Privacy Policy

General

As the operator of this website and as a company, we come into contact with your personal data. This refers to all data that reveals information about you and by which you can be identified. In this Privacy Policy, we would like to explain how, for what purpose, and on what legal basis we process your data.

The party responsible for data processing on this website and within our company is:

Businesshotel Forum Widnau AG
Bahnhofstrasse 24
9443 Widnau
Switzerland

Phone: +41 71 722 88 66
Email: office@forum-hotel.ch

 

General Information

SSL and TLS Encryption

Whenever you enter your data on websites, place online orders, or send emails via the Internet, you must always expect that unauthorized third parties may gain access to your data. Complete protection against such access does not exist. However, we make every effort to protect your data as effectively as possible and to close security gaps wherever feasible.

An important security mechanism is the SSL or TLS encryption of our website, which ensures that data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties. You can recognize encrypted connections by the lock icon displayed before the website address in your browser and by the fact that our website address begins with “https://” instead of “http://”.

Encrypted Payment Transactions

Payment data, such as bank account or credit card numbers, requires special protection. For this reason, payment transactions using common payment methods are carried out exclusively via encrypted SSL or TLS connections.

How Long Do We Store Your Data?

In some sections of this Privacy Policy, we inform you about how long we or the companies processing your data on our behalf store your data. If no specific storage period is stated, we store your data until the purpose of the data processing no longer applies, you object to the data processing, or you revoke your consent to the processing.

In the event of an objection or revocation, we may nevertheless continue processing your data if at least one of the following conditions applies:

• We have compelling legitimate grounds for continuing the data processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms (only in the case of an objection to data processing; if the objection concerns direct marketing, we cannot invoke such legitimate grounds).
• The data processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims (does not apply if your objection concerns direct marketing).
• We are legally obligated to retain your data.

In such cases, we will delete your data once the relevant condition(s) no longer apply.

Transfer of Data to the United States

We also use tools on our website provided by companies that transfer your data to the United States, where it is stored and may also be further processed. This is particularly relevant because your data in the United States does not enjoy the same level of protection as within the European Union, where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies. For example, U.S. companies may be required to provide personal data to security authorities without affected individuals being able to take legal action against this. It is therefore possible that U.S. authorities (e.g., intelligence agencies) may process, analyze, and permanently store your data on U.S. servers for surveillance purposes. We have no influence over these processing activities.

 

Your Rights

Objection to Data Processing

IF YOU READ IN THIS PRIVACY POLICY THAT WE HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST IN PROCESSING YOUR DATA AND THEREFORE RELY ON ARTICLE 6(1)(F) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT UNDER ARTICLE 21 GDPR TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO ANY PROFILING BASED ON THE AFOREMENTIONED PROVISION. PROVIDED THAT YOU STATE REASONS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION. NO REASONS ARE REQUIRED IF THE OBJECTION IS DIRECTED AGAINST THE USE OF YOUR DATA FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES.

THE CONSEQUENCE OF YOUR OBJECTION IS THAT WE MAY NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR DATA. THIS DOES NOT APPLY IF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS EXISTS:

• WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING THAT OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS.
• THE PROCESSING SERVES THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE, OR DEFENSE OF LEGAL CLAIMS.

THESE EXCEPTIONS DO NOT APPLY IF YOUR OBJECTION IS DIRECTED AGAINST DIRECT MARKETING OR PROFILING RELATED TO SUCH MARKETING.

 

Additional Rights

Withdrawal of Your Consent to Data Processing

Many data processing operations are based on your consent. You provide such consent, for example, by checking a corresponding box in online forms before submitting them or by allowing certain cookies when visiting our website. You may revoke your consent at any time without providing reasons (Article 7(3) GDPR). From the time of revocation onward, we may no longer process your data. The only exception applies where we are legally required to retain the data for a certain period of time. Such retention periods exist particularly under tax and commercial law.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with the Competent Supervisory Authority

If you believe that we are violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right under Article 77 GDPR to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. You may contact a supervisory authority in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or the place where the alleged infringement occurred. This right to lodge a complaint exists without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.

