Privacy Policy

Hauntly respects your privacy and is committed to being transparent about how information is collected, used, and protected when you visit Hauntly.co.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect, why we collect it, how it may be used, and the choices available to you.

1. Who We Are

Hauntly is an independent travel and editorial website focused on historic destinations, remarkable stays, documented history, and the stories and folklore connected to them.

Website: https://hauntly.co
Contact: travel@hauntly.co

For purposes of applicable data protection laws, Hauntly is the controller of personal information collected directly through this website.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We may collect information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Your name
• Email address
• Information submitted through a contact form
• Newsletter subscription information
• Messages, corrections, questions, or other communications you send to us

You are not required to provide personal information simply to browse Hauntly.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit Hauntly, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website, hosting provider, analytics tools, or other service providers.

This may include:

• IP address
• Browser type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Approximate geographic location
• Referring website
• Pages visited
• Links clicked
• Date and time of visits
• General interaction with the website

We use this information to operate, secure, improve, and understand the performance of Hauntly.

3. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Hauntly may use cookies, local storage, pixels, or similar technologies.

These technologies may be used for:

• Essential website functionality
• Security
• Remembering privacy preferences
• Website analytics
• Performance measurement
• Affiliate attribution, if affiliate links are used in the future
• Advertising or marketing technologies, if implemented in the future

Where required by law, non-essential cookies and tracking technologies will not be activated until you provide consent.

Visitors may accept, reject, or manage non-essential cookies through the cookie consent controls displayed on the website.

You may change or withdraw your consent at any time by selecting the Privacy Choices or Cookie Settings link available in the website footer. For more detail, see our Cookie Policy.

4. How We Use Information

We may use information collected through Hauntly to:

• Operate and maintain the website
• Respond to messages and inquiries
• Send newsletters or updates you have requested
• Improve articles, travel guides, and site functionality
• Understand how visitors use the website
• Monitor website security and performance
• Prevent fraud, abuse, or technical problems
• Meet legal obligations
• Measure affiliate referrals if affiliate partnerships are introduced

We do not use personal information for purposes that are incompatible with the reason it was collected without providing appropriate notice or obtaining consent where required.

5. Legal Bases for Processing

Where the European Union GDPR or United Kingdom GDPR applies, we process personal information under one or more lawful bases.

Consent

For activities such as:

• Non-essential cookies
• Certain analytics technologies
• Marketing communications

You may withdraw consent at any time.

Legitimate Interests

We may process limited information when necessary for legitimate interests such as:

• Maintaining website security
• Preventing abuse
• Understanding general website performance
• Responding to inquiries
• Improving Hauntly

We consider the privacy rights of visitors when relying on legitimate interests.

Contractual Necessity

If you request a service from us, information may be processed as necessary to fulfill that request.

Legal Obligation

We may process or retain information when required by law.

6. Analytics

Hauntly uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, to understand how the website is used and to improve it.

Google Analytics may collect or receive information such as:

• Pages visited and links clicked
• Device and browser information
• Referral source and traffic sources
• Approximate geographic location
• Other interaction and performance data

Google Analytics uses cookies or similar technologies to do this, so Hauntly treats it as optional Analytics content. Hauntly does not load Google Analytics, and no Analytics measurement requests are sent to Google, unless you allow the Analytics category in our cookie controls. If you reject Analytics, or later withdraw your consent, Hauntly stops sending Analytics data and removes the Google Analytics cookies it can control.

Hauntly does not use Google Analytics for advertising. Google’s advertising consent signals (ad storage, ad user data, and ad personalization) remain denied.

Learn more in Google’s Privacy Policy and Google’s explanation of how Google Analytics safeguards data.

We use analytics to improve Hauntly, not to personally identify individual visitors.

7. Third-Party Service Providers

Hauntly uses third-party providers to operate the website and its features. Not every provider receives information from every visitor. Each one below is described along with when it is contacted.

Vercel

Website hosting and infrastructure. Vercel delivers Hauntly’s pages and processes limited technical information, such as IP address and request details, needed to deliver and secure the website. This applies to every visit. See Vercel’s Privacy Policy.

Google Analytics

Website analytics, used only after you allow the Analytics category. Until then, your browser does not contact Google Analytics. See section 6.

CARTO

Interactive maps. Hauntly uses CARTO to provide interactive maps. Map content is treated as optional Functional content. Until you allow the Functional category, the map is not loaded, your browser does not contact CARTO, and a placeholder is shown instead. When you enable the map, CARTO may receive technical information necessary to deliver map content, which can include your IP address and browser and device information. See CARTO’s Privacy Notice.

