Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 25, 2026
Last Updated: April 25, 2026

Vacay Whitefish (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates this website to help guests explore and book vacation rentals throughout northwest Montana, including Whitefish, Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Polson, and the greater Flathead Valley. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you visit our site or use our services.

By using this website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

a. Information You Provide Directly

When you contact us, submit an inquiry form, create an account, or complete a booking, we may collect:

• Name and email address
• Phone number and mailing address
• Account login credentials (username and password)
• Property booking details (dates, guest count, preferences, special requests)
• Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors — see Section 4)

b. Information Collected Automatically

When you browse our site, we automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and device information
• Pages visited, time on site, and referring URLs
• Cookie and tracking data (see Section 3)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Process and manage property reservations and guest communications
• Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• Create and maintain your account
• Send booking confirmations, updates, and service-related messages
• Send marketing emails and newsletters (you can opt out at any time)
• Analyze site traffic and improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze how visitors use our site. Cookies are small data files stored on your device.

We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies: Required for core site functionality, such as maintaining your session during a booking.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site (see Google Analytics below).
• Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertising and track campaign performance.

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality. For more details, visit aboutcookies.org.

4. Third-Party Services

We work with trusted third-party services that may access or process your data on our behalf. These include:

Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymized data about how visitors use our site (pages viewed, session duration, traffic sources). Google may also set cookies on your device. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Google’s privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

Booking / Reservation Platform

Property reservations are managed through a third-party property management platform. When you submit a booking, your reservation details (name, contact information, dates, and payment information) are transmitted to and stored by this platform in accordance with their own privacy policy.

Payment Processor

Payments are processed by a third-party payment processor (such as Stripe). We do not store your full credit card number or payment credentials on our servers. Your payment information is transmitted directly to the payment processor using industry-standard SSL encryption. Please review your payment processor’s privacy policy for details on how they handle your financial data.

Email Marketing

We use a third-party email marketing platform (such as Mailchimp) to send newsletters and promotional communications. If you subscribe to our mailing list, your email address and name will be stored by this platform. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any email or by contacting us directly.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Third parties that help us operate our business (as described in Section 4), under contractual obligations to protect your data.
• Legal requirements: If required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of Vacay Whitefish, our guests, or the public.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. These measures include SSL encryption for data transmission, secure password storage, and access controls on internal systems. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. If you request deletion of your account or data, we will honor that request to the extent permitted by law.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• The right to access, correct, or delete your personal data
• The right to opt out of marketing communications
• The right to request that we restrict or stop processing your data
• The right to data portability

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 10. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

Vacay Whitefish
106 E Second St.
Whitefish, Montana 59937
Email: guest@vacaywhitefish.com
Phone: (406) 609-9595

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.