose to provide.

3.2 Bookings and guest information

When you make a booking or stay at Chalet Oz, we may collect:

  • Your name and contact details.
  • Your home or billing address, where required.
  • Your arrival and departure dates.
  • Your booking reference and reservation details.
  • The number of people included in your booking.
  • The names of accompanying guests, where needed.
  • Information concerning accompanying children, where relevant to your booking or required by law.
  • Payment status, transaction references and relevant billing information.
  • Information about booking changes, cancellations or refunds.
  • Preferences, practical requests or other details you choose to share with us.
  • Correspondence relating to your booking or stay.

Please avoid sending unnecessary sensitive personal information, such as detailed medical information, unless it is genuinely relevant to a specific request you have made.

3.3 Visitor cards

If a visitor card is arranged for your stay, we collect and submit:

  • The guest’s name.
  • The dates of the stay.

Visitor cards are issued through the system made available by the Weggis Vitznau Rigi Tourist Office.

3.4 Newsletter subscriptions

If you subscribe to the Chalet Oz newsletter or request information through a newsletter sign-up form, we may collect:

  • Your email address.
  • Your name, if you choose to provide it.
  • The date and method of your subscription.
  • Your subscription preferences.
  • Information about whether a newsletter email was opened.
  • Information about links clicked within a newsletter email.

3.5 Website and technical information

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

  • Your IP address.
  • Your browser type and version.
  • Your device and operating system.
  • The date and time of your visit.
  • Pages viewed and links selected.
  • The approximate duration of your visit.
  • The website or source that referred you to our website.
  • Cookie and consent preferences.
  • Information associated with website performance, security and analytics.

Not all of this information is necessarily collected during every visit. The information collected depends on your device, browser settings, cookie choices and the services active on the website.

  1. How do we collect personal information?

We collect personal information:

  • Directly from you when you contact us, subscribe to our newsletter or make a booking.
  • Through our booking and payment service providers.
  • Through third-party accommodation platforms when you book through them.
  • Through the visitor card system when a visitor card is arranged.
  • Automatically through our website, cookies, analytics tools and similar technologies, where applicable.
  • From other members of your booking party when they provide information required to organise your stay.

If you provide another person’s personal information, you should ensure that you are entitled to do so and that the person understands how their information may be used.

  1. Why do we use personal information?

We use personal information only for purposes connected with running Chalet Oz and providing our services.

These purposes include:

  • Operating and maintaining our website.
  • Answering enquiries and providing information.
  • Managing accommodation bookings.
  • Communicating with guests before, during and after their stay.
  • Confirming reservations, arrival details and practical arrangements.
  • Processing payments, deposits, refunds and cancellations.
  • Providing visitor cards and meeting relevant registration or tourism requirements.
  • Sharing practical guest information and access to our digital guidebook.
  • Managing newsletter subscriptions and sending emails to subscribers.
  • Understanding how our website and newsletters are used.
  • Maintaining website security and preventing misuse.
  • Responding to complaints, disputes or legal claims.
  • Meeting accounting, tax and other legal obligations.
  • Improving our website, guest communications and accommodation services.

We do not sell your personal information.

  1. Enquiries and guest communications

When you contact us, we use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and, where appropriate, to discuss a possible or existing booking.

We may communicate with you by:

  • Email.
  • Telephone.
  • WhatsApp.
  • Website contact forms.
  • Booking platform messaging systems.
  • Booking-related messages sent through our reservation management provider.

If you choose to contact us using WhatsApp or another third-party communication service, your use of that service is also subject to the relevant provider’s own privacy practices.

Booking-related messages, arrival information, payment notices and other communications necessary to organise your stay are service communications. They are separate from promotional newsletter subscriptions.

  1. Direct bookings and Lodgify

We use Lodgify to help manage accommodation bookings, reservations, guest communications and related administrative information.

When you book directly with Chalet Oz, information necessary to arrange and manage your stay may be processed through Lodgify.

This may include:

  • Your name.
  • Your contact details.
  • Your home or billing address, where provided or required.
  • Your arrival and departure dates.
  • Your booking details.
  • The number of guests.
  • Payment and reservation status.
  • Booking-related communications.
  • Other information necessary to administer your stay.

Lodgify processes personal information in connection with providing its booking and property management services.

Depending on Lodgify’s operating arrangements and the services involved, personal information may be processed outside Switzerland. Where applicable, international transfers are subject to the safeguards described in Section 18.

