Introduction. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. has a strong commitment to providing excellent service to all of our customers, including respecting their concerns about privacy. We understand that visitors to our website may have questions about whether and how this website collects and uses information.

Browsing. Visitors who browse this website do so on an anonymous basis. We have not configured this website to collect any information from your computer without your input. This means that, unless you voluntarily and knowingly provide us with information, we will not know your identity, your e-mail address, or any other information identifiable to you.

Information. When we need to collect information from you, we will ask you to voluntarily supply us with the information we need. For example, if you would like to make a reservation at one of our hotels or resorts, we will ask you for information such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, credit card type, credit card number, expiration date and room preference (non-smoking room or no preference) to process your reservation. We will use your e-mail address to send a confirmation and, if necessary, might use the other information to contact you for help to process the reservation. The same type of information would be requested to complete a gift certificate transaction. When we ask you for personal data when making a reservation or purchasing a gift certificate, including your name, address and credit card data, it is transferred over a Secured Sockets Layer (SSL) line provided you are using a SSL enabled browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. This ensures that your information is encrypted as it travels over the Internet. This secure mode is enabled before any such information is transmitted from your computer. You will know you are in secure mode when the padlock icon in the lower right hand corner of the computer screen appears in the locked position. In addition, when accessing a secure server, the first characters of the site address will change from "http" to "https." After information reaches The Ritz-Carlton it is stored on a secure server that resides behind a firewall that is designed to block access from outside the company.

We may also ask you to fill out an online customer survey, to obtain your suggestions or comments about your use of The Ritz-Carlton services, or for similar purposes. Providing this information is voluntary.

Internet Protocol (IP) Address. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer every time you browse the Internet. When users request a page from our site, our servers log the user's current IP address. We use IP addresses to help diagnose problems. We do not link IP addresses to anything personally identifiable. Thus, each user session is anonymous.

The Ritz-Carlton Use of Information. We treat the information you provide to us as confidential information; it is, accordingly, subject to our company's security procedures and strict corporate policies regarding protection and use of confidential information. Because laws applicable to personal information vary by country, our hotels or other business operations may put in place additional measures that vary depending on the applicable legal requirements. Information is generally processed and stored in the United States, in which data protection laws are not as comprehensive as in the European Union.

The gift certificate, survey and other such non-reservations information is used only for the purpose for which the information was collected and is not used for direct marketing or shared with other companies. The personal information you provide to us for making a reservation is made available to the applicable hotel for the purpose of meeting your reservation request. If you cancel your reservation, the information is stored for record-keeping purposes only and is not accessed again. After completing your stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel or resort, the information you provide may be used for direct marketing by a Ritz-Carlton hotel or resort, or The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.  The Ritz-Carlton may use the services of a third party mail house for the sole purpose of mailing materials.

Disclosure of Information and Opt-Out. The Ritz-Carlton will not sell, trade, rent or release such information to entities outside of The Ritz-Carlton family of companies and hotels, for their use without your approval and giving you the opportunity to opt-out.

Cookies. Our website makes only limited use of "cookie" technology. "Cookies" are strings of text that a website transmits to a user's computer. Cookies enable a website to keep track of a user's preferences and activities relating to that website. Our website creates a temporary cookie for each visit in order to facilitate your visit. Our cookies expire automatically after you leave our website. These cookies transmit no information about you or your computer back to The Ritz-Carlton. If you do not wish to receive these cookies, you may set your browser to reject the cookies (consult the instructions for your particular browser on how to do this), although doing so may affect your ability to perform certain transactions on our website.

Links to Other Sites. If you choose to leave this Ritz-Carlton site via links to other non-Ritz-Carlton sites, including those of advertisers, The Ritz-Carlton is not responsible for the privacy policies or content of those sites, nor is The Ritz-Carlton responsible for the cookies those sites might deposit on your hard drive.

Legal Issues. This is a United States website and is subject to United States law. The Ritz-Carlton will disclose personal information without your permission when required by law, or in good faith belief that such action is necessary to investigate or protect against harmful activities to The Ritz-Carlton guests, visitors, employees, or property (including this site), or to others.

Conclusion. Your privacy concerns are important to us. We hope this privacy statement has been helpful to you.