Right to Data Portability

Data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract must be provided to you or a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format upon request. We can transfer the data directly to another controller only where technically feasible.

Right to Information, Deletion, and Rectification

Under Article 15 GDPR, you have the right to obtain information free of charge about the personal data we have stored about you, the origin of the data, the recipients of the data, and the purpose for which the data is stored. If the data is incorrect, you have the right to rectification under Article 16 GDPR. Under the conditions set out in Article 17 GDPR, you may request the deletion of your data.

Right to Restriction of Processing

In certain situations, you may request the restriction of the processing of your data under Article 18 GDPR. In such cases, the data may only be processed – apart from storage – as follows:

• with your consent
• for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims
• for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person
• for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or a Member State

The right to restriction of processing applies in the following situations:

• You contest the accuracy of your personal data stored by us and we require time to verify this. The right applies for the duration of the verification.
• The processing of your personal data is unlawful or was unlawful in the past. In this case, you may request restriction instead of deletion.
• We no longer require your personal data, but you need it for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims. In this case, you may request restriction instead of deletion.
• You have objected pursuant to Article 21(1) GDPR and a balancing of interests between your interests and ours is still pending. The right applies until the outcome of the balancing process has been determined.

 

Hosting and Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

External Hosting

Our website is hosted on a server provided by the following internet service provider (host):

Centron GmbH
Heganger 29
96103 Hallstadt

Has a Data Processing Agreement Been Concluded with the Hosting Provider or Are Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) Used?

Yes.

How Do We Process Your Data?

The hosting provider stores all data relating to our website. This also includes all personal data collected automatically or entered by you. This may include, in particular: your IP address, accessed pages, names, contact details and inquiries, as well as metadata and communication data. When processing data, our hosting provider acts in accordance with our instructions and processes the data only to the extent necessary to fulfill its contractual obligations toward us.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

As we use our website to approach potential customers and maintain contact with existing customers, data processing by our hosting provider serves the initiation and performance of contracts and is therefore based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Furthermore, it is our legitimate interest as a company to provide a professional online presence that meets the necessary requirements for security, speed, and efficiency. In this respect, we also process your data on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

 

Data Collection on This Website

Use of Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small text files that serve different purposes. Some cookies are technically necessary for the website to function properly (“necessary cookies”). Others are required to perform certain actions or functions on the site (“functional cookies”). For example, without cookies, it would not be possible to use the shopping cart function in an online store. Other cookies are used to analyze user behavior or optimize advertising measures. If we use third-party services on our website, for example to process payments, these companies may also place cookies on your device when you visit the website (“third-party cookies”).

How Do We Process Your Data?

Session cookies are stored on your device only for the duration of a session and disappear automatically when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself. This may allow your user behavior to be analyzed over a longer period of time.

You can influence how your browser handles cookies through your browser settings:

• Do you want to be informed when cookies are set?
• Do you want to exclude cookies generally or in specific cases?
• Do you want cookies to be automatically deleted when the browser is closed?

If you disable or do not allow cookies, the functionality of the website may be restricted.

Where we use cookies from third-party companies or cookies for analytical purposes, we will inform you accordingly in this Privacy Policy and, where required, request your consent when you visit our website.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

We have a legitimate interest in ensuring that visitors can use our online services without technical issues and that all desired functions are available. The storage of necessary and functional cookies on your device is therefore based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. All other cookies are used on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, provided you have given your consent. You may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. If you have consented to the placement of necessary and functional cookies during the consent process, these cookies are also stored exclusively on the basis of your consent.

 

Cookie Consent with Legal Cockpit

What is the Legal Cockpit Cookie Tool?

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) for obtaining and processing GDPR-compliant consents.

Who Processes Your Data?

Legalcore AG
Reinhardtstr. 7
10117 Berlin
Germany

Where Can You Find More Information About Data Protection at Legal Cockpit?

