Privacy Policy

Hostella (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting the personal information of students and hostel partners who use our platform. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights over it.

By creating an account or using Hostella, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services.

We collect information in three ways:

1. Information you provide

• Full name, email address, and phone number during registration
• Student ID or university enrolment details for verification
• Profile photo (optional)
• Booking details including preferred room type and move-in dates
• Payment information (processed securely via third-party providers)
• Messages sent through our in-app chat or contact form

2. Information collected automatically

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, device model, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent, and click paths within the platform
• Referral source (e.g. search engine or link)

3. Information from third parties

• Mobile money transaction confirmations from MTN, Telecel, or AirtelTigo when processing payments
• Publicly available hostel information used to build and verify listings

We use your data to:

• Create and manage your student account
• Process and confirm room bookings
• Facilitate communication between you and hostel administrators
• Send booking confirmations, payment receipts, and important notices
• Verify student eligibility for discounts or specific room types
• Improve platform features based on usage patterns
• Send occasional product updates or promotions (you can opt out at any time)
• Detect and prevent fraudulent activity
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for automated profiling that produces legal effects.

We share your information only as necessary and only with the following parties:

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services:

• Account data is kept until you request deletion or for up to 3 years after your last active session
• Booking records are retained for 5 years for financial and legal compliance
• Support correspondence is retained for 2 years after resolution

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

You have the following rights over your personal data. To exercise any of them, contact us at privacy@hostellapp.com.

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand how the platform is used.

• Essential cookies — required for authentication and session management
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how features are used so we can improve them
• Preference cookies — remember settings like language and display preferences

You can disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Note that some features may not function correctly without them.

Our security measures include:

• HTTPS encryption on all data in transit
• Encrypted storage of sensitive fields
• Role-based access controls for internal staff
• Regular security reviews and vulnerability assessments

If you suspect any unauthorised access, contact us immediately at security@hostellapp.com.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and notify you by email or in-app notice if the changes are material. Continued use of Hostella after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

For any privacy-related queries, contact our Data Protection team:

Or visit our Contact page to reach us directly.