  1. Bookings through Airbnb, Booking.com and other platforms

You may book Chalet Oz through third-party accommodation platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com.

When you make a booking through one of these platforms, the platform collects and processes your information under its own privacy policy.

The platform may share relevant booking information with us, including:

  • Your name.
  • Your booking dates.
  • The number of guests.
  • Your contact or messaging details, where made available.
  • Payment or booking status.
  • Information necessary to manage your stay.

We use this information to provide the accommodation, communicate with you and fulfil our legal and administrative obligations.

The platform remains separately responsible for the information it processes for its own purposes.

  1. Payments and financial information

Payments for direct bookings may be processed through Stripe or by bank transfer, depending on the payment arrangements offered at the time of booking.

Payment service providers may process information such as:

  • Your name.
  • Your billing information.
  • Payment card or account details.
  • Transaction references.
  • Payment status.
  • Information needed to prevent fraud or meet financial and legal requirements.

Payment card information is processed by the relevant payment provider. Chalet Oz does not need to receive or store your full payment card number in order to manage your booking.

We may retain transaction records, invoices and payment confirmations for accounting, tax, legal and administrative purposes.

Where a booking is made through Airbnb, Booking.com or another platform, payment information may also be processed by that platform or its designated payment provider.

  1. Visitor cards, tourist information and legal obligations

Where appropriate, we arrange visitor cards through the system provided by the Weggis Vitznau Rigi Tourist Office.

For this purpose, we enter the guest’s name and the dates of the stay.

The information is used to create the visitor card and administer the associated tourism services.

We may also process or disclose relevant guest information where necessary to meet legal obligations concerning:

  • Guest registration.
  • Tourism or visitor requirements.
  • Tourist taxes.
  • Accounting and taxation.
  • Requests from public authorities where disclosure is legally required.

Only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose will be provided.

  1. Newsletter subscriptions and Mailchimp

We use Mailchimp to manage our newsletter mailing list and send occasional Chalet Oz emails.

These emails may include:

  • Local tips and seasonal updates.
  • News from Chalet Oz.
  • Information about Vitznau, Lake Lucerne and Mt Rigi.
  • Direct booking information and offers.
  • Updates about relevant Chalet Oz services or experiences.

If you subscribe, your email address and any additional information you provide may be stored and processed by Mailchimp.

Mailchimp may also record:

  • When you subscribed.
  • Whether you opened a newsletter email.
  • Which links you selected.
  • Your subscription status and preferences.

We use this information to manage subscriptions, understand which content is useful and improve future communications.

You can unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in our newsletter emails or by contacting us at bookings@chalet-oz.ch.

Unsubscribing from marketing emails does not prevent us from sending essential messages concerning a booking, payment, enquiry or other service you have requested.

We send promotional emails when you have subscribed or where another lawful basis for contacting you applies.

An email address provided solely for a booking, visitor card or other practical service is not automatically treated as permission to receive our newsletter.

Mailchimp and its related service providers may process personal information outside Switzerland, including in the United States. Where applicable, the safeguards described in Section 18 apply.

  1. Website hosting and technical support

Our website is hosted by green.ch.

Website hosting involves the processing of technical information necessary to make the website available, maintain its security and identify technical problems.

This information may include:

  • IP addresses.
  • Browser and device information.
  • Dates and times of website access.
  • Pages requested.
  • Technical error information.
  • Website security and server logs.

Website development, maintenance and technical support may also be provided by Boostly or other authorised technical service providers.

Such providers may have access to personal information where reasonably necessary to maintain the website, resolve technical issues, manage website forms or support booking and marketing integrations.

We expect service providers handling personal information on our behalf to apply appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

  1. Google Analytics and website statistics

We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our website and to improve its content, performance and usability.

Google Analytics may collect information such as:

  • Pages visited.
  • Website interactions.
  • Approximate geographical location.
  • Browser and device information.
  • Visit duration.
  • Referral sources.
  • Website usage statistics.
  • Cookie identifiers and related technical information.

Google Analytics may use cookies or similar technologies.

Where consent is required, analytics cookies or comparable tracking technologies should only be used in accordance with the choices you make through our cookie banner.

Google may process information in Switzerland, the European Economic Area, the United States or other locations connected with the provision of its services.

Further information about how Google handles personal information is available in Google’s privacy information.

  1. Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small files stored on your device when you visit a website. Similar technologies may also be used to recognise your browser, remember preferences, assess website performance or support external content.

