BellhopCo-Host
Privacy Policy
Last updated: [date]
Draft for legal review. This policy hasn't been finalised yet. Highlighted items need filling in, and the whole page should be checked by a solicitor before it's relied on.
Bellhop Co-Host gives hosts (people who run holiday lets, B&Bs, hotels, coworking spaces, campsites, cafés and pubs) a guest page with an AI assistant called Otis. This policy explains what personal data we handle, why, and your rights.
Who we are
Bellhop Co-Host is run by [company name], a company registered in England and Wales (number [company number]), at [registered address]. Contact us about privacy at [privacy email]. We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office ([ICO registration number]).
Two kinds of people, two roles
- Hosts (who sign up and run spaces): we decide how your account data is used, so we're the controller of it.
- Guests, members and customers (who use a host's guest page): the host decides why your messages are collected, so the host is the controller and we process your messages on the host's behalf. Questions about a specific place can go to its host, or to us and we'll pass them on.
What we collect
| Whose | What | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hosts | Name, email, phone number for alerts, a securely hashed password, the details you add about your spaces, and billing records (card payments are handled by Stripe; we never see full card numbers). | To provide the service, send alerts, take payment and keep your account secure (contract and legitimate interests). |
| Guests | The messages you send Otis and its replies, the time, and your IP address for preventing abuse. Guest pages don't use tracking cookies; your chat is kept in your browser only until you close the tab. | To answer your questions and alert the host when something needs them (on the host's behalf). |
Please don't share more than you need to. If you mention health information (like an allergy or an injury), it's used only to help you and to tell the host where safety needs it.
Otis and AI
Otis is an AI assistant. To write a reply, your message and the host's information about their place are sent to our AI provider, Anthropic. [Confirm against Anthropic's current commercial terms: whether API data is used for training, and how long it's kept.] Otis can make mistakes, so check anything important with the host. It isn't an emergency service.
Who else handles data for us
| Provider | What for | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Hosting, storage and security | Global |
| Anthropic | Otis's replies, and reading uploaded menus | United States |
| Twilio | Text alerts to hosts | United States |
| Stripe | Payments and billing | United States / Ireland |
| OpenStreetMap services (Nominatim, OpenFreeMap) | Finding addresses and showing maps | Europe |
Where data goes outside the UK, we rely on [the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, or the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, as applicable].
How long we keep it
- Guest conversations and their alerts: deleted automatically after 12 months. Guests can delete their own chat at any time from the guest page, and hosts can delete any conversation.
- Host accounts: while the account is open, then deleted within [30 days] of closing it.
- Billing records: as long as tax law requires (usually 6 years).
Your rights
You can ask to see, correct or delete your data, to restrict or object to how it's used, or to get a copy to take elsewhere. Email [privacy email]. If you're a guest, we'll work with the host to answer. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit, passwords are hashed, and access to data is limited to what's needed to run the service.
Changes
We'll update this page if anything changes, and tell hosts about significant changes by email.