Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 14, 2026

Empirean (“Empirean,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates short-term rental properties and provides this online check-in and stay guide at guestmanual.net (the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect from guests, how we use and share it, how long we keep it, and the choices and rights you have.

Information we collect

Information you provide during check-in

To complete check-in, we ask for information that varies by property and may include:

  • Your first and last name
  • Date of birth
  • Phone number
  • Whether you are traveling with pets, and how many
  • Vehicle information (license plate number and state of registration), if you are parking on site
  • A photo of your government-issued ID
  • A selfie (a photo of yourself)
  • Your signature on the rental agreement

If you purchase optional items — such as a pet fee, damage waiver, early check-in, or other add-ons — payment is processed by Stripe, our payment processor. Your card number is entered directly with Stripe and never touches our servers; we receive a confirmation of the payment along with your name and reservation details.

Information we receive from your booking

When you book a stay — through a platform such as Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com, or directly — we receive reservation information through our property management system (Guesty). This can include your name, email address, phone number, profile photo, reservation dates, the listing you booked, and messages you send us through the booking platform.

Information collected automatically

  • Door unlock logs. At buildings where you unlock doors through this Service, we record each unlock attempt, including the date and time, the door, whether it succeeded, your IP address, and your browser type. These logs are kept for security purposes and are deleted after 45 days.
  • Usage analytics. We use Vercel Web Analytics to understand aggregate page usage (for example, how many guests open the check-in guide). It does not use cookies and does not track you across other websites.
  • Device storage.We use your browser’s local storage to save your check-in progress and preferences (for example, so a half-finished check-in isn’t lost if the page reloads). We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies, and the Service does not set login cookies for guests.

How we use your information

  • To provide your stay: completing check-in, sharing your door code, WiFi details, directions, and house guides
  • To verify your identity and prevent fraud, unauthorized parties, and misuse of our homes
  • To process payments for fees and optional add-ons
  • To communicate with you about your reservation
  • To keep our guests, staff, homes, and buildings safe and secure
  • To enforce our rental agreement and house rules
  • To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for targeted advertising.

ID photos and selfies

The photo of your ID and your selfie are used only to verify that the person checking in is the guest who booked. They are reviewed manually by our team. We do not use facial recognition technology, and we do not create biometric templates, faceprints, or any other biometric identifiers from your photos. Access to these photos is limited to authorized staff.

How we share information

We share personal information only with service providers who help us run the Service, and only as needed for the purposes above:

  • Guesty — our property management system, which connects your booking platform reservation to our operations
  • Stripe — payment processing for fees and add-ons
  • Supabase and Vercel — our database, file storage, and website hosting providers
  • Building access providers (such as Avigilon Alta/Openpath and Keycafe) — to issue door access and key-pickup codes at certain buildings

We may also disclose information when required by law, to respond to lawful requests from public authorities, to protect the rights, property, or safety of our guests, staff, or others, or as part of a business transaction such as a merger or sale of assets (in which case this policy would continue to apply to your information).

How long we keep information

  • Door unlock logs (including IP addresses) are deleted after 45 days, and building access event history after 30 days.
  • Temporary door access credentials are removed shortly after checkout.
  • Reservation records, check-in details, and identity verification photos are retained for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described above — including security, resolving disputes or damage claims, and meeting legal, tax, and record-keeping obligations — after which they are deleted.

You can request deletion of your information at any time (see “Your privacy rights” below).

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live (including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Montana, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and other states with privacy laws), you may have the right to:

  • Know and access the personal information we hold about you, and receive a copy in a portable format
  • Correct inaccurate personal information
  • Delete your personal information
  • Opt out of the sale of personal information, sharing for targeted advertising, and certain profiling — note that we do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising
  • Limit the use of sensitive personal information — we use sensitive information (such as your ID photo) only to verify identity, prevent fraud, and ensure physical safety

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@stayempirean.com. We will verify your request using your reservation details (such as your name, stay dates, and the contact information on your booking) and respond within the time required by your state’s law (generally 45 days). You may authorize an agent to submit a request on your behalf. If we decline a request, you may appeal by replying to our response, and we will review the appeal; if it is denied, you may contact your state attorney general. We will never discriminate against you — for example, by denying service or charging different prices — for exercising your privacy rights.

Notice to California residents

In the preceding 12 months we have collected the following categories of personal information as described above: identifiers (name, email, phone number, IP address); personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (name, phone number, signature, government ID information); commercial information (reservation and purchase history); internet or network activity (door unlock logs, aggregate usage analytics); audio or visual information (ID photos and selfies); and sensitive personal information (government ID information and date of birth). We collect this information for the purposes described in “How we use your information,” retain it as described in “How long we keep information,” and disclose it only to the service providers listed above. We have not sold personal information or shared it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we use sensitive personal information only for the purposes permitted by California law (such as identity verification, security, and providing the services you request).

Children’s privacy

The Service is intended for adults completing check-in and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect your information, including encryption in transit and access controls that limit who on our team can view guest data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date above and, where required, provide additional notice. The latest version is always available at this page.

Contact us

Questions or requests about your privacy can be sent to privacy@stayempirean.com.