Cookie Policy
Last Updated: June 28, 2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to Swiss Chalet ("we," "us," or "our"). We are committed to being transparent about how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website, swis-chalets.com. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how we use them, the types of cookies we deploy, and how you can control or disable them.
This policy is designed to comply with applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), as well as guidelines set out by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC). We also align our practices with the international standards established by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, considered a global benchmark for data privacy.
We encourage you to read this Cookie Policy carefully. If you have any questions, please contact us using the details provided at the end of this document.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-connected device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website owners to make their websites work efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information and enable personalized experiences.
Cookies are sent back to the originating website on each subsequent visit, or to another website that recognizes that cookie. Cookies allow a website to recognize a user's device and store certain information about your preferences or past actions. They do not typically contain personal information such as your name or payment details, but they may be linked to such information if you have provided it to us directly.
Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, Swiss Chalet) are called first-party cookies. Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called third-party cookies. Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website, such as advertising, interactive content, and analytics. The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognize your computer both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.
3. How Do Cookies Work?
When you visit swis-chalets.com, our web server sends a cookie to your browser, which stores it on your device. The next time you visit our site, your browser sends the cookie back to our server. This process allows us to recognize you as a returning visitor and tailor your experience accordingly.
Cookies can be either session cookies or persistent cookies:
- Session Cookies: These cookies are temporary and are deleted from your device when you close your browser. They help us track your movements from page to page so you don't have to re-enter information you've already provided during a single visit.
- Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a set period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time you visit the website that created that particular cookie. Persistent cookies help us recognize you as an existing user, so it's easier to return to our website and interact with our content without signing in again.
4. Types of Cookies We Use
We use the following categories of cookies on swis-chalets.com:
4.1 Strictly Necessary (Essential) Cookies
These cookies are essential for the operation of our website. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. Without these cookies, services you have asked for — such as navigating pages or accessing secure areas of the website — cannot be provided. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for marketing purposes. You cannot opt out of these cookies as they are required for the website to function properly.
4.2 Analytics and Performance 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. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site.
We use Google Analytics for this purpose, which is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit our website, what pages they visit, and what other websites they used prior to coming to ours. We use this information solely to improve our website and user experience.
4.3 Functional 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. The information these cookies collect may be anonymized, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.
4.4 Advertising and Targeting Cookies
These cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you. They perform functions like preventing the same advertisement from continuously reappearing, ensuring that advertisements are properly displayed for advertisers, and in some cases selecting advertisements that are based on your interests. They may be placed by our advertising partners and used to build a profile of your interests to display relevant advertisements on other websites.
We use Google Ads cookies to track conversions and serve targeted advertisements. These cookies may be shared with our advertising partners, including Google LLC and its affiliates.
5. Specific Cookies We Use
The table below provides detailed information about the specific cookies used on swis-chalets.com, including their names, purposes, types, and durations:
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics | Registers a unique ID used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. Used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. | Analytics (Third-Party) | 2 years |
_gid |
Google Analytics | Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited and is used to count and track pageviews. | Analytics (Third-Party) | 24 hours |
_gat |
Google Analytics | Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate and limit the collection of data on high traffic sites. This cookie reduces the number of requests made to Google's servers. | Analytics (Third-Party) | 1 minute |
_gcl_au |
Google Ads | Used by Google AdSense to experiment with advertisement efficiency across websites using their services. Stores and tracks conversions and helps measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. | Advertising (Third-Party) | 90 days |
_fbp |
Facebook (Meta) | Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers. Helps track user behavior across websites for targeted advertising. | Advertising (Third-Party) | 90 days |
session_id |
Swiss Chalet (swis-chalets.com) | Maintains the user's session state across page requests. Essential for core website functionality such as user navigation and cart management. | Essential (First-Party) | Session |
csrf_token |
Swiss Chalet (swis-chalets.com) | Helps prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks by verifying that requests are made from authenticated users. A critical security cookie. | Essential (First-Party) | Session |
user_preferences |
Swiss Chalet (swis-chalets.com) | Stores user preferences such as language selection, region, and display settings to provide a personalized and consistent browsing experience. | Functional (First-Party) | 1 year |
cookie_consent |
Swiss Chalet (swis-chalets.com) | Records the user's cookie consent preferences to ensure that only cookies that have been consented to are loaded on subsequent visits. | Essential (First-Party) | 1 year |
_hjSessionUser |
Hotjar | Ensures data from subsequent visits to the same site are attributed to the same user ID. Used for heatmaps and session recording to understand user behavior on the site. | Analytics (Third-Party) | 1 year |
6. Third-Party Cookies and Services
In addition to our own cookies, we may use various third-party services on our website. These third parties may place cookies on your device when you visit our site. We do not have control over these third-party cookies and they are governed by the respective privacy policies of those third parties. The main third-party services we use include:
6.1 Google LLC
Google provides us with analytics and advertising services, including Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google Tag Manager. Google may use the data collected through its cookies to personalize and measure the effectiveness of ads across the web. For more information, please visit Google's Privacy Policy.
