Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Blackbell Estates ("Blackbell Estates," "we," "us," or "our") is a family-operated luxury rental and property management business offering accommodations, property information, reservation assistance, and related services.

Our property portfolio includes The Laughing Salamander, located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, and may include additional properties managed or marketed under the Blackbell Estates name.

We respect the privacy of our website visitors, prospective guests, confirmed guests, and individuals who communicate with us.

This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, processed, disclosed, retained, and protected when individuals access our website, interact with our AI-powered assistant, inquire about accommodations, or engage with our rental management services.

Our approach emphasizes data minimization. We seek to collect and process only information reasonably necessary for website functionality, business communications, reservation administration, security, and legal compliance.

This Privacy Policy applies to websites and online services operated by Blackbell Estates that expressly reference it. It does not replace separate rental agreements, booking conditions, or the privacy notices of independently operated third-party platforms.

2. Information We Collect and Process

2.1 Automatically processed technical information

When visitors access our website, limited technical information may be processed automatically by our hosting infrastructure and associated service providers. Such information may include:

• Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
• Browser types and versions.
• Device types and operating systems.
• Requested pages and associated timestamps.
• Referral and network information, where available.
• General geographic information inferred from network data.
• Server, security, diagnostic, and error logs.

This information may be used to maintain website functionality, protect against malicious activity, identify technical errors, investigate security incidents, and support reliable operation. We do not intentionally use this information to create individual advertising profiles.

2.2 Information voluntarily provided

Visitors may voluntarily provide information when contacting Blackbell Estates regarding accommodations, reservations, availability, or other business inquiries. Depending on the inquiry, this may include:

• Full name.
• Email address.
• Telephone number.
• Requested arrival and departure dates.
• Number of intended occupants.
• Accommodation preferences.
• Questions, requests, or other correspondence.
• Additional information voluntarily provided during booking communications.

We use this information to respond to inquiries, communicate rental arrangements, verify availability, and administer reservations.

At present, the contact form and booking request form on this website are demonstrations only. Information typed into them is not transmitted to us or stored by us, and it is cleared when the page is refreshed. To make an inquiry, please contact us directly using the details in section 22. If we connect these forms in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy before doing so.

2.3 Reservation and guest information

Where a reservation is requested or confirmed, Blackbell Estates may process additional information reasonably necessary to coordinate the stay. This may include reservation dates, guest contact details, applicable rental terms, occupancy information, payment status supplied by an authorized booking provider, and communications relating to the reservation. Such information may be received directly from guests or through authorized third-party booking services.

2.4 Information not required for general website use

Visitors are not required to create customer accounts, provide government identification numbers, submit payment card details, or upload identity documents merely to browse our public property listings. Our public website is not intended to function as a general-purpose repository for sensitive personal information. Certain additional information may be requested separately when legally necessary or reasonably appropriate to a specific rental arrangement.

2.5 Information stored on your device

If you choose accessibility settings in the website menu (such as text size, high contrast, or stopping animations), your choices are saved in your browser's local storage on your own device so they apply on your next visit. These settings are not sent to us. You can clear them at any time with the "Reset to defaults" option or by clearing your browser's site data.

2.6 Content delivery providers

To display the website, your browser loads fonts from Google Fonts, a smooth-scrolling script from the jsDelivr content delivery network, and some property photographs from Unsplash. When your browser requests these files, those providers receive technical information such as your IP address, browser type, and the page making the request, and they process it under their own privacy policies. We do not receive that information from them.

3. Artificial Intelligence Assistant

3.1 Purpose

Our website offers an AI-powered assistant using Google's Gemini API. The assistant is intended for general informational purposes: answering inquiries regarding property accommodations, amenities, features, rental arrangements, general pricing information, and availability. It uses information from our approved property knowledge base as the reference for its responses.

The assistant cannot independently make, change, or confirm reservations, approve guest eligibility, authorize screening, or establish binding rental agreements.

3.2 Safeguards we apply

Before a message is sent to the AI provider, our server checks it automatically. Messages are not forwarded to the AI provider if they:

• Appear to contain personal identifiers, such as email addresses, telephone numbers, payment card numbers, Social Security numbers, or passwords.
• Contain links, abusive language, or patterns typical of spam.
• Are unrelated to our properties, pricing, availability, bookings, or a guest's stay.
• Exceed message length limits or are sent faster than our rate limits allow.

