Legal & Policies

Terms, Privacy
& Cookie Policy

Please read these documents carefully. They govern your use of this website and your stay with us at The Duchess of Puglia. If you have any questions, our team is available at info@theduchessofpuglia.com.

Last updated: May 2026 — Subject to periodic revision. Please check this page before each stay.

Terms & Conditions

These terms and conditions are provided as a placeholder draft for legal review. They should be reviewed and approved by a qualified legal professional before the website goes live. Nothing here constitutes legal advice.

1. The Parties

These terms and conditions govern the relationship between The Duchess of Puglia S.r.l. (referred to herein as "the Hotel", "we", "us", or "our") and any individual or entity making use of this website or entering into a reservation agreement (referred to as "Guest", "you", or "your"). By accessing this website or completing a reservation, you agree to be bound by these terms.

2. Reservations & Booking

All reservations are subject to availability and confirmation by the Hotel. A reservation is confirmed only when the Guest receives a written confirmation from the Hotel or via our authorised booking platform. We reserve the right to decline any reservation at our discretion without obligation to provide a reason.

  • Reservations made through third-party platforms are subject to those platforms' terms in addition to ours.
  • The Hotel is not responsible for errors made during the booking process by the Guest.
  • Room rates are quoted in Euro (€) and are inclusive of VAT where applicable under Italian law.
  • Quoted rates are per room per night and do not include optional extras unless explicitly stated.

3. Check-In & Check-Out

Standard check-in is from 15:00 (CET/CEST). Standard check-out is by 11:00. Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability and may incur an additional charge. The Hotel will make every reasonable effort to accommodate requests but cannot guarantee room availability outside of standard times.

Guests are required to present valid photographic identification at check-in. In accordance with Italian law (T.U.L.P.S. art. 109), the Hotel is required to record and transmit guest identity data to the relevant authorities.

4. Rates, Payment & Taxes

Payment is due in full at check-in unless otherwise agreed in writing. The Hotel accepts major credit and debit cards. A pre-authorisation may be taken on arrival to cover incidentals.

  • Tourist tax (tassa di soggiorno) applicable in Polignano a Mare is charged separately and is not included in quoted rates.
  • All prices are subject to change without notice until a confirmed reservation has been made.
  • The Hotel reserves the right to charge for any damage caused to hotel property during a Guest's stay.

5. Guest Conduct

Guests are expected to treat the palazzo, its contents, and other guests with respect. The Hotel reserves the right to request a Guest to vacate the premises without refund in cases of behaviour that is disruptive, abusive, or damaging to property or other guests. Smoking is not permitted inside the building. A cleaning fee may be applied if this policy is violated.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Hotel's liability to any Guest arising from a stay shall not exceed the total room charges paid for that stay. The Hotel is not liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential loss or damage, including but not limited to loss of business, loss of enjoyment, or loss arising from circumstances outside the Hotel's reasonable control (force majeure).

7. Applicable Law

These terms and conditions are governed by Italian law. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Bari, Italy, unless otherwise required by applicable consumer protection legislation in the Guest's country of residence.

Cancellation Policy

The following cancellation policy is illustrative and subject to variation by rate type, season, and booking channel. Always check the specific terms attached to your confirmed reservation.

Standard Rate

Cancellations made more than 14 days before the scheduled arrival date will receive a full refund of any deposit paid. Cancellations made between 7 and 14 days before arrival will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations made within 7 days of arrival are non-refundable.

Non-Refundable Rate

Reservations made at a non-refundable rate are charged in full at the time of booking and are not eligible for refund under any circumstances, including late cancellation, no-show, or early departure.

No-Show Policy

In the event of a no-show (failure to arrive on the confirmed check-in date without prior notification), the Hotel reserves the right to charge the full value of the reservation and to release the room for re-sale.

Notice Given Standard Rate Non-Refundable Rate
More than 14 daysFull refundNo refund
7–14 days50% refundNo refund
Less than 7 daysNo refundNo refund
No-showNo refundNo refund

Modifications

Requests to modify a confirmed reservation (change of dates, room type, or number of guests) are subject to availability and may result in a rate adjustment. The Hotel will make every reasonable effort to accommodate modification requests but cannot guarantee that the original rate will be maintained.