Legal Cockpit Privacy Policy

How Do We Process Your Data?

We use the Legal Cockpit consent management platform to obtain your consent for the storage of cookies on your device in a GDPR-compliant manner. When you visit our website and close the Legal Cockpit cookie banner, the following data is transmitted to the company:

• Your IP address
• Information about your browser
• Information about your device
• The time of your visit to the website

In addition, Legal Cockpit stores a cookie in your browser in order to associate the consents granted or revoked with your browser. All collected data is stored until the cookies are no longer required, you delete the Legal Cockpit cookie, or you request the deletion of the data. This does not apply where we are legally required to retain the data.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

We are legally required to obtain the consent of our website visitors for the use of certain cookies. To fulfill this obligation, we use Legal Cockpit. The legal basis for data processing is therefore Article 6(1)(c) GDPR.

 

Server Log Files

Server log files record all requests and accesses to our website and document error messages. They also contain personal data, in particular your IP address. However, this address is anonymized by the provider after a short time, making it impossible for us to associate the data with you personally. The data is automatically transmitted by your browser to our provider.

How Do We Process Your Data?

Our provider stores server log files in order to track activities on our website and identify errors. The files contain the following data:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system used
• Referrer URL
• Hostname of the accessing computer
• Time of the server request
• IP address (possibly anonymized)

We do not combine this data with other data but use it exclusively for statistical analysis and to improve our website.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

We have a legitimate interest in ensuring that our website operates without errors. We also have a legitimate interest in obtaining an anonymized overview of website access. Data processing is therefore lawful pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

 

Contact Form

You can send us a message via the contact form on this website.

How Do We Process Your Data?

We store your message and the information entered in the form in order to process your inquiry, including any follow-up questions. This also applies to the contact details you provide. We do not share this data with third parties without your consent.

How Long Do We Store Your Data?

We delete your data as soon as one of the following conditions is met:

• Your inquiry has been fully processed
• You request the deletion of your data.
• You revoke your consent to storage.

This does not apply where we are legally obligated to retain the data.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

If your inquiry is related to our contractual relationship or serves the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. In all other cases, it is our legitimate interest to efficiently process inquiries directed to us. The legal basis is therefore Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of your data, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. In this case, you may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

 

Requests by Email, Telephone, or Fax

You may contact us by email, fax, or telephone.

How Do We Process Your Data?

We store your message as well as the contact details you provide or the transmitted telephone number in order to process your inquiry, including follow-up questions. We do not share this data with third parties without your consent.

How Long Do We Store Your Data?

We delete your data as soon as one of the following conditions is met:

• Your inquiry has been fully processed.
• You request deletion of the data.
• You revoke your consent to storage.

This does not apply where we are legally obligated to retain the data.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

If your inquiry is related to our contractual relationship or serves the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. In all other cases, it is our legitimate interest to efficiently process inquiries directed to us. The legal basis is therefore Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of your data, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. In this case, you may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

 

Analytics Tools and Advertising

We use the following tools to analyze the behavior of our website visitors and to display advertising.

Google Tag Manager

What is Google Tag Manager?

A tag management system for integrating tracking codes and conversion pixels from Google Ireland Ltd.

Who Processes Your Data?

Google Ireland Ltd.
Gordon House, Barrow Street
Dublin 4, Ireland

Where Can You Find More Information About Data Protection at Google Tag Manager?

Google Privacy Policy

On What Basis Is Your Data Transferred to the United States?

On the basis of the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs):
Google SCC Compliance Information

How Do We Process Your Data?

We use Google Tag Manager to integrate, manage, and deploy tracking codes and conversion pixels on our website. Google Tag Manager itself does not create user profiles, store cookies, or analyze user behavior. However, it does collect your IP address and transmits it to Google servers in the United States.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

We have a legitimate interest in the fast and uncomplicated integration and management of various tools on our website. The use of Google Tag Manager is therefore lawful pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. If you have consented to the transfer of your IP address, we process your data exclusively on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

Google Analytics

What is Google Analytics?