6.2 Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook)
We may use the Facebook Pixel and related tools to measure the effectiveness of our advertising, build audience segments, and retarget users who have previously visited our website. For more information, please visit Meta's Privacy Policy.
6.3 Hotjar Ltd.
We use Hotjar to better understand how users interact with our website, including heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback tools. For more information, please visit Hotjar's Privacy Policy.
7. How to Manage and Disable Cookies
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can exercise your cookie preferences through our Cookie Consent Banner, which appears when you first visit our website. You may also control cookies through your browser settings at any time.
7.1 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can configure your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. The following links provide instructions for managing cookies in the most commonly used browsers:
- Google Chrome: Manage Cookies
- Mozilla Firefox: Manage Cookies
- Apple Safari: Manage Cookies
- Microsoft Edge: Manage Cookies
- Opera: Manage Cookies
Please note that if you disable cookies through your browser settings, some parts of our website may not function correctly or at all. In particular, essential cookies cannot be disabled without significantly affecting your ability to use our website.
7.2 Opt-Out Tools Provided by Third Parties
You may also use the following opt-out tools to prevent the collection and use of your data by specific third-party services:
- Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.
- Google Ads Personalization: You can manage or opt out of Google's use of cookies for advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
- Facebook (Meta) Ads Preferences: You can manage your Facebook ad preferences and opt out of interest-based advertising by visiting Facebook Ad Preferences.
- Hotjar Opt-Out: You can opt out of Hotjar's tracking by visiting Hotjar's Opt-Out Page.
- Your Online Choices (Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada): You can manage advertising preferences for many companies through the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC).
- Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): You may also use the NAI Opt-Out Tool to opt out of targeted advertising from NAI member companies.
8. Impact of Disabling Cookies
While you have the right to disable or restrict cookies, doing so may have a significant impact on your experience of our website. Below is a summary of what you may experience if you choose to disable different categories of cookies:
| Cookie Type | Impact of Disabling |
|---|---|
| Essential Cookies | The website may not function correctly. Core features such as secure login, navigation, and form submission may be broken or unavailable. |
| Analytics Cookies | We will not be able to track visits and usage patterns, which limits our ability to improve the website and user experience. Your visit will still work normally. |
| Functional Cookies | Your saved preferences such as language and display settings will not be remembered between visits. You may need to re-enter these settings each time you visit. |
| Advertising Cookies | You will still see advertisements, but they will no longer be tailored to your interests or past browsing behavior. You may see less relevant ads. |
9. Cookies and Canadian Privacy Law
In Canada, the collection of personal information through cookies is governed primarily by PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). Under PIPEDA, organizations must obtain meaningful consent from individuals before or at the time of collecting their personal information, including through cookies where such cookies may be linked to identifiable information.
In addition to PIPEDA, organizations operating in certain provinces may also be subject to provincial privacy legislation, including:
- Alberta: Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
- British Columbia: Personal Information Protection Act (BC PIPA)
- Quebec: Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Law 25 / Bill 64)
Swiss Chalet is committed to complying with all applicable Canadian privacy laws, including any amendments or updates. We also align our cookie practices with the principles of the GDPR, which serves as the global benchmark for responsible data privacy practices. This means we strive to obtain explicit, informed consent before placing any non-essential cookies on your device.
10. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, regulation, or our business practices. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of the policy. We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
Where changes are material, we may also notify you through a prominent notice on our website or via email, where appropriate. Your continued use of swis-chalets.com after any changes to this Cookie Policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently.