Cookies Policy

1. Introduction to Cookies

This Cookies Policy explains how Gaia Porto Stays uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our website at https://gaiaportostays.com/. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit our website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to the website owners. Cookies allow a website to recognize a user's device and remember their preferences or actions over time.

Note: By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies as described in this policy, unless you have disabled them through your browser settings. You can change your cookie preferences at any time as described in Section 6 of this policy.

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several important reasons that enhance your browsing experience and help us improve our website:

3. Types of Cookies We Use

3.1. First-Party Cookies

First-party cookies are set by our website directly and can only be read by our site. They are essential for providing the services you request and for the basic functionality of our website. These include:

Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that remain in your browser until you leave our website. These are essential for secure areas and to remember your actions during your browsing session.
Persistent Cookies: These remain in your browser for a set period (usually between 30 days and 2 years) and are activated each time you visit our website.
Authentication Cookies: Used to identify you when you log into your account and navigate through secure areas of our website.
Preference Cookies: Remember your preferences such as language, currency, or search parameters to enhance your user experience.

3.2. Third-Party Cookies

Third-party cookies are set by domains other than our website, typically by our partners and service providers. These include:

Analytics Cookies: From services like Google Analytics that help us understand how visitors engage with our website.
Advertising Cookies: Used by advertising companies to serve ads that are relevant to your interests.
Social Media Cookies: Set by social media platforms to enable content sharing and tracking.
Payment Processing Cookies: Essential for processing online payments securely.

3.3. Other Tracking Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use other similar technologies such as web beacons, pixels, and local storage:

Web Beacons: Small graphic images that may be included on our website and emails to understand engagement.
Local Storage: Technology that allows a website to store information locally on your device, similar to cookies but with greater capacity.
Pixels: Tiny images embedded in web pages and emails that help us understand user behavior.

4. Specific Cookies Used on Our Website

Below is a detailed description of the specific cookies we use on the Gaia Porto Stays website:

4.1. Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms.

gaia_session: Maintains your session state across page requests (duration: session)
XSRF-TOKEN: Ensures visitor browsing security by preventing cross-site request forgery (duration: session)
cookie_consent: Remembers your cookie preferences (duration: 1 year)

4.2. Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.

_ga: Google Analytics cookie used to distinguish users (duration: 2 years)
_gid: Google Analytics cookie used to distinguish users (duration: 24 hours)
_gat: Google Analytics cookie used to throttle request rate (duration: 1 minute)

4.3. Functionality Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.

language: Remembers your preferred language (duration: 1 year)
currency: Stores your preferred currency for displaying prices (duration: 1 year)
search_preferences: Remembers your search filters and preferences (duration: 30 days)

4.4. Marketing and Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other sites.

_fbp: Facebook Pixel cookie used for advertising purposes (duration: 3 months)
_gcl_au: Google conversion tracking cookie (duration: 3 months)

5. How We Use Information Collected Through Cookies

The information we collect using cookies helps us to:

Understand how our website is being used and which areas are most popular
Remember your preferences and settings to personalize your experience
Improve the speed and security of our website
Allow you to use shopping cart features and complete bookings
Show you relevant content and advertisements based on your interests
Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
Identify technical issues and improve website performance
Comply with legal and regulatory requirements

We do not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information without your explicit consent. The data collected through cookies is typically aggregated and anonymized, meaning we cannot identify you personally from this data alone.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options to control and manage cookies on your device:

6.1. Browser Controls

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. However, limiting the ability of websites to set cookies may worsen your overall user experience.

Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies

6.2. Cookie Consent Tool

We provide a cookie consent tool that allows you to customize your cookie preferences. You can access this tool at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in our website footer.

6.3. Third-Party Opt-Outs

For third-party cookies used for advertising and analytics, you can opt out through the following services:

Google Analytics: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Network Advertising Initiative: http://optout.networkadvertising.org/
Digital Advertising Alliance: http://optout.aboutads.info/

Important: If you disable cookies entirely, some features of our website may not function properly. Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the basic functionality of our website.

7. Changes to This Cookies Policy

We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new effective date.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Your continued use of our website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

8. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookies Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

Data Protection Officer
Gaia Porto Stays
5875 Airport Rd, Mississauga, ON L4V 1N1, Canada
Phone: +19056779900
Email:[email protected]