A tool for analyzing user behavior provided by Google Ireland Ltd.

Who Processes Your Data?

Google Ireland Ltd.
Gordon House, Barrow Street
Dublin 4, Ireland

Where Can You Find More Information About Data Protection at Google Analytics?

Google Analytics Privacy Information

On What Basis Is Your Data Transferred to the United States?

On the basis of the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs):
Google SCC Compliance Information

How Can You Prevent Data Collection?

For example, by using a browser plugin:
Google Analytics Opt-Out Plugin

How Do We Process Your Data?

We are constantly interested in optimizing our website and placing advertising effectively. Google Analytics helps us achieve this by analyzing user behavior and providing us with the necessary data for improvements. Through the tool, we receive information about the origin of visitors, page views, duration of visits, and the operating systems used.

Standard Processing

Google Analytics uses cookies, device fingerprinting, or similar technologies to recognize users. The collected data is transmitted to Google servers in the United States and combined into a profile associated with you or your device using your IP address.
You can prevent Google from processing your data by installing the browser plugin provided by Google.

IP Anonymization

We have activated the “IP anonymization” feature within Google Analytics. This means that Google shortens your IP address (within the EU or EEA) before transmitting it to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to servers in the U.S. and shortened there.

How Long Do We Store Your Data?

According to Google, user-level and event-level data linked to cookies, user identifiers, or advertising IDs are deleted or anonymized after 14 months.

On What Legal Basis Do We Process Your Data?

As website operators, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize our website and advertising. Data processing is therefore lawful pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or otherwise consented to processing by Google Analytics, the legal basis is exclusively Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future.

Newsletter

Brevo

What is Brevo?

A service for sending newsletters and analyzing recipient behavior.

Who processes your data?

Brevo GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 126, 10179 Berlin, Germany

Where can you find more information about data protection at Brevo?

Brevo Privacy Policy: https://www.brevo.com/de/legal/privacypolicy/

How do we process your data?

We use Brevo to send our newsletter. The service manages our newsletter subscribers’ data, sends our newsletters, and analyzes our newsletter campaigns.

If you would like to receive our newsletter, we require your email address. We will also verify, by means of a confirmation email (double opt-in procedure), that you are indeed the owner of the provided email address. We do not collect any additional data unless it is provided voluntarily. Your data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter.

When we send a newsletter via Brevo and you open it, a file included in the newsletter automatically connects to Brevo’s servers. This allows the service to determine that the newsletter has been opened and to record all clicks on the links contained in it. In addition, Brevo collects technical information such as the time of access, IP address, browser type, and operating system.

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

How long do we store your data?

After you unsubscribe, your data will be deleted from the newsletter distribution list. In certain cases, we may also place your email address on a blacklist; this may be necessary, for example, if you have objected to receiving advertising from us. In such cases, the storage is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

Furthermore, we reserve the right to delete the data at any time after the purpose of collection no longer applies or at our own discretion.

On what legal basis do we process your data?

By subscribing to the newsletter, you consent to the processing of your data by Brevo. The processing is therefore lawful on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter or by sending us an informal notice. For us, this means that we may no longer send you newsletters from that point onward.

 

Plugins and Tools

Google Maps

What is Google Maps?

A map service provided by Google Ireland Ltd.

Who processes your data?

Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland

Where can you find more information about data protection at Google?

Google Privacy Policy

On what basis do we transfer your data to the USA?

Google complies with the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.
Google Compliance Information

How do we process your data?

We use Google Maps on our website. In order for you to use all functions of the map service, Google stores your IP address on one of its servers in the United States.

On what legal basis do we process your data?

Google Maps helps visitors find the locations specified on our website more easily. As a company, we have a legitimate interest in this. Therefore, the data processing is lawful pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

If you have consented to the data processing, we process your data exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time. From the time of revocation onward, we may no longer process your data.

 

Google reCAPTCHA

What is Google reCAPTCHA?

A testing tool provided by Google Ireland Ltd. to distinguish between humans and computers.

