(This policy applies to the accommodation aspect of the Quest Groups activities*)
The Quest Apartment Group ("the Quest Group") provides accommodation and related services via its Franchise Network.
The Quest Group recognises the Privacy concerns of its customers, clients, guests, contacts and the users of its Web Site and Quest App.
The Privacy Policy represents our policy as at 1 January 2009. The Quest Group will review this Privacy Policy ('the Policy') periodically and reserves the right to modify this Policy from time to time in whole or part, subject to any statutory rights you might have under the Privacy Act and any other applicable legislation. You should review the Policy on the Quest Group's Web Site and Quest App periodically to ensure that you are updated on any changes.
This Policy applies to on line and off line interactions and/or transactions.
In this Privacy Policy any reference to:
The "Privacy Act" is to the Privacy Act 1988 and any amendments.
The "Quest Group" means Quest Serviced Apartments Pty Ltd (ABN 25 119 523 483) and its related companies, franchisees, sub-franchisees and other organisations and individuals operating under the trade mark "Quest".
"Quest Property" means a business providing accommodation services as part of the Quest Group.
The "National Privacy Principles" means the National Privacy Principles for the Fair Handling of information set out in the Privacy Act.
"Personal Information" means information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion.
The "Web Site" is to the official Quest Group Web Site www.questapartments.com.au.
"Quest App" means the "Quest Apartment Hotels NZ" app downloadable from Google Play and the App Store.
Personal Information may be held at the Quest Group head office and/or a particular Quest Property.
Some organisations in the Quest Group may not be required to comply with the Privacy Act.
The Quest Group’s contact details in relation to privacy matters are C/- Privacy Officer:
Level 5, 102 Albert Road
South Melbourne,
Victoria, 3205 Australia.
Phone +61 (0)3 8699 1500
Fax +61 (0)3 8699 1555
The Quest App uses location data for security verification reasons by the lock software which can be used to open hotel doors once a guest with the Quest App has checked in.
We will only collect Personal Information if it is necessary for one of our functions.
We will collect Personal Information in a lawful and fair way and not in an unreasonably intrusive way.
Where possible we will make the provision of Personal Information optional.
It is necessary for us to collect Personal Information to carry out a number of functions, including but not limited to;
Completing a booking for you or your agent either on-line or offline via the Quest Groups central reservations service, a Quest Property or other Quest sales contact. This may involve the collection of information from an agent eg on line, a travel agent or computer booking service;
Providing further information pursuant to a request;
Where you elect to become a member of the Quest Groups program known as the "Q Club";
Where you submit a "Guest Quality" survey at a Quest Property and provide your personal details and/or consent to being contacted;
Where you submit a request for a Brochure and or Special offer;
Where you provide feedback about the Quest Group either off line or on our Web Site and Quest App; and
If you enter a Quest competition.
Where you have elected to receive further information by email, we may collect details such as whether you open the email, forward the email, access any of the links, or take up a Special Offer.
We may collect, use and disclose non personal information such as:
The source of bookings and statistics in relation to bookings;
The source of users of the Web Site (eg Internet Service Provider, country), statistics on the number of users etc (see Item C below).
A "cookie" is a piece of electronic information that is stored on your browser by the Web Site. The Web Site can then refer to that cookie to remember the context of the current user.
The Quest Groups Web Site only uses session cookies. Session cookies hold transient information about the current user's context (within a single "session") rather than between visits. Session cookies delete themselves each time you close or re-open your browser, or after 2 hours (whichever comes first), leaving no trace of Personal Information anywhere - neither on the Web Site, nor on the browser.
These session cookies are necessary for the user to browse the Web Site (i.e. you are not able to use the site if you disable the cookies). The session cookies are not stored in the "Windows/Cookies" or the "Windows/Temporary Internet Files" folders or on disk in any way.
The Quest Groups Web Site uses cookies for identification information. It does not use cookies for; tracking the behaviour of individual users; or to store Personal Information,
The Quest Group Web Site may from time to time contain advertisements placed by third party companies or links with other web sites. Web sites associated with those third party companies or accessed via these links may contain cookies which may operate differently and collect personal information by different methods. We strongly suggest that you check the Privacy Policies of these sites.
