1. Introduction
Homestele (“Homestele”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects the privacy of individuals who visit, access or use the Homestele website, available at https://homestele.com/, and any associated websites, digital services or communication channels operated by us.
Homestele is an accommodation discovery and enquiry platform intended to help individuals, families, business travellers, medical travellers, tourists, groups and other guests explore accommodation options across India. Our platform may feature serviced apartments, hotels, guest houses, farmhouses, holiday homes, private stays and other accommodation categories that may be introduced in the future.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, receive, use, store, disclose and otherwise process personal information when you browse our website, search for accommodation, submit an enquiry, contact our team, communicate through WhatsApp or telephone, subscribe to updates, express interest in listing a property or interact with any other service we provide.
This policy applies to website visitors, prospective and confirmed guests, individuals making enquiries on behalf of other travellers, property owners, accommodation operators, corporate representatives, service providers and other individuals who interact with Homestele.
Our aim is to handle personal information responsibly, collect information appropriate to the purpose for which it is required, explain how information is used and apply reasonable safeguards to protect it.
By using our website or voluntarily providing information to us, you acknowledge that you have had an opportunity to read this Privacy Policy. Where applicable law requires consent or another lawful basis for processing, we will rely on the appropriate basis and obtain consent where required. Simply visiting our website does not mean that you consent to every possible use of personal information.
2. About Homestele and Homestele
Homestele operates or manages the Homestele website and related services. References to Homestele in this policy describe the platform through which accommodation information and related enquiries are made available.
Depending on the accommodation, location and arrangement involved, Homestele may provide property information, help users identify potentially suitable stays, forward enquiries to relevant property owners or operators, facilitate communication and provide booking assistance. The precise role of Homestele may differ between services and individual arrangements.
Unless expressly stated otherwise for a particular property or transaction, the availability of a property listing does not by itself establish that Homestele owns, operates, manages or directly provides the accommodation.
We may expand our services, introduce additional accommodation categories, offer new enquiry or booking features, establish partnerships, or operate additional websites and communication channels. Where such changes materially affect the handling of personal information, we will update this policy or provide additional notices as appropriate.
Business identification: Before publication, Homestele should insert its complete legal name, legal entity type, registered or principal business address and official privacy contact details in the relevant contact section of this policy.
3. Information We Collect
The information we collect depends on how you use our website, which services you request and the information reasonably required to respond to you.
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
When you submit a contact form, accommodation enquiry, property enquiry or other communication, we may collect information such as your name, telephone number, email address, preferred destination, locality, accommodation type, purpose of stay, anticipated arrival and departure dates, number of guests, approximate duration of stay and any additional information you choose to provide.
If you contact us through WhatsApp, telephone, email or another communication channel, we may receive your contact details and the contents of your communication, including information relevant to your accommodation requirements or request for assistance.
If you enquire on behalf of another person, family, group or organisation, please provide information about other individuals only where you are authorised to do so and the information is reasonably necessary for the enquiry. Where appropriate, those individuals should be informed that their details have been shared.
You should avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in free-text enquiry fields. For example, a general medical accommodation enquiry ordinarily does not require you to disclose detailed medical records or a complete medical history.
3.2 Accommodation Search and Preference Information
When you search or browse our website, we may process the destinations, cities, localities, accommodation types, facilities, property categories and other search preferences you select.
If our website supports filters, saved preferences, enquiry tracking or similar features, we may process the relevant selections and interactions to provide requested functionality, understand user requirements and improve the relevance of accommodation information.
We may also record information about whether an enquiry relates to a short stay, an extended stay, corporate accommodation, a medical visit, a family holiday, a group trip, a wedding or event, or another purpose that you voluntarily identify.
We use this information to respond to your request and help identify potentially suitable options. We do not require you to provide information unrelated to your enquiry merely to browse publicly accessible pages.
3.3 Property Owner and Accommodation Partner Information
If you contact us about listing or promoting a property, we may collect your name, business name, business contact details, property address, accommodation category, photographs, property descriptions, available facilities, pricing information and other details needed to evaluate or manage the proposed listing.
If a partnership proceeds, we may also collect information reasonably necessary for contractual, operational, payment, invoicing, compliance or recordkeeping purposes. Depending on the arrangement, this could include business identification details, authorised representative information, relevant registration or licence information, tax details and payment-related information.
Any request for identity, ownership, authorisation or compliance documents should be limited to what is reasonably required for the relevant business purpose or applicable legal obligation.
3.4 Information About Bookings and Service Communications
Where an enquiry progresses to a booking or other confirmed arrangement, we may process additional information needed to coordinate that arrangement. Depending on our actual role and the requirements of the property operator, this may include booking references, confirmation status, guest names, arrival and departure details, payment status, relevant correspondence, cancellation requests and support records.