Mailchimp

Newsletter subscription management and email delivery, used only when you submit a newsletter signup form. Hauntly uses Mailchimp to manage newsletter subscriptions and email communications. The signup form is part of Hauntly, not an embedded Mailchimp form, and Hauntly does not load Mailchimp scripts when you simply view a page.

If you sign up, Hauntly sends your email address, and any other signup information you provide, to Mailchimp. Mailchimp processes this information to provide email marketing and list-management services for Hauntly, and it may ask you to confirm your subscription by email. Mailchimp may process data in the United States and other locations under its current privacy and data processing terms. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link in any Hauntly email. See Mailchimp’s privacy information and Mailchimp’s Data Processing Addendum.

Google Fonts

Typography. Hauntly uses the Google Fonts Inter and Playfair Display, but the font files are hosted by Hauntly itself. Your browser retrieves them from Hauntly and does not need to contact Google’s servers to display them.

Additional service providers may be introduced as Hauntly develops. We will update this Privacy Policy when material changes are made to our data practices.

8. Affiliate Links and Third-Party Websites

Hauntly may participate in affiliate programs in the future.

When an affiliate relationship applies to content on Hauntly, it will be disclosed clearly on the relevant page.

Affiliate partners may use their own cookies or tracking technologies after you interact with an affiliate link.

Hauntly does not control the privacy practices of third-party websites.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party website you visit.

9. Social Media and Embedded Content

Hauntly may link to or embed content from social media platforms or other third-party services.

These services may collect information when you interact with their content.

Your interaction with third-party platforms is governed by the privacy policies of those services.

10. Email Communications

If you subscribe to a Hauntly newsletter or other email updates, we may use your email address to send the content you requested.

Newsletter subscriptions are managed through Mailchimp; see section 7 for details.

You may unsubscribe at any time through the unsubscribe link included in our emails.

Withdrawal of marketing consent does not affect communications that may be necessary to respond to a direct request or inquiry.

11. How Long We Keep Information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, security, and operational requirements.

Contact inquiries may be retained when necessary to maintain a record of communications.

Newsletter information may be retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion, subject to limited records necessary to honor your opt-out request.

Technical and analytics information may be retained according to the policies and settings of the applicable service provider.

12. International Data Transfers

Hauntly is operated from the United States.

Some of the service providers we use, including Vercel, Google, CARTO, and Mailchimp, are based in or may process information in the United States or other countries. If you visit Hauntly from the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland, or another jurisdiction outside the United States, your information may therefore be processed outside your country.

Where applicable, providers may rely on contractual or other recognized transfer safeguards, which they describe in their own published documentation. For example, Mailchimp publishes a Data Processing Addendum. We do not promise that information stays within any particular country or region.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights concerning your personal information.

These may include the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Request restriction of certain processing
• Object to certain processing
• Request portability of information you provided
• Withdraw consent
• Opt out of certain tracking technologies
• Lodge a complaint with an appropriate data protection authority

To exercise a privacy right, contact:

travel@hauntly.co

We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

14. European and UK Visitors

Visitors located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom may have additional rights under applicable data protection laws.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority in your country of residence, place of work, or location of the alleged infringement.

15. Your Cookie and Tracking Choices

Where available, you may manage non-essential tracking directly through Hauntly’s cookie preference center.

You should be able to:

• Accept optional cookies
• Reject optional cookies
• Select individual cookie categories
• Withdraw previously provided consent

Rejecting optional cookies will not prevent you from accessing the primary content of Hauntly.

16. Do Not Track and Browser Privacy Signals

Browser privacy technologies continue to evolve.

Where technically supported and legally required, Hauntly may recognize applicable browser-based privacy preference signals.

You may also manage cookies directly through your browser.

17. Sale of Personal Information

Hauntly does not currently sell personal information for monetary compensation.

If our data practices materially change, this Privacy Policy and applicable privacy controls will be updated.

18. Children’s Privacy

Hauntly is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 16.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to Hauntly, contact travel@hauntly.co.

19. Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical measures intended to protect information under our control.

However, no website, network, or electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

20. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Hauntly develops, new services are introduced, or legal requirements change.

The updated date displayed at the top of this page will indicate when the policy was most recently revised.

21. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or Hauntly’s privacy practices may be sent to:

travel@hauntly.co