A simple QR Code lends hoteliers, guests and the environment a helping hand.

When you stay in a hotel for several nights, do you really need your room cleaned every morning? The start-up Simon & Josef have come up with an innovative solution that finally lets the hotel guests decide if and when they would like the housekeeping team to pass by their room.

The principle is simple, “As soon as the guests arrive in the room, they scan a QR code using a smartphone to access a questionnaire,” explains Raphaël Gaudart, co-founder – alongside Markus Aeby – of Simon & Josef. The first question on the survey is, “Would you like your room cleaned tomorrow ?” If the hotel guests answer no, the questionnaire closes automatically and housekeeping staff will bypass the room the next day. If the answer is yes, the guests can stipulate what housekeeping services they require: bed-making, vacuuming, fresh towels, etc. The whole selection process is over in a matter of seconds.

Smaller carbon footprint

This platform offers an array of benefits. Process optimizations means that the hotel owners use fewer natural resources and reduce their costs. “Our system also replaces the famous red and green ‘Do not disturb’ and ‘Please make up this room’ cards, which means the housekeeping team no longer wastes precious time going back and forth to check whether the guest has vacated the room or not,” adds Gaudart. For the guests, the platform lets them enjoy customized room service while reducing their carbon footprint into the bargain “Our flexible and modern solution avoids waste and is better for the environment. This has a positive impact on not only the owner’s bottom line but also the customer experience. It’s a win-win all round!”

In the future, the Simon & Josef platform could see some promising developments. According to the start-up co-founder, “We have already identified a number of new fields of application, such as managing other services like the minibar, breakfast and even the restaurant. There is huge potential out there and we are carefully listening to and working closely with hotel owners.” Given its growing list of hotel partners, it is clear that Simon & Josef are tapping into a real need in the market.