1. Introduction
yearn (“we”, “us”, “our”) is an independent editorial publisher that writes about luxury hotels. We are committed to protecting your privacy and to handling your personal information transparently and lawfully. This policy applies to our website, our newsletter and any page or message where this policy is referenced.
Please read it together with our Cookies policy, which explains the cookies and similar technologies we use.
2. Who is responsible for your data
yearn is the data controller responsible for your personal information. Our editorial team is remote-first, and we can be reached through the channels listed on our Contact us page. Where required by law, we have appointed a privacy contact who can be reached at [email protected].
3. Information we collect
We aim to collect as little as possible. Broadly, we hold three kinds of information.
Information you give us
- Contact details such as your name and email address when you write to a desk or complete a form.
- The content of your message, including any hotel suggestions, corrections or attachments you choose to send.
- Your newsletter email address and your stated interests or region, if you subscribe.
Information we collect automatically
- Technical data such as your IP address, browser type, device type and operating system.
- Usage data such as the pages you view, the links you follow and the time you spend on each article.
- Approximate location, derived from your IP address, at country or city level.
Information from third parties
- Analytics providers that help us understand how the collection is read.
- Public sources used for editorial research, which do not constitute personal data about you.
4. How we use your information
- To reply to your enquiries, corrections and partnership requests.
- To send you the newsletter and editorial updates you have asked to receive.
- To understand which articles and features are read, so we can improve the collection.
- To keep the website secure, prevent abuse and maintain reliability.
- To comply with our legal, accounting and regulatory obligations.
5. Legal bases for processing
Where the GDPR or similar law applies, we rely on the following legal bases:
- Consent — for sending newsletters and for non-essential cookies, which you may withdraw at any time.
- Legitimate interests — to reply to enquiries, secure the site and understand readership in aggregate, balanced against your rights.
- Contract — where we need to fulfil an agreement with you.
- Legal obligation — where we must keep records or respond to valid requests.
6. Cookies and similar technologies
We use a small number of cookies and similar technologies to keep the site working, remember your preferences and measure readership. You can read the detail, and how to manage them, in our Cookies policy.
7. Sharing your information
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with the service providers who help us run the site and the newsletter — for example, hosting, analytics and email delivery — under contracts that limit their use of your data. We may also disclose information where we are legally required to do so or to protect the rights and safety of our readers and team.
8. International transfers
Our studio and our service providers may process information in countries other than your own. Where we transfer personal information out of the UK or EEA, we take steps to ensure it receives an adequate level of protection, for example through standard contractual clauses or an equivalent safeguard.
9. How long we keep your information
- Enquiries and correspondence — up to 24 months after the conversation ends.
- Newsletter subscriptions — until you unsubscribe, plus a short period for suppression.
- Analytics data — in aggregate form, for up to 24 months.
- Legal and financial records — as long as the law requires.
10. How we protect your information
We use encryption in transit, access controls and least-privilege practices across our systems. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to act quickly if an incident occurs. Where a breach is likely to affect you, we will notify you and the relevant authority as required.
11. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- access the personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct information that is inaccurate;
- ask us to delete information we no longer need;
- object to, or restrict, certain processing;
- receive your information in a portable format;
- withdraw consent, including unsubscribing from the newsletter.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us via the Contact us page. We will respond within the timeframe required by law. You also have the right to complain to your local data-protection authority.
12. Children's privacy
The yearn collection is written for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us and we will delete it.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date above and, where appropriate, highlight the change on the site.
14. How to contact us
For any question about this policy or your personal information, please use our Contact us page, or write to [email protected]. We will do our best to resolve any concern quickly and fairly.