Who processes your data?

Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland

Where can you find more information about data protection at Google?

Google Privacy Policy

On what basis do we transfer your data to the USA?

Google complies with the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.
Google Compliance Information

How do we process your data?

We use Google reCAPTCHA to verify whether data entered into forms on our website originates from a human or from a computer. This means that the testing tool analyzes your behavior as a visitor to our website based on various characteristics. The analysis begins not only when you use the testing tool, but already when you access our website. Various types of data are collected, such as your IP address, the time spent on our website, and mouse movements made. The data is transmitted to Google.

On what legal basis do we process your data?

As a company, we have a legitimate interest in protecting our web services from spam and abusive automated surveillance. Therefore, the data processing is lawful pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

If you have consented to the data processing, we process your data exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You may revoke your consent at any time. From the time of revocation onward, we may no longer process your data.

 

Data Processing on Social Media

What is social media?

By social media, we mean the social networks on which we maintain publicly accessible profiles. The specific social networks we use are listed below.

Who processes your data?

The respective operators of the social networks. The individual operators are listed below under each network.

How is your data processed?

Operators of social networks are generally able to comprehensively collect and analyze the behavior of visitors and users of their networks. It is not possible for us to fully track all processing operations carried out within the social networks we use. Therefore, additional processing operations not listed here may be carried out by the operators of the social networks. Further information can be found in the terms of use and privacy policies of the respective social networks.

Your data may be processed when you visit the website of the social network or our profile page on that network. Data may also already be transmitted to the operators of the social network when you visit a website that uses certain content from the network, such as Like or Share buttons. If you are a user of the social network and logged into your user account, your visit to our profile page may be associated with your account by the operator of the social network. Even if you are not registered with the network or are not logged in, the network operator may still collect your personal data, for example by recording your IP address or using cookies. Using this data, the operators can create user profiles tailored to your behavior and interests and display interest-based advertising to you both within and outside the network. If you are a registered user of the network, interest-based advertising may also be displayed on all devices on which you are or have been logged in.

On what legal basis is your data processed?

Our profiles on social networks are intended to ensure the broadest possible online presence for our company. As a company, we have a legitimate interest in this. Therefore, the data processing is lawful pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

The data processing operations and analyses carried out by the operators of the social networks themselves may be based on other legal grounds. These must be specified by the operators of the social networks.

Who is responsible for processing your data and how can you exercise your rights?

When you visit one of our social media profiles, we and the operator of the respective social network are jointly responsible for the data processing operations triggered during your visit. In principle, you may exercise your rights both against us and against the operator of the respective network.

Despite the joint responsibility with the operators of the social networks, our influence over the data processing operations of the respective operator is limited and primarily governed by the operator’s policies.

How long is your data stored?

If we collect data through our social media profiles, it will be deleted from our systems once the purpose for storing it no longer applies, you request deletion, or you withdraw your consent to storage. Stored cookies remain on your device until you delete them. Mandatory legal provisions — in particular statutory retention periods — remain unaffected.

We have no influence over how long the operators of social networks store the data they collect for their own purposes. For details, please contact the respective operator directly, for example by consulting their privacy policy.

 

Which Social Media Platforms Do We Use?

Facebook

What is Facebook?

A social network.

Who processes your data?

Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland

Is your data transferred to third countries?

Yes, to the United States and other third countries.

Where can you find more information about data protection at Facebook?

Facebook Privacy Policy

Where can you adjust your advertising settings as a Facebook user?

As a registered Facebook user, you can adjust your advertising settings in your user account. Please click the following link and log in:
Facebook Ad Settings

 

Instagram

What is Instagram?

A social network specializing in photos and videos.

Who processes your data?

Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland

Is your data transferred to third countries?

Yes.

Where can you find more information about data protection at Instagram?

Instagram Privacy Information

Where can you adjust your privacy settings as an Instagram user?

As a registered Instagram user, you can adjust your privacy settings in your user account. Please click the following link and log in:
Instagram Privacy Settings