Identification documents, guest-registration information or other information required by a property operator or applicable law may be collected directly by the relevant operator or, where necessary and lawful, handled through an authorised process involving Homestele.
We do not intend to collect or retain identity documents, payment credentials or other sensitive records unless they are required for a legitimate and lawful purpose and suitable safeguards are in place.
3.5 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our hosting provider, server logs, security systems or other technologies used to operate the website. Depending on the configuration, this information may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, device type, operating system, approximate location inferred from technical information, pages visited, referring website, access times, error logs and basic interaction data.
This information may be used to maintain website functionality, diagnose technical issues, detect suspicious activity, protect against abuse, understand website performance and improve the user experience.
The information collected depends on the technologies actually enabled on our website. We do not represent that every category listed in this section is collected from every visitor.
3.6 Information Received From Other Sources
We may receive information from property owners, accommodation operators, authorised business representatives, service providers, advertising or analytics partners and other sources where they lawfully provide information relevant to an enquiry, listing or service.
For example, an accommodation operator may provide an update about availability or the status of an enquiry you submitted. A technical provider may provide website performance or security information.
Where information is received from another source, we will handle it according to the purpose for which it was obtained, applicable contractual arrangements and relevant legal requirements.
4. How We Use Personal Information
We process personal information for specific and legitimate business purposes, including the following.
4.1 Responding to Accommodation Enquiries
We use your contact details, destination preferences, accommodation requirements and other relevant information to respond to your enquiry, ask follow-up questions, identify potentially suitable properties and communicate available options.
Where appropriate and necessary, we may share relevant enquiry details with the property owner, accommodation operator or service provider responsible for the accommodation you are considering. We aim to limit such sharing to information reasonably needed to respond to your request or coordinate the service.
Submitting an enquiry does not automatically guarantee availability, a quotation, a reservation or a confirmed booking.
4.2 Providing Booking Assistance
Where you request booking assistance, we may use relevant information to communicate with property operators, relay quotations or availability updates, clarify property requirements, coordinate confirmation and respond to changes or questions relating to your requested stay.
The information used will depend on the actual service being provided and whether Homestele is acting as a referral platform, enquiry facilitator, authorised booking agent or another service provider for the relevant arrangement.
4.3 Supporting Property Owners and Partners
We may use property-related and business contact information to assess listing requests, communicate with accommodation providers, request corrections, maintain property information, manage partnerships, respond to operational issues and support legitimate business activities.
4.4 Operating and Improving Our Website
We may use technical information and appropriate usage data to maintain the website, improve page performance, understand navigation patterns, troubleshoot problems, assess the usefulness of content and develop better search, filtering and enquiry features.
Where analytics technologies are used, their operation and any required consent or preference controls will depend on the relevant technology and applicable law.
4.5 Security, Fraud Prevention and Abuse Management
We may process relevant information to investigate suspicious activity, protect website accounts or forms where applicable, prevent spam, detect attempted misuse, enforce our terms, preserve relevant evidence and protect the rights, property and security of Homestele, users and accommodation partners.
4.6 Business Administration and Legal Compliance
We may process information for accounting, recordkeeping, contractual administration, responding to lawful requests, establishing or defending legal claims, addressing complaints, meeting applicable regulatory obligations and protecting legitimate business interests, subject to applicable law.
4.7 Marketing and Service Updates
Where permitted by law and consistent with your preferences, we may use your contact information to send service updates, relevant accommodation information, newsletters or promotional communications.
We will provide an appropriate means to opt out of direct marketing where required. You may also request that we stop sending promotional communications through the contact method identified in this policy.
Opting out of promotional messages will not necessarily stop essential communications about an active enquiry, booking, legal obligation or other service you have requested.
5. How We Share Personal Information
We do not treat personal information as a commodity for unrestricted sale. We share it only where there is an appropriate business purpose, lawful basis or other applicable justification.
5.1 Property Owners and Accommodation Operators
If you enquire about a particular property or request assistance identifying suitable accommodation, we may share relevant information with the owner, manager, hotel, guest house, serviced apartment operator, farmhouse operator or other accommodation provider who can respond to your request.
This may include your name, contact information, requested dates, number of guests, accommodation preferences and message.
We will seek to limit the information shared to what is reasonably required for the enquiry or service. The recipient may process the information under its own privacy practices and legal obligations. You should review the relevant provider’s information where appropriate before supplying additional information directly to that provider.
5.2 Technology and Operational Service Providers
We may use third-party providers for website hosting, email delivery, form processing, analytics, spam protection, website security, data storage, customer communications and other operational functions.
These providers may process personal information on our behalf or independently, depending on the service and contractual arrangement. Where appropriate, we will use suitable contractual, technical and organisational safeguards to protect information.