The Quest Group does not monitor these sites and is not responsible for their content. If you link to another web site you do so at your own risk. The Quest Group makes no warranties regarding these web sites and takes no responsibility for any Privacy Policies or practices of any sites linked to the Web Site.
We will use the Personal Information which we obtain from you (or your agent) to meet the purpose for which the information was provided.
We may use non-personal data for various purposes including, amongst other things analysis, improving our processes, services and products.
If you are a Quest Q Club member or have elected to receive information, your contact details may also be used for direct marketing purposes unless you have provided us with the notification detailed in Item D5.
The Quest Group Web Site provides you with the opportunity of electing to receive information about specials or other services offered by the Quest Group;
You may notify us if you do not want to receive direct marketing communications or any communications from us, by notifying the Privacy Officer. In the case of e-mail communications or offers, you will have the additional option to unsubscribe where indicated.
The Quest Group will not sell or trade your Personal Information to third parties with out your consent, however the Quest Group may distribute Personal Information to other members of its group for marketing purposes and general business purposes (in the absence of notification in accordance with Item D5).
The Personal Information that you have submitted may be disclosed to a third party to the extent necessary to provide the service that you have requested or to meet the purpose for which it was submitted.
Where you make a booking via the Quest Group Web Site, the Quest App or via the Quest central reservations service, the Personal Information that you submit will be disclosed to the relevant Quest Property that you (or your agent) are booking in order to complete the reservation;
It may be necessary to disclose Personal Information in order to participate in activities with other business partners - if this is to be the case this will either be disclosed to you at the time of collection or reflected in an amended Privacy Policy.
In order to operate our systems and Web Site, from time to time we may engage contractors for a variety of purposes eg to assist us with mail outs, our databases or, email campaigns. Where this is necessary we will obtain their agreement to comply with the National Privacy Principles.
Personal Information may be disclosed to a third party if;
the disclosure is permitted by the National Privacy Principles;
the disclosure is required or authorised by law;
the Quest Group believes that the use or disclosure is necessary:
to lessen or prevent a serious and imminent threat to an individual or public health and safety; or
to disclose to an enforcement body or relevant authority as permitted by the National Privacy Principals
we have advised you that it will be disclosed to a particular third party at the time of collection or in this Policy.
Should you seek access to your Personal Information, please forward a written request to the Privacy Officer.
We will provide access to Personal Information in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act. We may charge reasonable fees for access.
We will take reasonable steps to ensure that the Personal Information that we collect is accurate, complete and up to date.
We will take reasonable steps to protect the Personal Information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
The Quest Groups Web Site and Quest App has taken the following measures to help secure the Personal Information submitted via the Quest Group Web Site and Quest App.
Reservations:
The Reservation Request Forms on the Quest Group Web Site and Quest App are secured by the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol. This protocol ensures that all information submitted in our online reservation request system is sent directly to the Quest hosting server limiting the danger of interception.
E-mails:
E-mails transmitted from the hosting server to the Quest central reservations service are protected using a 512 character key utilising cipher text encryption to prevent and detect tampering with, interception, or forgery of messages.
Secure channels:
Both Microsoft and Netscape browsers provide users with a positive visual clue that they are at a secure site. In Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the closed padlock icon appears in the lower right hand corner of the browser.
Whilst the Quest Group will take all reasonable steps to protect the transmission, no data transmission over the Internet is guaranteed to be totally secure. As such we make no warranty about the security, accuracy or privacy of Personal Information submitted to the Quest Group Web Site and Quest App.
If you require further information about our privacy procedures or you would like to make corrections to your Personal Information held by us, please forward your written request to the Privacy Officer.
If you would like us to delete your Personal Information you should write to the Privacy Officer who will use all reasonable endeavours to delete your Personal Information from the Quest Group records.
If you have any concerns in relation to the handling of your Personal Information, please direct those concerns in writing to the Privacy Officer.
More information about Privacy Law is available from the Federal Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.gov.au
* If you are a franchisee (or potential franchisee) or a potential Investor (or existing Investor) we have a separate Privacy Policy that applies to you. If you fit into one of these categories and you would like to view this policy or require any information you should direct all queries to the Privacy Officer.
If you have any concerns in relation to the handling of your Personal Information, please direct those concerns in writing to the Privacy Officer.