Privacy Policy
Updated September 29, 2026
Gem by the Sea is an owner-managed vacation rental in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This policy explains how information is handled through gembythesea.com and our rental management activities.
Information we collect
When you contact us, we collect the name, email address, message, and any optional phone number, preferred dates, or guest count you provide. We keep rental inquiries in our private management system as well as sending email notifications, so an email delivery problem does not lose your request. Guest records may include reservation history, correspondence, marketing preferences, private management notes, and whether we would rent to a guest again. Reservation and payment records may include amounts, dates, methods, deposits, refunds, and balances. Please do not enter card numbers, bank credentials, identification documents, or other sensitive information in the contact form.
How we use information
We use information to respond to inquiries, arrange and manage stays, record payments, maintain guest relationships, prevent abuse, and meet recordkeeping or legal obligations. A rental inquiry does not confirm a reservation. Guest profiles and private notes are available to authorized managers, not public website visitors.
Website security and service providers
Our site runs on WordPress and uses Cloudflare for website delivery and security. Cloudflare Turnstile helps protect the contact form from automated abuse and processes technical signals such as IP address and browser information. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy and its Turnstile Privacy Addendum. SMTP2GO processes email addresses, message content, and delivery information to send our emails; see SMTP2GO’s Privacy Policy. Service providers may process information in countries outside your own. Information may also be disclosed where required by law or needed to protect legal rights and site security.
Cookies and technical information
WordPress uses cookies for signed-in sessions. Website infrastructure and security services may process IP addresses, browser information, request details, and security or access logs. Blocking necessary cookies or security scripts can affect login or form submission. Links to restaurant, park, and other third-party websites lead to services with their own privacy practices.
Website analytics
We use Google Analytics, connected through Google Site Kit, to understand visits to the public pages of this website, such as which pages visitors view and how they reach the site. Google Analytics may use cookies and process device, browser, and interaction information. Our private rental management area at /manage/ is excluded from this visitor tracking. You can control cookies in your browser or use the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. Learn more in Google’s Privacy Policy.
Marketing choices
Submitting an inquiry does not automatically sign you up for marketing. Our campaign system uses recorded marketing permission and excludes unsubscribed guests. Promotional emails include an unsubscribe option. You can also ask us to update your preferences through the contact form. Unsubscribing from marketing does not stop messages needed to handle an inquiry or an existing rental. We may retain a suppression record to respect your unsubscribe choice.
Retention and protection
Records are retained according to their purpose, including handling inquiries, managing rentals, maintaining guest relationships, accounting, resolving disputes, and meeting legal obligations. Retention can vary by record type; there is no single automatic deletion period for all records. Access to private management tools is restricted. No website or transmission method can guarantee absolute security.
Your privacy questions and requests
Use our contact form and begin your message with “Privacy request.” You can ask about your information, request a correction or deletion, or change marketing preferences. Rental dates, guest count, and phone number are not needed for a privacy inquiry. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Some records may need to be retained for legal, accounting, security, or dispute-resolution purposes. Any applicable privacy rights depend on your location and circumstances.
Children and policy updates
This website is intended for adults arranging rental stays. Please do not submit personal information about children in the contact form. If you believe a child’s information has been submitted, contact us through the form. We may update this policy as our services or practices change; the date above identifies the latest revision.