Privacy Policy

Introduction

Quest Serviced Apartments Pty Ltd (ACN 119 523 483) ("QSA") together with its Associates (collectively referred to as “Quest”, "us", "we") provides intellectual property, services, skills and facilities required for the acquisition, establishment, sale and operational support of franchises operating under the Quest brand.

In addition, Associates of Quest are also involved in the sale of properties used in Quest businesses under lease or similar arrangements (“Quest Associates” means any individuals or entities described in section 318 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth)).

Franchise businesses operating and providing accommodation services under the ‘Quest’ brand are independent entities from QSA.

Application of this Policy

 

In this privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”), the term ‘Personal Information’ has the meaning set out in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (“Privacy Act”). 

In general terms, Personal Information is information (whether that information is a fact or an opinion) about an individual who is identified, or who is reasonably identifiable, from that information or other information combined with that information.

Some types of Personal Information are classified as ‘Sensitive Information’. These are subject to additional protection under the Privacy Act. Sensitive Information may include information about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or health.

This Privacy Policy:

explains how Quest manages the Personal Information that we collect, how we use and disclose it, how to seek access to and correction of the Personal Information that we hold about you, how to contact us if you have any complaints or queries about our management of your Personal Information, and how we will deal with complaints;

applies to the services provided by Quest (both online, including via our website at www.questapartmeaustr.sbs ("Website") and the Quest App, and offline); and

is intended to apply generally in respect of the Personal Information that is collected and handled by each entity within the Quest group, which includes Quest and all Quest franchisees.

QSA and some of its Associates are subject to the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act (“APPs”) in relation to their handling of Personal Information. While some franchisees and Associates might not directly be subject to the Privacy Act in relation to their information handling practices, this Privacy Policy will generally apply to them. 

 

Index:

  1. Changes and updates to this Policy
  2. Quest contact details
  3. The kinds of Personal Information we collect
  4. How we collect Personal Information
  5. Analytics
  6. The purposes for which we collect, hold and use Personal Information
  7. To whom we disclose Personal Information
  8. Disclosure of Personal Information overseas
  9. How you may access your Personal Information and seek its correction
  10. How we hold Personal Information and keep it secure
  11. Complaint process and further information

1. Changes and updates to this Policy

QSA will review and may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect its current practices, business arrangements and legal obligations. The updated policy will be available on our Website and any changes will apply when the updated version is posted on our Website (or when the changes are otherwise notified to you, if earlier).

You should review this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure that you are updated on any changes.  By continuing to use or access our Website, products or services after the posting or notification of an updated version of this Privacy Policy, you agree that the updated version will apply.

You may also obtain a copy of our latest Privacy Policy via our Website, or by contacting us using the contact details in section 2 below. 

2. Quest Contact details

 

Contact details for privacy related enquiries, complaints, requests and feedback in relation to this Privacy Policy are as follows:
Quest Serviced Apartments Pty Ltd
Privacy Officer
Level 7, 87 Wellington Street
Collingwood
Victoria, 3066, Australia
Phone +61 3 8699 1500
Fax +61 3 8699 1555
email: privacy@questapartmeaustr.sbs

 

3. The kinds of Personal Information we collect

 

The types of Personal Information that we collect from you depend on our relationship with you, the circumstances of collection, and the type of service you request from us.  The kinds of Personal Information that we may collect include:

  • your contact information such as your first and last name, gender, date of birth, telephone number, current and valid email address and home address;
  • credit card information;
  • if you use a corporate account, your employer details and corporate account details;
  • in the case of customers using the Quest App – usage data on how customers interact with the Quest App, including access dates and times, app features or pages viewed, browser type, app crashes and other system activity;
  • technical information and general analytics, such as web browser type and browsing preferences, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, date/time stamps, IP address, time zone and geolocation data (if applicable), some of which is collected automatically, arising from your use of our Website and/or platforms, as well as information about your usage of our Website and/or platforms when browsing;
  • information regarding your work or prospective work (whether as an employee or contractor) with QSA, Quest Associates, other Quest entities or with a Quest franchise, including criminal record checks, passport and visa information, and professional memberships;
  • information on your customer profile about your guest bookings and stays at Quest accommodation, such as check-in/out details, total spend over time, properties booked, identity verification information such as your driver's licence or passport, information relating to in-house services and facilities required and used, and incidents related to your stay;
  • information regarding your preferences when engaging with QSA, Quest Associates, other Quest entities or a Quest franchise, including information and analytics related to your preferred services and interests;
  • information regarding your prospective application to operate a Quest franchise including criminal records check, passport and visa information, professional memberships, your attendance at our franchisee events, your business experience, financial resources and credit worthiness;
  • for existing franchisees, information relating to the operational and financial performance, position and plans of your Quest franchise, your attendances at our franchisee events;
  • such other information that is relevant for us to provide our services to you in the manner that you have requested, or to comply with the law; and
  • other information you choose to share with us in connection with your dealings with us, or use of our services.

