★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 Star Travel Guru
  • Journal
  • Guru Luxury Shop
  • Work With Me
  • ✦ Luxury Shop
  • ✦ Concierge
Contact Inquire Within
Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective April 2026

5 Star Travel Guru respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding that information when you visit 5startravelguru.com (the "Site") or interact with our services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in three ways:

Automatically through analytics. Like most websites, we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Site. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time spent on pages, and approximate geographic location derived from IP address. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.

Through affiliate tracking. When you click an affiliate link on the Site, the affiliate partner (such as Commission Junction, Travelpayouts, or Amazon Associates) places a cookie on your device to track whether your click results in a qualifying purchase or booking. We do not receive your personal information from these cookies — only aggregated click and commission data. Each affiliate partner operates under its own privacy policy.

When you voluntarily provide it. If you contact us by email, book a consultation through our Calendly link, submit a form on the Site, or interact with the Guru Concierge tool, we may receive your name, email address, and any other information you choose to share.

2. The Guru Concierge Tool

The Guru Concierge is an AI-powered tool that generates travel itineraries and recommendations based on prompts submitted by users. When you use the Concierge:

  • The text you submit as a prompt is sent to our AI service provider (Anthropic, operator of Claude) for processing.
  • Anthropic processes the prompt to generate a response and returns it to the Site. Anthropic does not use inputs from the Site to train their models by default.
  • We may log prompt content, response content, and timestamps to monitor usage, improve the tool, and prevent abuse.
  • Do not submit personal identifying information (full legal names, passport numbers, credit card numbers, home addresses, etc.) to the Guru Concierge. It is designed for destination and itinerary inspiration, not confidential travel planning.

3. How We Use Information

We use collected information to:

  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its features;
  • Understand which content resonates with readers;
  • Respond to inquiries, consultation bookings, and press requests;
  • Track affiliate referrals and reconcile commissions;
  • Prevent fraudulent, abusive, or illegal use of the Site;
  • Comply with legal obligations.

4. Cookies & Tracking

The Site uses cookies for analytics (Google Analytics) and affiliate tracking. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, though some Site functionality may be affected. Affiliate partners place their own cookies when you click affiliate links — we do not control those cookies and they are governed by each partner's privacy policy.

5. Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

  • Service providers who operate the Site (hosting, analytics, email, AI processing);
  • Affiliate partners, to the extent their tracking cookies record click and conversion events;
  • Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law or to protect our legal rights.

6. Data Retention

Analytics data is retained according to Google Analytics settings. Inquiry and consultation booking information is retained only as long as necessary to provide the service and comply with legal obligations. Concierge logs are retained for a reasonable period to monitor tool quality.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of that information. California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). EU residents have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@5startravelguru.com.

8. Children

The Site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through the Site, contact us and we will remove it promptly.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and administrative measures to protect information processed through the Site. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Visitors

The Site is operated from the United States. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country of residence. By using the Site, you consent to this transfer.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Effective" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to info@5startravelguru.com.

5 Star Travel Guru · A publication of Really Cool Ideas, Inc.
Curating the world's finest travel experiences across 60+ countries.

5 Star Travel Guru

© 2026 5 Star Travel Guru · All Rights Reserved