Force Majeure

In exceptional circumstances beyond the Hotel's control — including natural disasters, governmental travel restrictions, or public health emergencies — the Hotel will endeavour to offer alternative dates or a credit voucher in lieu of a refund. Each case will be assessed individually.

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is a placeholder draft. It must be reviewed and completed by a qualified data protection professional, with particular attention to Italian and EU GDPR requirements, before going live. Data controller details, DPO contact information, and specific retention periods must be verified and completed.

1. Data Controller

The data controller for personal information collected through this website and during your stay is The Duchess of Puglia S.r.l., registered in Italy. For all privacy-related enquiries, please contact us at privacy@theduchessofpuglia.com.

2. What Data We Collect

We collect personal data in the following circumstances:

  • Reservations: Name, email address, phone number, payment card details (handled via our authorised payment processor), nationality, and identification document data as required by Italian law.
  • Website use: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time and date of visit, and cookies (see Cookie Policy below).
  • Communications: Any information you provide when contacting us by email, WhatsApp, or telephone.
  • Stay data: Information relevant to your preferences, requests, and stay history, used to personalise your experience.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases under GDPR Article 6:

  • Contract performance: Processing necessary to fulfil your reservation and provide the services you have requested.
  • Legal obligation: Processing required by Italian law, including guest registration requirements under T.U.L.P.S.
  • Legitimate interests: Processing for fraud prevention, security, and improving our services, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
  • Consent: Processing for marketing communications and non-essential cookies, where you have given explicit consent.

4. How We Use Your Data

  • To process and manage your reservation
  • To communicate with you about your stay
  • To comply with legal obligations (guest registration, tax records)
  • To send marketing communications, where you have opted in
  • To improve our website and services through analytics
  • To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our systems

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with the following categories of third parties, strictly for the purposes described above:

  • Payment processors (for secure transaction handling)
  • Booking platforms through which your reservation was made
  • Italian law enforcement and government authorities as required by law
  • IT service providers and cloud hosting providers, under appropriate data processing agreements
  • Marketing and analytics platforms, where you have consented to their use

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, subject to any longer retention periods required by law. Reservation data is generally retained for [X] years in accordance with Italian tax and accounting regulations. Marketing preferences are retained until you withdraw consent. Please contact us for specific retention periods applicable to your data.

7. International Transfers

Where your data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or transfers to countries recognised as providing an adequate level of data protection.

Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website when you visit it. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently and to provide analytical and marketing information to website operators. We use cookies on this website in accordance with this policy and applicable EU ePrivacy and GDPR requirements.

Categories of Cookies We Use

Category Purpose Consent Required
Strictly Necessary Essential for the website to function. These include session cookies, security cookies, and cookies that remember your cookie consent preferences. No — always active
Analytics & Performance Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data. Used to improve site performance and content. Yes
Functional Allow the website to remember choices you make (such as language preferences) to provide a more personalised experience. Yes
Marketing & Targeting Used to deliver relevant advertisements to you on other websites. They track your visit to our website and other sites on the internet. Yes

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie settings panel on this website (accessible via the banner shown on first visit, or the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer). You may withdraw your consent at any time; this will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

You may also control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of this website. Please refer to your browser's help documentation for instructions on managing cookies.

Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on this site are set by third-party services, including analytics providers and booking platform integrations. These third parties have their own privacy policies, which we recommend you review. We do not control third-party cookies and are not responsible for the content of third-party privacy policies.

Cookie Consent Storage

Your cookie preferences are stored locally in your browser using localStorage under the key dop_cookie_prefs. This preference record does not contain any personally identifiable information and is not transmitted to our servers. It is used solely to remember your preferences and avoid showing you the consent banner on every visit.

Your GDPR Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable Italian data protection law, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

  • Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
  • Right to erasure: You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.
  • Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
  • Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or contract, you have the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
  • Right to object: You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to processing for direct marketing purposes.
  • Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@theduchessofpuglia.com. We will respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian data protection authority, the Garante per la protezione dei dati personali, at www.garanteprivacy.it, if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.