5.3 Corporate Clients and Authorised Representatives
If you make an enquiry on behalf of an employer, company, project team or other organisation, we may share relevant information with the authorised representative involved in arranging the accommodation, where reasonably necessary and lawful.
5.4 Professional Advisers and Authorities
We may disclose relevant information to legal advisers, accountants, insurers, auditors, law enforcement authorities, courts, regulators or government bodies where necessary for legal compliance, professional advice, security, dispute resolution or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
5.5 Business Transfers and Corporate Restructuring
If Homestele undergoes a merger, restructuring, acquisition, sale of business assets, investment transaction or similar corporate event, relevant information may be transferred or disclosed as part of that process, subject to applicable legal requirements and appropriate safeguards.
5.6 With Your Direction or Consent
We may share information when you specifically request or authorise us to do so, or where another lawful basis permits the disclosure.
We do not authorise third parties to use your personal information for unrelated purposes merely because we have shared it for an accommodation enquiry.
6. International Visitors and Cross-Border Processing
Homestele is intended to assist guests from India and other countries who are considering accommodation in India. International visitors may therefore contact us using foreign telephone numbers, international email addresses or communication services operated across borders.
Our hosting providers, communication platforms or other service providers may process information in countries outside your country of residence. Where cross-border processing occurs, we will take the steps required by applicable law and the arrangements governing the relevant service.
Information may also be shared with accommodation operators located in India when an international visitor requests accommodation in India.
Privacy laws and individual rights differ between jurisdictions. Where a particular privacy law applies to our processing, we will comply with the obligations that apply to Homestele and the relevant service, including any applicable requirements concerning notices, lawful processing, data transfers, retention and individual rights.
If you are visiting India from another country, please be aware that information needed to coordinate accommodation may be handled by the relevant Indian property operator under its own legal and operational requirements.
7. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website may use cookies, pixels, local storage or similar technologies to support website functionality, remember preferences, improve performance, measure traffic, protect against abuse or support analytics and advertising.
Cookies may be set by our website or by third-party services integrated into it. The categories and providers actually used will depend on the website’s configuration.
Where required by applicable law, non-essential cookies or similar technologies will be subject to appropriate consent or preference controls. You may also be able to manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect some website functions.
For additional information, please refer to our Cookie Policy.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal, contractual, accounting, security and recordkeeping requirements.
For example, information relating to an unanswered enquiry may be retained for a limited period to allow follow-up, address service issues, prevent repeated spam or maintain reasonable business records. Information associated with a confirmed booking, dispute, payment, complaint or legal obligation may need to be retained for a longer period where justified.
Property partner information may be retained while a listing or partnership remains active and for a reasonable period afterward to address outstanding obligations, complaints, disputes or compliance requirements.
Technical logs may be retained according to the operational and security needs of the relevant systems.
When information is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to delete it, anonymise it or otherwise dispose of it securely, subject to applicable law and legitimate retention requirements.
We do not promise a single retention period for all information because different records have different purposes and legal requirements.
9. Information Security
Homestele aims to apply reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss, misuse or destruction.
Depending on the systems used, safeguards may include access restrictions, secure website connections, authentication controls, software updates, security monitoring, backups, provider controls and appropriate handling procedures.
No website, email system, messaging platform or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore cannot promise absolute security, but we will take appropriate measures consistent with the nature of the information, our operational arrangements and applicable legal requirements.
You should avoid sending passwords, payment card security codes, unnecessary identity documents or sensitive medical details through ordinary enquiry forms, email or messaging channels.
If you believe that information submitted to us has been misused or that a security incident may have occurred, please contact us promptly using the contact details provided below.
10. Your Privacy Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, the nature of our processing and applicable law, you may have rights relating to your personal information.
These may include the ability to request information about processing, access relevant personal information, request correction or updating, seek deletion where legally available, withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, object to or restrict certain processing where applicable, opt out of marketing and raise a complaint with the appropriate authority.
The availability and scope of these rights depend on the law applicable to the particular processing activity. Certain records may need to be retained to meet legal obligations, complete a requested service, resolve disputes or establish or defend legal claims.
10.1 How to Submit a Request
You may contact us using the privacy contact details below and explain the request you wish to make. Please include enough information for us to understand the request and identify the relevant interaction, without sending unnecessary sensitive information.
We may ask for proportionate additional information to verify your identity or authority before responding, especially where disclosure or deletion could affect another person’s information.
We will review and respond to requests within the time limits and according to the procedures required by applicable law. Where we cannot fulfil a request in full, we will explain the position where legally required and provide any available alternatives.
10.2 Withdrawing Consent
Where processing relies on your consent, you may withdraw that consent through an appropriate method made available by us or by contacting us.
Withdrawal does not make processing carried out lawfully before withdrawal unlawful. It may also mean that we can no longer provide a feature or service that depends on the information concerned. We may continue processing where another lawful basis or legal requirement permits or requires us to do so.