Our website may use the following categories of cookies.

14.1 Essential cookies

Essential cookies help the website function properly and may be needed to:

  • Maintain website security.
  • Remember basic settings.
  • Support booking or enquiry functions.
  • Store cookie consent choices.
  • Enable requested website features.

Essential cookies are used where necessary to provide the website or a service you have requested.

14.2 Analytics cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the website.

They may collect information about:

  • Pages visited.
  • Website traffic.
  • Time spent on the website.
  • Interactions with website content.
  • Device and browser information.

Where required, these cookies are used only with your consent.

14.3 External content and third-party cookies

External services embedded in the website may use cookies or similar technologies when their content is loaded.

This may apply to services such as:

  • Google Maps.
  • YouTube videos.
  • Guest review displays.
  • Other externally hosted website features.

The exact services and cookies used may depend on the page you visit and the website’s current technical configuration.

14.4 Managing your cookie preferences

You can make or adjust available cookie choices through the cookie banner or preference settings provided on our website.

You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings.

Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect some website functions.

Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time through the available cookie settings. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place lawfully before your choice was changed.

  1. External content, links and embedded services

Our website may include links to external websites and, where applicable, embedded content provided by third parties.

External content may include:

  • Google Maps.
  • YouTube videos.
  • Guest review displays.
  • Social media links.
  • WhatsApp contact links.
  • Other relevant travel, tourism or booking resources.

When embedded content loads, the relevant provider may receive technical information, such as your IP address, browser information or information about the page visited.

Where applicable, embedded content requiring consent should be activated in accordance with your cookie choices.

If you select a link to an external website or contact us through an external platform, the privacy practices of that provider apply to your use of its services.

The exact external services active on our website may change over time.

  1. Digital guest guidebook

We may provide guests with a link to a digital guidebook containing practical information about Chalet Oz, the local area and their stay.

The guidebook is provided through Touch Stay.

We do not provide Touch Stay with guest names, contact details or booking information for the purpose of accessing the general guidebook link.

As with other websites, the guidebook provider may process technical information when its website is visited. Any processing carried out by the provider for its own purposes is subject to its own privacy information.

  1. Guest reviews

We may display guest reviews on our website to help prospective guests understand previous visitors’ experiences.

Reviews may originate from:

  • Airbnb.
  • Booking.com.
  • Google.
  • Direct guest feedback.
  • Other relevant review or booking platforms.

Depending on the source and display method, a review may include a guest’s first name, initials, profile name, country, review date or other information made public by the guest or relevant platform.

We only use review information where we have an appropriate basis to do so, including the guest’s permission where necessary or the relevant platform’s permitted review-sharing arrangements.

If a review is displayed through an external review integration, the provider of that integration may process technical information when the content is loaded.

If you have concerns about how a review identifying you appears on our website, please contact us at bookings@chalet-oz.ch.

  1. Who receives personal information and where is it processed?

We may share personal information with service providers and organisations when reasonably necessary to operate Chalet Oz, provide accommodation services or comply with legal obligations.

These recipients may include:

  • Lodgify for booking and guest management.
  • Stripe and other payment service providers.
  • Airbnb, Booking.com and other booking platforms.
  • Mailchimp for newsletter subscriptions and email delivery.
  • green.ch for website hosting.
  • Boostly and other website support providers.
  • Google for analytics, maps or video services where applicable.
  • The Weggis Vitznau Rigi Tourist Office for visitor cards.
  • Professional advisers, accountants or insurers where reasonably necessary.
  • Public authorities where disclosure is legally required.

Depending on the provider, personal information may be processed in:

  • Switzerland.
  • Countries in the European Economic Area.
  • The United Kingdom.
  • The United States.
  • Other countries where a relevant provider or its service partners operate.

When personal information is transferred outside Switzerland or, where applicable, outside the European Economic Area, we take account of the safeguards required under the relevant data protection laws.

These may include:

  • A recognised decision that the destination country provides an adequate level of data protection.
  • Participation by an eligible provider in an applicable data privacy framework.
  • Approved standard contractual clauses.
  • Other lawful contractual, technical or organisational safeguards.

Where a provider relies on a recognised data privacy framework, the protection applies only where that provider is appropriately certified for the relevant transfer.

Further information about applicable international transfers and safeguards can be requested by contacting us.

  1. Legal grounds for processing

Where the European Union General Data Protection Regulation applies, we process personal information under one or more of the following legal grounds.

