Privacy policy

Zanzibar Gems Villas is operated by Zaidi Limited.

Business Address: Bweleo, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Website: https://zanzibargems.com

Privacy Contact: atlas@zanzibargems.com

Effective Date: October 14, 2026

1. Introduction

Zanzibar Gems Villas (“Zanzibar Gems,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is operated by Zaidi Limited, based in Bweleo, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

We respect the privacy of our guests and website visitors and are committed to handling personal information responsibly, securely, and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when you visit our website, book accommodation, communicate with us, or stay at our villas.

We process personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including Tanzania’s Personal Data Protection Act, 2022, and other applicable privacy requirements.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following personal information:

Guest and reservation information

Full name
Email address
Telephone number
Reservation dates and villa selection
Booking confirmations and transaction information
Guest communications and special requests

Identification information

At check-in, we may request passports or other identification documents to verify identity and comply with applicable accommodation and guest-registration requirements.

Access to identification information is restricted to authorized personnel who require it for their duties.

Payment information

Payments are handled through third-party booking and payment services. We may receive payment status, transaction references, amounts, and other information needed to administer reservations.

The specific payment services and any direct-payment arrangements will be disclosed as applicable.

Website information

Our website and associated services may collect IP addresses, device and browser information, website usage information, and cookie identifiers.

Marketing information

When you subscribe to our newsletter or agree to promotional communications, we may use your contact information to send updates, offers, and marketing materials.

3. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing

We use personal information to:

Process and manage reservations
Provide accommodation and guest services
Confirm and administer payments
Communicate about bookings and guest requests
Verify guest identities
Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
Maintain security and prevent fraud
Improve our website and guest experience
Conduct analytics and advertising where legally permitted
Send promotional communications where appropriate consent or another valid legal basis exists

Depending on the processing activity and applicable law, our legal bases may include performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, legitimate interests, and consent.

Where consent is required, it may be withdrawn in accordance with applicable law.

4. Reservations and Third-Party Payments

Guests may make reservations directly through Zanzibar Gems Villas or through external booking platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com.

These platforms may independently collect and process personal information under their own privacy policies.

We use third-party services for payment processing and do not intend to store complete payment-card numbers within our internal guest management records.

5. Guest Communications

We may contact guests through email, telephone, SMS, or WhatsApp for purposes related to their reservations and stays.

Communications may include booking confirmations, arrival instructions, payment updates, guest assistance, and post-stay service messages.

Promotional communications will be managed separately from essential booking communications.

Guests may unsubscribe from marketing communications or withdraw applicable marketing consent at any time.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website is built on the Hostaway website platform and may use technologies including Google Analytics and Meta Pixel.

Cookies and similar technologies may be used for:

Essential website functionality
Website performance and analytics
Understanding visitor interactions
Measuring advertising effectiveness
Marketing and remarketing activities

Our Cookie Consent Policy

Zanzibar Gems Villas has adopted a consent-management policy under which website visitors will be offered the following choices:

Accept All
Reject Non-Essential
Customize Preferences

Where required by applicable law, non-essential analytics and advertising technologies will remain inactive until appropriate consent has been obtained.

We will maintain records of consent choices as appropriate and provide a means for visitors to review or change their preferences.

Essential technologies necessary for website operation may remain active without optional consent where legally permitted.

Further information about the specific cookies used, their purposes, providers, and retention periods will be made available through our cookie settings or related disclosures.

7. Sharing Personal Information

We may share personal information with service providers and business partners where necessary to operate Zanzibar Gems Villas.

These may include:

Hostaway for website, reservation, and guest management services
Airbnb and Booking.com for reservations
WhatsApp for guest communications
Google Analytics for website analytics
Meta for advertising and measurement
Banking and payment service providers
Other booking, customer relationship management, email, and operational service providers

Information shared with each provider will depend on the services performed and the information reasonably necessary for those services.

We may also disclose personal information to authorized government bodies or regulators when required by law.

We do not sell guest personal information.

8. International Data Transfers

Zanzibar Gems Villas serves international guests and uses technology providers that may process personal information outside Tanzania.

Zaidi Limited has adopted a policy of permitting international data processing only where applicable legal requirements and appropriate safeguards are satisfied.

These safeguards may include contractual protections, provider security measures, regulatory approvals where required, and other lawful transfer mechanisms.

We will assess relevant processing destinations and transfer arrangements in accordance with applicable Tanzanian and other relevant data protection requirements.

9. Access Controls and Data Security

Access to guest information is restricted according to employee responsibilities.

Our approved access structure is:

General Manager: Authorized oversight of guest and operational records
Reservations Staff: Information required to manage bookings and guest communications
Check-in Staff: Identification and arrival information necessary for check-in
Accounting Personnel: Relevant financial information where separately authorized

Other employees do not receive routine access to guest personal information unless required for an authorized business purpose.

We will implement appropriate organizational and technical security measures, including individual account access, secure credentials, restricted permissions, and access removal when staff responsibilities change.

No method of electronic storage or transmission can be guaranteed completely secure.

10. Data Retention

Zanzibar Gems Villas has adopted a category-based data retention policy.

Reservation records: Generally retained for three years after checkout, unless a longer period is required by law or necessary for a legitimate, lawful purpose.

Passport and identification records: Retained only for the minimum period necessary to satisfy applicable legal obligations and legitimate operational requirements.

Financial records: Retained according to applicable accounting, tax, and statutory requirements.

Marketing information: Retained while there is a valid basis for marketing, until consent is withdrawn where consent is required, or until the information is no longer necessary.

Website analytics: Retained for the shortest practical period consistent with legitimate business needs and applicable requirements.

When retention is no longer necessary or legally required, information will be securely deleted, anonymized, or otherwise disposed of appropriately.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to:

Access personal information held about you
Request correction of inaccurate information
Request deletion where legally permitted
Object to certain processing activities
Request restrictions on processing
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent
Request portability of eligible information
Submit complaints to an applicable data protection authority

Some requests may be subject to lawful exceptions, including mandatory recordkeeping obligations.

Privacy requests may be directed to our designated privacy contact.

We may request reasonable information to verify your identity before processing a request.

12. Children’s Privacy

Individuals under 18 years of age may not make reservations directly with Zanzibar Gems Villas.

Children may stay when accompanied by an appropriate parent, guardian, or responsible adult, subject to our accommodation policies.

We do not knowingly solicit direct reservations from minors.

13. Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to booking platforms, social media services, and other external websites.

These services operate under their own privacy policies and may process information independently.

We encourage visitors to review the privacy policies of third-party services before providing personal information.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, technology, operational practices, or legal obligations.

The effective date will be updated when a revised policy is published.

Where required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent for material changes.

15. Contact Information

For questions, privacy requests, or concerns regarding personal information, please contact:

Zaidi Limited

Zanzibar Gems Villas

Bweleo, Zanzibar, Tanzania