10.3 Marketing Preferences
You may opt out of promotional emails by using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in the message, where available, or by contacting us. For promotional messages sent through other channels, you may ask us to stop sending them through the relevant communication method.
We may retain a limited record of your preference to ensure that it is respected. Service-related communications needed to respond to an active request may continue where appropriate.
10.4 India-Specific Privacy Requests
Where Indian data protection law applies, we will handle relevant requests, consent withdrawals, grievances and other rights in accordance with the provisions and implementation requirements applicable at the relevant time.
We will provide the appropriate contact or grievance route once Homestele’s responsible privacy contact and internal request-handling process have been established.
11. Children’s Privacy
Homestele is primarily intended for adults arranging accommodation for themselves, their families or other authorised travellers. We do not knowingly seek unnecessary personal information directly from children through our website.
An adult making an accommodation enquiry may need to provide limited information about accompanying children, such as the number of children or their ages, where this is necessary to assess occupancy or property suitability. Please do not provide children’s identity documents, contact details or other sensitive information unless it is genuinely required through an appropriate process.
Where applicable law requires parental or guardian consent or other safeguards for processing children’s personal information, we will comply with those requirements.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us so that we can assess the matter and take appropriate action.
12. Third-Party Websites and Services
Our website may contain links, embedded content, maps, communication buttons or integrations provided by third parties. These services may include mapping platforms, social networks, messaging applications, analytics providers, accommodation operators and external websites.
When you follow a third-party link or interact directly with an external service, that provider may collect information under its own privacy policy and terms. Homestele does not control the independent privacy practices of every third-party service.
We encourage users to review the privacy notices of external services before providing information to them. The presence of a link or integration on our website does not, by itself, mean that Homestele endorses every aspect of that provider’s services or privacy practices.
13. Corporate, Medical and Extended-Stay Enquiries
Homestele may assist with enquiries relating to corporate accommodation, medical visits, family travel, weddings and events, student accommodation, relocations and long-term stays.
For corporate enquiries, we may process business contact details, employer or organisation information, project requirements and relevant accommodation preferences.
For medical accommodation enquiries, we may process information about a preferred hospital or destination, the expected duration of the stay, accessibility requirements and other practical accommodation needs. We ask that you do not submit medical records, diagnoses or detailed health information unless specifically necessary and requested through an appropriate process.
For extended stays or relocations, we may process anticipated arrival and departure dates, the number of occupants, budget preferences and facilities required.
The purpose of collecting this information is to understand the accommodation request and coordinate potentially suitable options. We do not provide medical advice or determine medical treatment suitability merely because we assist with accommodation near a hospital.
14. Property Listings, Reviews and User-Submitted Content
If our website allows users or property partners to submit property information, photographs, reviews, feedback or other content, we may process the submitted material to review, display, moderate, update or remove it as appropriate.
Please ensure that you have permission to submit photographs, contact details and other personal information belonging to another person. Do not upload identity documents, private correspondence or confidential information into publicly visible fields.
If reviews, testimonials or user-submitted content are introduced in the future, we will handle associated personal information according to the relevant feature, applicable notices and legal requirements. We may remove content that appears unlawful, misleading, abusive, unauthorised or inconsistent with our website rules.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when our business operations, accommodation categories, technology, partnerships or legal obligations change.
The latest version will be published on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. Where a material change requires additional notice or consent under applicable law, we will take the appropriate steps.
We encourage visitors, guests and property partners to review this page periodically so that they understand how their information is handled.
16. Contact Homestele About Privacy
If you have a question, request, concern or complaint regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of personal information through Homestele, please contact us using the details below.
Brand: Homestele
Email: info@homestele.com
Phone / WhatsApp: +91 99716 80900
Booking Support / Grievance Contact: info@homestele.com
Please use the subject line “Privacy Request – Homestele” when contacting us about personal information. This will help us direct your message to the appropriate person.
We will review privacy enquiries and respond in accordance with applicable law and our established procedures. If a request requires identity verification or further clarification, we may contact you for the information reasonably necessary to process it.
17. Applicable Law
This Privacy Policy is intended to operate consistently with the laws applicable to Homestele and the relevant processing of personal information, including applicable Indian data protection and information technology laws.
Where mandatory privacy or consumer protection rights apply to an individual in another jurisdiction, nothing in this policy is intended to exclude rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.
The interpretation and application of this policy will be subject to applicable law. This policy should be read together with the Terms & Conditions and other relevant notices published by Homestele.
Privacy and Trust at Homestele
We recognise that accommodation enquiries can involve personal plans, contact information and travel requirements. Homestele aims to handle this information responsibly, use it for appropriate purposes and provide clear channels for privacy questions and requests.
Thank you for choosing Homestele.