Privacy & Cookie Policy

1. Who we are

Ivy House Country Hotel is the data controller responsible for your personal data. You can reach us at:

• Address: Ivy Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 8HY
• Telephone: 01502 501353
• Email: weddings@ivyhousecountryhotel.co.uk

2. Information we collect

We only collect the personal data we need to respond to you and to help plan your wedding. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:

• Contact details such as your name, email address and telephone number.
• Wedding details such as your preferred date, approximate guest numbers, chosen spaces and any preferences you share with us.
• Enquiry content such as the messages, questions and information you provide through our forms, quiz, or when you book a viewing or call.
• Technical data such as your device type, browser, and how you use our website, collected through cookies and similar technologies where you have consented.

We collect this information directly from you when you complete a form, use the Design Your Day planner, request our brochure, book a visit or call, email or telephone us, or browse our website.

3. How we use your information

We use your personal data to:

• Respond to your enquiries and answer your questions.
• Send you our wedding brochure and any information you have requested.
• Arrange and confirm viewings, online calls and appointments.
• Provide you with a personalised plan through our Design Your Day planner.
• Plan, coordinate and deliver your wedding if you choose to book with us.
• Keep you updated about availability, offers and services where you have agreed to hear from us.
• Improve our website and understand how it is used, where you have consented to analytics cookies.

4. Our lawful bases for processing

Under the UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases:

• Consent: where you have agreed to receive marketing communications, or to non essential cookies. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
• Legitimate interests: to respond to your enquiry, send requested information, and run our business, in a way that does not override your rights and freedoms.
• Contract: where you book your wedding with us, to take the steps necessary to deliver your day.
• Legal obligation: where we are required to keep certain records, for example for tax and accounting.

5. Who we share your information with

We never sell your personal data. We share it only where necessary, with trusted service providers who act on our behalf as data processors under appropriate agreements. These may include:

• Our customer relationship management and marketing platform, which stores enquiries and helps us communicate with you.
• Our website hosting, form and online booking providers.
• Email and communication providers used to reply to you and send confirmations.
• Analytics providers, where you have consented to analytics cookies.
• Professional advisers, and law enforcement or regulators where we are legally required to do so.

Where you book with us, we may share relevant details with carefully chosen suppliers involved in your day, only with your knowledge.

6. International transfers

Some of our service providers may store or process data outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, we make sure your data is protected by appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as an adequacy decision or the International Data Transfer Agreement, so that your information receives an equivalent level of protection.

7. How long we keep your information

We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. If you make an enquiry but do not book, we will generally hold your details for up to 24 months, unless you ask us to remove them sooner. If you book your wedding with us, we keep your records for as long as needed to deliver your day and to meet our legal and accounting obligations, after which they are securely deleted or anonymised.

8. Your rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Be informed about how your data is used.
• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Request erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
• Restrict or object to our processing of your data.
• Request the transfer of your data, known as data portability.
• Withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
• Object to direct marketing at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within one month. You will not usually have to pay a fee.

9. Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. We use cookies to make our website work, to remember your preferences, and, with your consent, to understand how the site is used so we can improve it. When you first visit, our cookie banner lets you accept all cookies, reject non essential cookies, or set your own preferences. You can change your choice at any time using the “Cookie Settings” link in our footer.

You can also control cookies through your browser settings, including deleting cookies already stored. Please note that blocking some cookies may affect how the website works.

10. Contact and complaints

If you have any questions about this policy, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

• Email: weddings@ivyhousecountryhotel.co.uk
• Telephone: 01502 501353
• Post: Ivy Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 8HY

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection, although we would welcome the chance to address your concerns first. You can contact the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.