Privacy Policy
This policy explains what information we collect from visitors to visitseattlecity.com, how we use it, who we share it with, and what control you have. Written in plain English.
What Kind of Site This Is
Visit Seattle City is an independent editorial and affiliate publishing site. We publish research-driven hotel reviews, neighborhood guides, and Seattle travel content. We earn affiliate commissions when readers book hotels through our links, at zero additional cost to those readers — exactly as described in our Affiliate Disclosure.
We do not sell data. We do not run a membership or subscription service. We do not manage user accounts. Understanding what kind of site we are helps clarify why we collect what we collect.
Information We Collect
Information You Give Us Directly
Contact form submissions. If you message us through our Contact page, we receive your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this to respond to you. We do not add contact form submissions to any marketing list unless you explicitly request it.
Newsletter subscriptions. If you subscribe to the Visit Seattle City newsletter, we collect your email address and use it to send you the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time through the link at the bottom of any newsletter email. We do not sell, rent, or share email addresses with third parties for their marketing purposes.
Information Collected Automatically
Log data. Our web server automatically records your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring page, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. This is used for site security and basic analytics.
Analytics data. We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use this site — which pages perform well, where visitors come from, and how we can improve content. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally. You can opt out at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. Here are the types used on Visit Seattle City and why each exists:
Managing cookies: You can control or block cookies through your browser settings. Blocking affiliate tracking cookies means we may not receive commission credit for bookings you complete, but it does not affect your price on Booking.com or any other platform.
Third-Party Services
We use a limited number of third-party services. Each processes data according to its own privacy policy and applicable agreements with us.
- Google AnalyticsSite traffic analytics. Data processed by Google. Privacy policy →
- Google Search ConsoleSearch performance data. Not user-facing. Privacy policy →
- Booking.comPrimary affiliate partner. When you follow a link to Booking.com, their terms and privacy policy apply. For full details on this relationship, read how affiliate commissions work on this site. Booking.com privacy policy →
- WordPress & web hostingSite platform and server. The hosting provider may process server log data under their own privacy policy.
- Email service providerNewsletter delivery. Subscriber email addresses are stored with this provider, who is prohibited by agreement from using them for their own marketing.
We do not use advertising networks, retargeting pixels, or social media tracking pixels on this site.
How We Use Information
- To operate and improve the site. Analytics data helps us understand which content is most useful and where we can improve the reader experience.
- To respond to your messages. Contact form submissions are used only to respond to the person who sent them.
- To send the newsletter. Email addresses collected for the newsletter are used only to send that newsletter.
- To understand affiliate performance. We use aggregate data about which articles drive bookings to improve research depth and internal linking — not to target individual users.
- For security. Log data is used to detect and respond to security threats and technical errors.
Legal Basis for Processing
If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, we process personal data under one or more of the following legal bases:
Applicable legal bases — EEA and UK visitors
- Consent — for newsletter subscriptions and non-essential cookies where required by applicable law.
- Legitimate interests — for site security, analytics, affiliate performance analysis, and site improvement, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
- Legal obligations — where we must retain or disclose information to comply with law.
- Contractual necessity — when responding to requests you initiate through our contact forms.
Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
We share data only in these limited circumstances: with service providers who require it to deliver their services and who are prohibited by agreement from using it for their own marketing; when required by law, court order, or government authority; or in connection with a business transfer, in which case we will provide notice.
International Data Transfers
Some of the third-party services used by Visit Seattle City may process information outside your country of residence, including in the United States. This includes Google Analytics and our email service provider.
Where required by applicable law, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as contractual protections and provider compliance frameworks designed to protect personal information during international transfers.
Data Retention
| Data type | Retention period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Contact form messages | Up to 12 months after resolution | Editorial correspondence and correction records |
| Newsletter email addresses | Until unsubscription | Sending the newsletter you requested |
| Analytics data | Up to 26 months (Google Analytics default) | Site performance analysis |
| Server logs | Up to 90 days | Security monitoring; auto-deleted by host |
Your Privacy Rights
EEA and UK Visitors — GDPR
- Access — request a copy of your personal data
- Rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
- Erasure — request deletion, subject to legal exceptions
- Restriction — limit how we use your data during a dispute
- Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Portability — receive your data in machine-readable format
We respond within 30 days.
California Residents — CCPA
- Know — request categories and specific data collected about you
- Delete — request deletion, subject to exceptions
- Opt out of sale — we do not sell personal information; no opt-out required
- Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate for exercising rights
We respond within 45 days.
To exercise any right, contact us through the Contact page. Include your name, email address, the nature of your request, and any relevant details that help us locate your data.
Children, Security, and Do Not Track
Children’s Privacy
Visit Seattle City is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, contact us immediately and we will delete it.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information we hold against unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure, including HTTPS encryption for data in transit. No method of internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but maintain reasonable standards and respond promptly to any identified security incidents.
Do Not Track Signals
Most browsers allow users to send a “Do Not Track” signal. Because there is no universally accepted standard for responding to such signals, Visit Seattle City does not currently alter its data collection practices in response to them. You can use the browser cookie controls and Google Analytics opt-out described above to limit data collection.
Links to Other Sites
This site contains links to Booking.com, Sound Transit, King County Metro, and other external resources. This privacy policy applies only to visitseattlecity.com. When you follow an external link, you are subject to that site’s own privacy policy. We review external links at time of publication but cannot guarantee all external links remain current and functional.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy when our practices change, when we add new services, or when legal requirements change. When we make material changes, we update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of this site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
For related legal policies, see our Terms of Use and our Affiliate Disclosure.
Privacy requests or questions?
GDPR and CCPA requests, data deletion inquiries, and policy questions go through the Contact page. We respond within the timeframes required by law.
Privacy policy effective date: July 2026. Last reviewed: July 2026. Next review due: October 2026.
Applies to visitseattlecity.com and all content published under that domain.