Mobile App for Housekeeping Service
We built a mobile app that streamlines hotel housekeeping control.
Client
The client has been running a chain of two- and three-star hotels for many years. He knows from experience that positive reviews don’t depend on room size or fancy equipment—the key to guest satisfaction is spotless rooms.
Over time, he adopted a mixed housekeeping model: public areas were outsourced to cleaning companies, while guest rooms were handled by his own staff. Each housekeeper was responsible for about 15 rooms per day, with each hotel accommodating 300–400 rooms.
How do you fairly distribute workloads across staff? How do you track individual performance in a single property? And what if you’re managing a dozen hotels across the country?
Challenges
For years, the client managed housekeeping operations using off-the-shelf desktop software. But these tools were little more than basic planners: they could print schedules and generate nominal reports for each employee, yet offered no real automation. The result was frequent errors and recurring organizational issues that pulled focus away from business growth.
Realizing this approach wasn’t sustainable, the client began exploring custom development. He ran the numbers—calculating not just the cost of development, but the potential savings from optimization. The conclusion was clear: the investment would pay off quickly through reduced expenses. In 2022, he started looking for a development partner.
We quickly realized that the right answer to his challenge was artificial intelligence—specifically, computer vision (CV).
AI Back in Action
Recognizing images, classifying objects, spotting defects or inconsistencies—computer vision is built for automating quality control. And we know how to make CV work in real business cases.
Beyond the App
The client needed a mobile application to monitor housekeeping directly on-site. An Android version alone was enough, which kept costs down.
But building the app was just the first step. To make the system fully functional, it also had to be integrated with the hotel’s PMS (Property Management System) and a custom admin panel.
How Hotel Operations Automation Works in Our App:
Task Assignment
– The app shows a daily task list with details for each cleaning zone, the allotted time, and the type of work required. A clear step-by-step plan ensures nothing gets overlooked.
– Push notifications alert staff to additional service requests in real time. Housekeepers can accept, decline, or reassign them to another team member.
Room Cleaning
– A housekeeper opens the task order and selects a status: “In Progress” when working on it, or “On Hold” if paused.
– There’s also an “Out of Order” status with a text field for comments. Any reported issue is instantly sent to the shift supervisor. While the room is being cleaned, a maintenance technician can handle minor repairs on the spot. This saves time and improves service—everything gets resolved quickly without disturbing the guest twice.
Completion & Quality Check
– After finishing, the housekeeper takes a photo of the room and uploads it through the app. The server processes the image, compares it with the “gold standard,” and returns a percentage match. Any areas that don’t meet the standard photo are highlighted in red—those spots must be revisited before the task is approved.
– Once the cleaning is done, the housekeeper sets the status to “Completed” and logs the time spent. All results are displayed in the admin panel, enabling full employee analytics, performance tracking, and process improvements.
Admin Panel
We developed the admin panel as a standalone module so housekeeping operations wouldn’t clutter the PMS for other users.
Through the admin panel, a manager can:
– Assign tasks and designate responsible staff.
– Select the type of work for each room.
– Receive real-time status updates on task progress.
– View analytics and generate reports.
Training the CV Model
During development, we trained the AI to evaluate the completeness of room cleaning. For each room, we collected full-size photos from multiple angles, along with data on its category and the types of work typically performed there. The dataset was then structured, cleaned of irrelevant details, and fed into the algorithm for processing.
PMS Integration
We built an API to connect the app with the PMS. This allows housekeeping statuses to update automatically, showing which rooms are ready for check-in and which are still in progress. The status also determines the type of cleaning required—for example, light daily cleaning or a full deep clean after a guest checks out.
Technologies
Backend
C++
Android
Kotlin
Library
OpenCV
Result
- Automation enabled the owner to allocate resources efficiently and balance staff workloads.
- Accurate planning and real-time monitoring directly improved both the quality and speed of room preparation.
- Guest loyalty also increased: spotless rooms are a hallmark of a good hotel. Higher ratings and positive reviews, in turn, attracted even more attention.
lower costs for staff, equipment, and supplies.
less paper use thanks to digital document management.
What happens next:
Having received and processed your request, we will reach you shortly to detail your project needs.
After examining requirements, our analysts and developers devise a project proposal with the scope of works, team size, time and cost estimates.
We arrange a meeting with you to discuss the offer and come to an agreement.
We sign a contract and start working on your project as quickly as possible.