19.1 Performance of a contract

We process information where necessary to:

  • Respond to a booking enquiry.
  • Prepare or manage a reservation.
  • Provide accommodation.
  • Process payments.
  • Communicate with guests about their stay.
  • Provide services included in or requested as part of a booking.

19.2 Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent for activities such as:

  • Newsletter subscriptions.
  • Certain analytics cookies.
  • Non-essential tracking technologies.
  • Certain externally embedded services.

You may withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

19.3 Legal obligations

We process information where necessary to comply with applicable requirements concerning:

  • Accounting and taxation.
  • Guest registration.
  • Tourism and visitor obligations.
  • Requests from public authorities.
  • Other relevant legal requirements.

19.4 Legitimate interests

Where permitted, we may process information for legitimate business interests, including:

  • Responding to enquiries.
  • Maintaining website and information security.
  • Preventing fraud or misuse.
  • Managing and improving our services.
  • Handling complaints or disputes.
  • Protecting our legal rights.
  • Keeping appropriate records of our communications.

When relying on legitimate interests, we consider the rights and reasonable expectations of the individuals concerned.

  1. How long do we keep personal information?

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law.

Retention periods depend on the type of information involved.

20.1 Booking and payment information

Booking records, invoices and payment information may be retained for the period necessary to manage the booking and comply with accounting, tax, legal or administrative obligations.

20.2 Enquiries and communications

Emails, messages and enquiry records may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to the enquiry, manage a booking, maintain appropriate business records or address a related issue.

20.3 Newsletter information

Newsletter subscription information is generally retained while you remain subscribed.

After you unsubscribe, limited information may be retained where necessary to record your unsubscribe request, prevent unwanted future emails or document compliance with applicable requirements.

20.4 Website analytics and technical logs

Website analytics information, security records and technical logs are retained in accordance with the settings and operational requirements of the relevant service providers.

20.5 Visitor card information

Information submitted for visitor cards is retained as required for the administration of the visitor card and any applicable legal or tourism requirements.

When personal information is no longer needed and there is no legal reason to keep it, we take reasonable steps to delete, anonymise or securely dispose of it.

  1. Children’s information

Chalet Oz accommodation bookings must be managed by an adult.

Where children are included in a booking, we may process limited information about them where necessary to:

  • Confirm the number of guests.
  • Organise appropriate accommodation arrangements.
  • Provide requested family facilities.
  • Comply with legal, registration or visitor requirements.

We do not knowingly collect children’s personal information for independent marketing purposes or invite children to subscribe to our newsletter without the involvement of a responsible adult.

  1. Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

These measures may include:

  • Limiting access to information to people who need it.
  • Using established booking, payment and email service providers.
  • Maintaining appropriate account security measures.
  • Keeping relevant software and website systems updated.
  • Taking reasonable steps to protect booking and communication records.

No online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If you believe your personal information has been misused or that a communication appearing to come from Chalet Oz is suspicious, please contact us promptly.

  1. Your privacy rights

Depending on the law applicable to your circumstances, you may have the right to:

  • Request information about the personal data we hold about you.
  • Ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected.
  • Request the deletion of your personal information where legally available.
  • Ask us to restrict certain processing.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests where the legal conditions apply.
  • Object at any time to the use of your information for direct marketing.
  • Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
  • Request a copy of certain personal information in a usable format where data portability rights apply.
  • Complain to a relevant data protection authority.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and limitations.

For example, we may need to keep certain information where required for accounting, taxation, legal claims or other binding obligations.

To exercise your rights, please contact:

bookings@chalet-oz.ch

We may request reasonable information to confirm your identity before responding.

Where the General Data Protection Regulation applies, we aim to respond within one month, subject to any legally permitted extension.

If you are in Switzerland, you may also contact the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.

If the General Data Protection Regulation applies to you, you may have the right to contact the relevant data protection authority in your country.

  1. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:

  • Changes to our booking or website systems.
  • Changes to our newsletter or communication providers.
  • New legal or regulatory requirements.
  • Changes in the services we provide.
  • Updated technical, security or operational arrangements.

The latest version will be published on our website with the relevant revision date.

Where required, we will request renewed consent or provide additional notice of significant changes.

  1. Contact

If you have any questions about this policy or the way your personal information is handled, please contact:

Karen Zimmermann and Philipp Zimmermann
Chalet Oz
Seestrasse 45
6354 Vitznau
Switzerland

Email: bookings@chalet-oz.ch

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