We do not collect Sensitive Information about you unless you choose to provide it to us – such as health information about your accessibility requirements when you book to stay with us.  However, if you provide such information to us, we will only collect that information with your express consent and only where such information is reasonably required in order for us to provide our services to you. 

Where possible, you will have the option of remaining anonymous, or of using a pseudonym, when dealing with us.  However, it may be impracticable for us to deal with you, or to provide services to you, where you have not identified yourself, or where you are using a pseudonym – such as where you wish to make a booking or manage your customer profile.

 

4. How we collect Personal Information

 

We may collect your Personal Information from a number of channels, including but not limited to, when you:

  • use our services, partner with us, attend our events, or make bookings with or stay at Quest accommodation;
  • apply to work with us or with a Quest franchise (whether as an employee or contractor);
  • enter or use one of our surveys, competitions or promotions;
  • engage with us using mobile applications (including the Quest App), or via SMS, MMS, or instant messaging;
  • submit forms to us (whether via the Website, Quest App, or otherwise);
  • browse our Website;
  • engage with us through our social media accounts (such as LinkedIn and Facebook);
  • sign-up or register an account with us through any of the collection channels, or otherwise sign up to receive news and exclusive offers, promotions, or events; and
  • contact us or submit an enquiry or complaint, or provide feedback (including by email, our Website, or by telephone).

As well as collecting Personal Information directly from you, there may be occasions when we collect Personal Information about you from a third party. These third parties may include travel agents, our franchisees, financiers, business brokers and legal representatives.

While we will endeavour to maintain robust privacy practices, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties, including those mentioned above.  You should review their relevant privacy documentation to satisfy yourself as to how they protect and handle your Personal Information, including when they may share it with us.

 

5. Analytics

 

We use the information you provide us, as well as information collected through web technologies provided by third parties (including Google) to collect technical information and general analytics about how you use our Website and/or the Quest App, identify how we can improve our products and services, and provide you with advertising or information that we believe is relevant to you.  These technologies may include cookies, log files, web beacons, tags, and pixels.

The information collected may include:

  • How you arrive at our Website or the Quest App;
  • Which parts of the Website and Quest App are viewed, and for how long, including the viewing time and date;
  • The general geographical locations of visitors (as indicated by the network or internet service provider they use) and the speed of their internet connections; and
  • Technical information about the computers or devices used to access the Website and Quest App, including the operating systems, browsers, plug-ins, screen types and default languages.

To opt out of analytics, you can download a browser add-on from Google. Alternatively, you can set your browser to refuse or delete cookies from Google Analytics. Check your browser's help information to find out how.

Our Website may from time to time contain advertisements placed by third party companies or links with other websites. The websites associated with those third-party companies or accessed via these links may contain similar technologies and collect Personal Information by different methods.  We do not control the collection or use of Personal Information by these third parties, and we strongly suggest that you check their privacy policies before providing them with any Personal Information.

QSA does not monitor these sites and is not responsible for their content.  If you link to another website you do so at your own risk.  QSA makes no warranties regarding these websites. QSA is not responsible for any privacy policies or practices of any sites linked to our Website. QSA is not responsible for the removal of your Personal Information from any third party to whom your Personal Information has been provided in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

 

6. The purposes for which we collect, hold and use Personal Information

 

We may use your Personal Information for any of the following primary purposes:

  • for the purpose for which it was collected from you at the time you gave us the particular information;
  • to provide, administer, improve and personalise our services (including the Website and Quest App), and to manage customer accounts (individual and corporate);
  • to contact you about your prospective application for a Quest franchise or your existing Quest franchise;
  • to train our staff;
  • to test our systems;
  • to distribute our newsletters, brochures and other communications either ourselves or with the assistance of third party service providers regarding Quest franchising;
  • for customer support, including for providing assistance in resolving complaints or responding to other enquiries or requests;
  • to conduct marketing and analytics activities related to our services and Quest franchises, and to conduct market and other research to improve our services and marketing activities;
  • to maintain internal business records and to comply with our legal obligations;
  • to gain insights about you so that we can serve you better, understand your preferences and interests, personalise your experience and/or enhance products and services you are offered and receive;
  • to better understand how we can provide services to you, and to other people like you;
  • to prevent, detect and investigate suspicious, fraudulent, criminal or other activity that may cause you, us or others harm, including in relation to our products and services;
  • to comply with our legal obligations such as notifying you of matters that we may be required by law to do so; and
  • to contact you regarding any of the above, including via electronic messaging such as SMS and email, by mail, by phone or in any other lawful manner.

We may also use or disclose your Personal Information for our administrative, marketing (including direct marketing), planning, product or service development, quality control, survey and research purposes, for other purposes to which you have consented, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Technical information and general analytics are used for the purpose of gauging visitor traffic, trends and delivering personalised content to you while you are using our Website, to improve our Website and our products and services, and for the other purposes set out above.

We may combine Personal Information we receive about you with other information we hold about you for the purposes set out above, where permitted by law. 