To apply rate limits, our server creates a one-way scrambled (hashed) identifier from the visitor's IP address and counts requests against it. The raw IP address is not stored for this purpose, and the counts expire within 24 hours.

The assistant has no ability to take actions on our systems, such as creating bookings or changing records. These automated checks reduce, but cannot entirely eliminate, the chance that personal information reaches the AI provider, so please follow the guidance in section 3.5.

3.3 Processing by third-party AI providers

When a message passes these checks, its contents, together with the recent conversation, application instructions, and our property knowledge base, are transmitted to Google for processing.

Google may process and retain submitted information in accordance with its applicable Gemini API terms, privacy policies, service configuration, and contractual arrangements. Depending on the applicable service tier, Google may use submitted content and generated responses for service provision, security, abuse prevention, service improvement, model development, or human review. In particular, where the Gemini API is used without an active paid billing account, Google's terms permit it to use prompts and responses to improve its products, which can include review by human reviewers.

Blackbell Estates does not control all internal processing practices of third-party AI providers. Visitors should review Google's Privacy Policy and the Gemini API Additional Terms of Service for further details.

3.4 AI accuracy and limitations

AI-generated responses may occasionally contain inaccuracies, outdated information, omissions, or unintended interpretations. The assistant is an informational tool. Its responses do not independently constitute:

• Binding rental offers.
• Confirmed reservations.
• Guaranteed prices or availability.
• Changes to existing rental agreements.
• Authorization to occupy any property.
• Approval of guest eligibility.
• Legal, financial, or professional advice.

All material booking terms, pricing, and reservation arrangements must be confirmed through authorized Blackbell Estates communications or the applicable booking platform.

3.5 Sensitive information

Visitors should not submit sensitive personal information through the AI assistant. This includes passwords, payment card details, Social Security numbers, government identification numbers, confidential financial information, medical records, screening information, or other sensitive material. The assistant is designed for general property information rather than sensitive information collection.

3.6 Conversation retention

We do not store the content of chat conversations. A conversation is held only in your browser while the page is open and is cleared when you leave or reload the page. Our server processes each message to screen and answer it, without saving its content, and our error logs record technical details without message content.

Messages may still be temporarily processed by our hosting infrastructure as necessary for service operation and security. The AI provider's independent processing and retention practices are governed by its applicable terms and policies, as described in section 3.3.

4. Website Hosting and Security Infrastructure

Our website is hosted using Vercel and may utilize related hosting, deployment, serverless execution, and security services. Vercel may process technical information associated with website requests, network activity, application execution, infrastructure diagnostics, and security. If we use a separate database service to enforce chat rate limits, it stores only the hashed identifiers and request counts described in section 3.2.

Restricted application credentials, including API keys, are managed through protected server-side configuration and are not published through public website interfaces.

Blackbell Estates seeks to maintain reasonable technical safeguards suitable for the nature of the website and the information processed. Nevertheless, no website, hosting service, or internet-connected system can provide an absolute guarantee against unauthorized access, information exposure, or security incidents.

Additional information regarding Vercel's privacy practices may be found in the Vercel Privacy Notice.

5. Administrative Access

Restricted website management functions are intended for authorized administrators. Administrative authentication may be provided through Google authentication services and associated access-control mechanisms. Google may process authentication-related information in accordance with its applicable privacy terms.

Access to nonpublic administrative functions is restricted to authorized individuals. Administrative authentication information is not intended to be publicly displayed through the website.

6. Property Availability and Calendar Information

Blackbell Estates may display public availability calendars showing dates that are available, unavailable, or otherwise restricted for booking. These calendars are maintained through property management procedures and may incorporate availability information from external booking platforms.

Public availability displays are intended to communicate reservation status rather than guest identities. We do not intentionally publish private guest contact information, payment information, or personally identifying reservation records within public availability calendars.

Calendar information may not update instantaneously, and availability can change without prior notice. Displayed availability does not constitute a confirmed reservation or guarantee that particular dates remain available.

7. Reservations and Booking Inquiries

Blackbell Estates, including The Laughing Salamander, accepts reservation inquiries through direct communication, such as telephone and email, and may also advertise accommodations through third-party rental platforms.

Reservations are managed manually. Availability and rental rates may vary by date, season, duration of stay, and other applicable booking conditions.

Visitors who contact us regarding a reservation may voluntarily provide information such as their name, contact information, intended travel dates, number of guests, and relevant accommodation preferences. We use this information to:

• Respond to inquiries and confirm requested dates.
• Evaluate availability and accommodation requirements.
• Communicate rental pricing and conditions.
• Prepare rental agreements.
• Verify eligibility where permitted.
• Coordinate occupancy and guest services.
• Maintain necessary reservation records.

