GDPR Compliance Tips for Hotels in 2025

This article was written by Hotelogix. Click here to read the original article

Every time a guest books a room, fills out a check-in form, or signs up for your loyalty program—they’re trusting your hotel with personal data.

In an age where guest trust equals brand value, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) remains one of the most important compliance frameworks for hotels operating in or serving guests from the European Union.

Whether you run a boutique hotel in Manila or a resort chain across Southeast Asia, GDPR applies if you handle data from EU guests. And in 2025, with growing concerns around cyber breaches and data misuse, staying compliant is both a legal and business priority.

Real-World Impact: The Marriott Settlement

In October 2024, hotel giant Marriott agreed to pay a staggering $52 million settlement to 50 US states for a massive data breach that impacted 131.5 million American customers. The breach, which went undetected from July 2014 to September 2018, exposed approximately 339 million guest records globally, including sensitive personal details.

This settlement serves as a stark reminder that data protection failures carry enormous financial consequences, even years after the breach occurs.

Scenario	GDPR Applies? Trending Delta reaches new deals with two GDSs and is close to a third
Your hotel is based in the EU	✅ Yes
You accept online bookings from EU citizens	✅ Yes
You collect guest emails for promotions via your website	✅ Yes
You use a PMS that stores EU guest data	✅ Yes
You don’t serve EU guests or store their data	❌ No

Understanding Guest Data Rights Under GDPR

As a hotel, you’re the data controller. That means you’re responsible for how guest information is collected, stored, and shared. GDPR grants guests (called data subjects) the following rights:

Guest Right	What It Means for Your Hotel
Right to Access	Guests can request to see what personal data you hold and how it’s used.
Right to Rectification	They can ask you to correct any inaccurate or outdated information.
Right to Erasure	Also known as the “right to be forgotten”—guests can request deletion of their personal data.
Right to Data Portability	Guests can request a copy of their data in a transferable format (e.g., to switch hotels).
Right to Object	They can opt out of certain types of data processing (e.g., marketing emails).
Breach Notification	You must inform affected guests within 72 hours of any data breach.

8 Key Steps to Ensure GDPR Compliance in Your Hotel

1. Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO)

If your hotel processes a large volume of EU guest data, appointing a DPO ensures someone is responsible for privacy-related decisions, audits, and documentation.

Avoid pre-checked boxes or vague terms. At the booking stage or check-in, explain:

What data you’re collecting
Why it’s needed (e.g., ID verification, payment)
How it will be stored and for how long
Whether third parties (e.g., OTAs, payment processors) will access it

Use your website, mobile app, or front desk forms to get explicit, documented consent.

3. Audit Your Hotel’s Data Ecosystem

Audit Area	Example Questions
Data Collection Points	Where is data collected? (PMS, website, kiosks, Wi-Fi login)
Data Storage	Is data stored on cloud or on-premise? Is it encrypted?
Data Access	Who in your team has access? Are role-based permissions in place?
Third-Party Sharing	Are OTAs, CRMs, or loyalty programs GDPR compliant?

4. Update Your Privacy Policy

Your privacy policy should be:

Guest-friendly (no legal jargon)
Available at booking and on the hotel website
Regularly updated with changes in data handling practices

5. Train Staff Across Departments

From front desk to reservations, every team member who touches guest data should be aware of:

What data is collected
What to say when a guest asks about privacy
How to escalate data-related concerns internally

6. Be Prepared for Guest Data Requests

You need systems in place to:

Export a guest’s data upon request
Permanently delete data when asked
Respond to requests within 30 days

A cloud PMS with built-in compliance features helps streamline this.

7. Detect and Report Data Breaches

Have a documented breach response protocol. This includes:

Internal escalation procedure
Notifying affected guests within 72 hours
Logging the incident for audit trail

8. Check All Your Tech Partners

Ensure GDPR compliance extends to:

If any third-party tool mishandles data, your hotel is still liable.

The Rising Cost of Non-Compliance

The financial penalties for GDPR violations continue to grow more severe. In 2024, we’ve seen record-breaking fines across industries, with Meta facing a €91 million fine for storing user passwords in plaintext without encryption in September 2024, and LinkedIn receiving a massive €310 million fine in October 2024 for data privacy violations related to behavioral analysis and targeted advertising without valid user consent.

If there were three words to sum up the ideal hotel operations strategy regarding GDPR – Prepare. Protect. Prevent.

A powerful Property Management System (PMS) is the backbone of secure hotel operations. Hotelogix Cloud PMS helps hoteliers meet GDPR compliance with built-in capabilities:

Hotelogix Feature	GDPR Benefit
Role-based Access Control	Limits data access to authorized staff only
Encrypted Guest Data Storage	Ensures secure handling of personal information
Guest Consent Capture	Records and logs digital consent at check-in and booking stages
Data Export & Deletion Tools	Simplifies responses to guest data requests
Integration with GDPR-Compliant Tools	Ensures all connected systems follow the same security standards
Activity Logs & Audit Trails	Maintains records of who accessed/modified guest data and when

“With Hotelogix, we’re confident in how we manage guest privacy. It’s compliance without complexity.” — General Manager, 4-star Resort, Philippines

A: No. Any hotel collecting or storing data of EU citizens must comply, regardless of location.

Q2 : What’s the penalty for non-compliance?

A: Fines can go up to €20 million or 4% of your global annual turnover—whichever is higher.

A: Yes. Hotelogix supports properties of all sizes with enterprise-level security and compliance features.

Final Thoughts: Guest Privacy Is Good Business

In 2025, compliance isn’t just about avoiding fines. It’s about delivering a guest experience built on trust.

Your guests want to know that their personal details are in safe hands. GDPR compliance, backed by the right hotel technology and reputation management practices, is your way of saying: “We value your privacy as much as your stay.”

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Real-World Impact: The Marriott Settlement