Direct marketing and opting out

With your consent (which may be inferred or express) we will use your Personal Information to communicate with you by mail, telephone, email or SMS for direct marketing purposes in order to tell you about our products and services, promotion and offers, events that we think may be of interest to you – including based on your preferences and insights we identify about you.

You may at any time opt out of receiving any direct marketing from us by emailing the Privacy Officer (refer to the contact details in section 2 above) or by following the prompts in the relevant direct marketing communication.

Automated decision making

We may use limited Personal Information about you to help us make decisions about some of the promotional and marketing materials we share with you.  

 

7. To whom we disclose personal information

 

For the purposes described above, we may disclose your Personal Information to:

  • our service providers, contractors, agents, other business partners within QSA and other entities who assist us in providing our services to you (for example, lawyers, conveyancers, financiers, property valuers, and technology service providers);
  • external providers of services where you have engaged us to act as your agent;
  • members of the Quest group as necessary and appropriate for the services that you have requested;
  • other service providers, who provide the various services that you have requested and we have arranged;
  • third parties who provide us with promotional, research, marketing or advertising services or who conduct market research and analysis on our behalf;
  • our related companies;
  • our professional advisers;
  • an entity, including a government agency, to whom we are required by law to disclose your Personal Information;
  • to third parties as required to provide our services or to meet the purposes for which the Personal Information was collected;
  • any potential third party acquirer of our business or assets, and advisors to that third party;
  • to third parties you otherwise authorise us to; and
  • any other person required by law.

If we disclose your Personal Information to third parties, we will use reasonable commercial efforts to ensure that those third parties use your Personal Information only as reasonably required for the purpose of the disclosure and in a manner consistent with applicable laws, for example (where commercially practical) by including suitable privacy and confidentiality clauses in our agreements with those third party service providers to whom we disclose your Personal Information.

8. Disclosure of Personal Information overseas 

We may disclose your Personal Information for the purpose for which it was collected to overseas recipients, including our service providers, which include entities within or associated with QSA.  It is not practicable to list all jurisdictions, but they may commonly include the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, China, India, Philippines, New Zealand, the European Union, Chile, Taiwan, Japan and Fiji in accordance with our obligations under the APPs. 

9. How you may access your Personal Information and seek its correction (or deletion)

 

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the Personal Information that we collect, use and disclose is accurate, complete and up to date. You can request access to, and seek correction of, the Personal Information that we hold about you at any time, by contacting the Privacy Officer (refer to section 2 for contact details).

Where you request access to Personal Information we hold about you, we will provide that access to the requested Personal Information within a reasonable time following receipt of your request, unless there is an exemption which applies under the APPs. We may charge reasonable fees for supplying you with access to your Personal Information.  However, we will not charge you for the making of the request or to correct or update your information.

Where you request that we correct your Personal Information, and we agree that the information needs to be corrected, we will update it. If we do not agree, you can request that we make a record of your correction request with the relevant information.

If we refuse to provide you with access to your Personal Information or to correct it, we will notify you of our reasons for our decision to the extent required and, how you may complain about our decision.

 

10. How we hold Personal Information and keep it secure

 

We hold your Personal Information in a combination of physical records and electronic files which may be located at QSA’s corporate office.  The information is stored on secure servers that are protected in controlled facilities. We also use third party information system providers who may store or have access to your Personal Information.  We take commercially reasonable steps to ensure such third parties store your information in a similarly secure manner.

We will take reasonable steps to keep your Personal Information that we hold secure from misuse, interference and loss and from unauthorised access, modification and disclosure. We have taken measures to help secure any Personal Information you submit via our Website.  These measures include but are not limited to the use of secure website channels. Internet browsers provide users with a positive visual clue that they are at a secure website.

However, the Internet is inherently insecure, and so we cannot guarantee the security of transmission of Personal Information that is disclosed to us online.  Accordingly, you transmit your Personal Information to us online at your own risk and you are encouraged to exercise care in sending Personal Information via the internet.

Generally, we will retain your Personal Information for the period necessary for the purposes for which your Personal Information was collected (as outlined in this Privacy Policy) unless a longer retention period is required by law or if it is reasonably necessary for us to comply with our legal obligations, resolve a dispute or maintain security.

We will take reasonable steps to delete or de-identify your Personal Information when we no longer require it for any of the purposes for which we can use it, and we do not otherwise need to retain it by law.

 

11. Complaint process and further information 

 

If you have any concerns in relation to the handling of your Personal Information or wish to make a complaint, please direct these in writing to the Privacy Officer (refer to section 2 for contact details). We may need to verify your identity and ask for further information in order to investigate and respond to your concern or complaint.  We will aim to respond to you within a reasonable time and generally within 14 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

More information about the Privacy Act and the APPs and how to complain is available from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner via:

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner

GPO Box 5218

Sydney NSW 2001

Phone:  1300 363 992

Online: www.oaic.gov.au

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

This Privacy Policy was last updated: September 2026