Our public availability calendar displays unavailable dates without intentionally disclosing guest identities or private reservation information.

A reservation is not confirmed merely because dates appear available or an inquiry has been submitted. Confirmation requires our express acceptance and completion of applicable booking requirements.

8. Pricing and Availability

Rental prices may change based on the property, month, season, length of stay, occupancy, and availability. Blackbell Estates may update rental pricing manually as business conditions change. Pricing information may be displayed on the website or communicated in response to an inquiry.

Where a rate on this website is labelled as an example, it is illustrative only and is not an offer or a verified price for that property.

We endeavor to keep published prices and availability accurate. Any applicable mandatory charges will be disclosed as required by law, and required total-price disclosures will be provided in the applicable advertising or booking context. Final reservation terms, charges, applicable taxes, and conditions will be communicated before the guest enters into a binding rental agreement.

Information relating to a requested quotation may be retained as reasonably necessary for legitimate reservation, accounting, and customer-service purposes.

9. Guest Verification and Screening

For certain reservations, depending on the property, rental duration, and applicable reservation requirements, we may require identity verification or other legally permissible screening before approving a booking.

Where applicable, screening will be conducted through authorized third-party service providers or other lawful processes. We may receive screening outcomes or limited information necessary to evaluate booking eligibility, such as verification results or relevant rental history.

Screening information will be used only for legitimate reservation-related purposes, and access to it is limited, subject to applicable privacy, consumer-reporting, and anti-discrimination laws. Where the Fair Credit Reporting Act or similar laws apply, we will provide appropriate disclosures, obtain necessary authorizations, provide any required adverse-action notices, and honor applicable consumer rights. Any such disclosures and authorizations will be provided separately, not through this website.

We seek to avoid collecting or storing sensitive identification documents, Social Security numbers, or full consumer reports directly through our public website. Visitors should not submit screening information through the public AI assistant.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Blackbell Estates does not intentionally deploy third-party advertising trackers, behavioral advertising pixels, analytics services, or cross-site advertising profiling technologies on this website. The website itself does not set cookies; it uses your browser's local storage only for the accessibility settings described in section 2.5.

Our hosting infrastructure, authentication systems, and technical service providers may use cookies, tokens, or similar mechanisms necessary for security, authentication, or essential functionality. Technical information processed for these purposes may be subject to the applicable provider's privacy practices.

If additional analytics, advertising, or nonessential tracking services are introduced, we will update this Privacy Policy and implement any legally required notices or choices.

California Do Not Track disclosures

Some browsers can send a "Do Not Track" signal or similar setting, such as Global Privacy Control. Because we do not track visitors over time or across third-party websites, and do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, there is no such tracking for these signals to switch off. We do not change how the website operates in response to them.

We do not knowingly allow third parties to collect personally identifiable information about your online activities over time and across different websites when you use our website. The content delivery providers described in section 2.6 receive technical request information under their own policies.

11. How We Use Information

Blackbell Estates may use information described in this policy to:

• Operate, maintain, and secure our website.
• Provide property listings and general information.
• Respond to visitor and guest inquiries.
• Support AI-assisted informational services.
• Display property availability.
• Communicate rental pricing and booking terms.
• Coordinate and administer reservations.
• Perform authorized verification or screening.
• Maintain necessary business records.
• Detect and investigate suspicious activity.
• Address disputes and protect legal rights.
• Comply with applicable laws and legal obligations.

Information will not knowingly be used for materially unrelated purposes without appropriate notice or other legally required authorization.

12. Disclosure and Sharing of Information

Blackbell Estates does not sell personal information collected through its website, and does not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Information may be disclosed when reasonably necessary to operate our services or fulfill legitimate business and legal obligations. Potential recipients may include:

• Website hosting and infrastructure providers.
• Content delivery providers for fonts, scripts, and images.
• AI processing providers.
• Authentication and security providers.
• Authorized booking platforms.
• Guest verification or screening providers.
• Authorized property owners or managers where necessary to administer a reservation.
• Professional advisers, including accountants and legal counsel.
• Government authorities or other recipients where disclosure is legally required.

We may also disclose information when reasonably necessary to investigate suspected fraud, protect safety, respond to lawful legal process, enforce applicable agreements, or establish or defend legal claims.

