Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Blackwoods. We are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our guests. This policy explains when and why we collect your personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others, and how we keep it secure.

This policy is designed to comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who We Are

We are Blackwoods, located at 6 Gloucester Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6EF. Blackwoods is part of Nira Caledonia, which is the "data controller" for the purposes of data protection law.

Data Protection Lead:

• Our lead contact for data protection is Matt Goldyn (Hotel Manager). He can be reached at matt.goldyn@niracaledonia.com.

3. What Information We Collect

When you make a reservation or dine with us, we may collect, store, and use the following kinds of personal information:

• Identity & Contact Data: Your full name, email address, and telephone number.

• Reservation & Financial Data: Your booking details (date, time, number of guests, preferences) and payment card information used to secure your booking.

• Communications Data: The content of your correspondence with us regarding your booking.

• CCTV Data: Images from CCTV systems in public areas of the restaurant for security purposes.

• Special Category Data: Information about dietary requirements or allergies, which you provide to us. We only process this with your explicit consent to ensure your safety.

4. How We Use Your Information & Our Lawful Basis

We use your information for the following purposes, and only when we have a lawful basis to do so:

Purpose of Processing

To manage your table reservation and provide our services

To manage our relationship with you (e.g., responding to enquiries)

To ensure we can cater to any specified dietary needs

To ensure the safety and security of our guests and staff

To comply with legal or regulatory obligations

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We will not sell or rent your information. We share your information only with trusted third-party service providers for the purposes of managing your reservation and providing our services. These include:

• Restaurant Booking Partners: OpenTable, Quandoo, and The Fork.

• Payment Processors: To securely hold card details for booking guarantees.

• Internal Systems: As part of Nira Caledonia, your data may be processed using shared hotel systems.

We only disclose the personal information necessary to deliver the service and have contracts in place that require them to keep your information secure.

6. Data Retention

We will hold your personal information on our systems only for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity.

• Reservation Information: Booking and contact information is retained for the current year plus five subsequent years to comply with our legal and accounting obligations.

• CCTV Footage: CCTV footage is retained for a maximum of 30 days, unless required for an investigation.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data.

• The right of access to the personal data we hold about you.

• The right to rectification if any personal data we hold is inaccurate or incomplete.

• The right to erasure (the "right to be forgotten").

• The right to restrict processing of your personal data.

• The right to data portability.

• The right to object to us using your personal data for particular purposes.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at matt.goldyn@niracaledonia.com.

8. Security of Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your personal data and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use, and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

9. International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party booking partners are based outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA). When we transfer your data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure it is protected with appropriate legal safeguards, such as an "adequacy decision" from the UK Government or by using Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) which legally require the recipient to protect the data to UK standards.

10. Right to Complain

If you are not satisfied with our response to any query, or you believe we are processing your data unlawfully, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

• Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

• Helpline: 0303 123 1113

• Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on the Blackwoods website.