Rio Hostel Buritaca privacy policy

Last updated: 6 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data Rio Hostel Buritaca collects, why we collect it, and what you can do about it. It covers our website (riohostel.co), our bookings and your stay with us.

Who we are

Rio Hostel Buritaca, Km 49, Troncal del Caribe, Buritaca, Magdalena, Colombia. We are the data controller for the information described here.

For anything related to your data, write to reception@elriohostel.com or message us on (+57) 321 857 9345.

What we collect

When you book (online, by message or at reception): your name, email address, phone number, nationality, the dates and type of your stay, and any notes you send us. Payments are handled by our booking system and its payment provider; we don't store your full card details.

When you check in: your passport or ID details. Colombian law requires hostels to record this and, for foreign guests, to report it to Migración Colombia.

When you visit our website: information about how you use the site, such as the pages you visit, the device and browser you use, your approximate location (country or city) and how you arrived (for example, from Google or Instagram). We collect this through cookies, as explained below.

When you contact us: whatever you choose to send us by email, WhatsApp or social media.

Why we use it

  • To manage your booking and your stay, and to contact you about it.

  • To meet our legal obligations in Colombia, including guest registration and tax records.

  • To understand how people use our website so we can improve it.

  • To show you our ads on other sites and social media, but only if you accept those cookies.

  • To send you news or offers, but only if you have asked for them. You can unsubscribe at any time.

We don't sell your personal data.

Cookies

Our website uses:

  • Essential cookies, which the site needs to work, including our booking engine.

  • Analytics cookies from Google Analytics, set through Google Tag Manager, which tell us how visitors use the site.

  • Advertising cookies, such as the Meta (Facebook and Instagram) pixel, which help us measure our ads and show them to people who might be interested.

You can accept or reject non-essential cookies in the banner on our site, and you can delete cookies in your browser settings at any time.

Who we share it with

We only share your data with services that help us run the hostel, and only as much as they need:

  • Cloudbeds, our booking and property management system, and its payment providers.

  • Google, for website analytics and email.

  • Meta, for advertising and messaging (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp).

  • Online travel agencies such as Booking.com or Hostelworld, if you booked through them.

  • Colombian authorities, when the law requires it (for example, Migración Colombia).

Some of these companies store data outside Colombia, mainly in the United States, and protect it under their own data protection terms.

How long we keep it

We keep booking and guest registration records for as long as Colombian law requires, usually up to ten years for tax and accounting purposes. Website analytics data is kept for up to 14 months. Anything else is deleted when we no longer need it.

Your rights

Under Colombian data protection law (Law 1581 of 2012) and, if you live in the UK or the European Union, under the GDPR, you can:

  • ask what data we hold about you and get a copy of it;

  • correct anything that is wrong;

  • ask us to delete your data, unless the law requires us to keep it;

  • withdraw your consent at any time, for example to marketing emails or cookies;

  • object to how we use your data, or ask us to limit it.

Write to reception@elriohostel.com and we will reply within 15 working days. If you are not happy with our answer, you can complain to Colombia's Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio (sic.gov.co) or to the data protection authority in your country.

Children

Our website and services are not aimed at children under 18, and we don't knowingly collect their data online. Minors staying with us must be accompanied by an adult, who provides their details at check-in.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update it on this page and change the date at the top.

See you by the river.