In connection with a legitimate business reorganization, ownership transfer, or asset transaction, relevant information may be transferred where legally permissible and subject to applicable safeguards.

13. Third-Party Booking Platforms

Blackbell Estates may advertise properties or facilitate reservations through independent third-party platforms, including Airbnb and Vrbo. Visitors who access these platforms are subject to the applicable platform's terms and privacy policies.

Third-party booking providers may independently collect and process payment information, reservation records, identification details, and other information necessary to deliver their services.

Blackbell Estates does not process payment card transactions through its public website. However, we may receive reservation-related information from booking providers when necessary to manage accommodations, communicate with guests, or fulfill booking obligations.

14. Data Retention

Blackbell Estates seeks to retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, meet legitimate business needs, and comply with applicable legal requirements. Our current retention practices are:

• Chat conversations: not stored by us (see section 3.6).
• Chat rate-limit records: hashed identifiers and request counts, deleted automatically within 24 hours.
• Accessibility settings: kept on your own device until you reset them or clear your browser's site data.
• Technical and security logs: kept by our hosting provider according to its log retention settings.
• Inquiries that do not become reservations: [Insert retention period, e.g. deleted within 12 months].
• Reservation records and related communications: [Insert retention period, e.g. 7 years for tax and accounting].
• Screening outcomes, where applicable: [Insert retention period], with access limited to those who need it.

Information processed by independent service providers, including AI and booking providers, may be subject to separate retention schedules and legal obligations. Where reasonably practicable and legally appropriate, information that is no longer needed will be deleted, anonymized, or securely disposed of.

15. Information Security

We seek to implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the information processed. Such measures may include encrypted website connections, restricted administrative access, server-side credential management, secure authentication, access controls, automated screening and rate limiting of the AI assistant, and maintenance of hosting infrastructure. We may review and update security measures as technology, operational requirements, and relevant risks evolve.

Despite these precautions, no method of electronic storage or internet transmission is completely secure. Accordingly, Blackbell Estates cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, technical vulnerabilities, data loss, or other security incidents will never occur. Where applicable law requires notification or other action following a security incident, we will take appropriate steps to meet those obligations.

16. Children's Privacy

Our website is intended primarily for adults interested in rental accommodations and property-related information. It is not directed toward children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under 13 through our public website.

If we discover that personal information has been collected from a child in circumstances requiring corrective action, we will take appropriate steps consistent with applicable law, including deleting the information.

17. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law and individual circumstances, individuals may have certain rights relating to their personal information. These may include rights to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information we hold, or information regarding specific processing activities.

To review or request changes to personal information you have provided to us, or to make any other privacy request, contact us at [Insert Privacy Contact Email]. We will review privacy requests and respond in accordance with applicable legal obligations. Certain requests may be subject to reasonable identity verification, lawful retention requirements, or other applicable exceptions.

We will not discriminate against anyone for exercising their privacy rights.

18. International Visitors and Data Processing

Blackbell Estates operates in the United States. Information processed through the website or associated third-party services may be transferred to or processed in the United States and other jurisdictions where authorized service providers maintain operations.

Privacy protections and legal requirements may vary between jurisdictions. Where additional legal obligations apply to international processing or transfers, we will address them as required by applicable law.

19. External Websites

Our website may contain links to independently operated websites and services. Blackbell Estates does not control the independent privacy practices, information security, or content of external websites. This Privacy Policy does not govern information submitted directly to third-party services outside our control. Visitors should review the applicable third-party privacy policies and terms before providing personal information.

20. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in website features, business operations, service providers, information-processing practices, or legal requirements. When we do, we will post the revised policy on this page and update the "Last updated" date at the top. Where a change is material, we will also display a notice on the website, and where additional notice or consent is legally required, appropriate measures will be implemented.

The current version of this Privacy Policy will remain accessible through the link in the footer of every page of our website.

21. Business Ownership and Operating Structure

Blackbell Estates currently operates as an unincorporated, family-run rental management business. The Blackbell Estates name identifies the business operating or marketing the applicable services and does not, by itself, establish a separate incorporated legal entity.

References to Blackbell Estates in this Privacy Policy include the individual or legal operator responsible for the business, together with authorized personnel acting on that operator's behalf, as applicable. Any future change in business structure, including formation of a limited liability company, will be reflected in our business records and relevant legal disclosures as appropriate.

22. Contact Information

For questions, concerns, privacy requests, or information regarding this Privacy Policy, contact: