A simple guide to the Blueground guest app

Imagine booking an apartment online from abroad, and then being able to keep track of every aspect of your reservation from the palm of your hand. With Blueground, that’s a reality.

As a home base for corporate travelers, expats and individual renters looking for flexibility, our fully-furnished and equipped apartments all come move-in ready upon arrival. Through a sleek and efficient mobile app, guests get to be in complete control of their stay.

The Blueground Guest App offers a user-friendly interface as the perfect, handheld assistant during monthly stays around the world. After you’ve booked an apartment from the Blueground website, you’ll then be able to access the app using the same email address that you used for your reservation.

A furnished bespoke apartment managed and designed by Blueground with a white couch and a brick accent wall. There are two black and white chairs in front of a wooden coffee table with lots of decorative elements on top.

Guests are able to schedule cleanings, request fresh towels and linens, or chat with the support team. There’s in-app instant messaging as well as a notification inbox, to keep track of all scheduled visits and updates.

Typically, when renting an apartment from a landlord, there’s a very different way to approach repairs and problems.

For instance, if a pipe bursts in the bathroom or the heating doesn’t seem to be working, the tenant will have to call the building manager or the landlord (depending on the previously agreed upon process). The timeframe will be vague depending on the landlord’s schedule and willingness to help. It’s certainly not the most productive system, and almost always leaves the guest feeling frustrated and inconvenienced.

Blueground offers fully-furnished, equipped and serviced apartments in some of the world’s most sought after cities.

Blueground’s approach empathizes with the guests, while our dedicated Operations and Client Experience teams follow up in a communicative and timely manner.

Tenant experiencing a plumbing issue? Do they want their laundry picked up? Have general feedback they’d like to report?

Tenants can submit maintenance & service requests through the app and be able to open a ticket that corresponds to their issues. Things like needing extra towels or another set of keys won’t be an inconvenience for too long.

All queries are addressed within 24hours, while additional support is always available via email and phone if needed. Also, you will be notified whenever there is an update on one of your requests or reports.

Fortunately, the app allows you to track the status of everything in one place.

This latest version has taken usability needs to the next level. From the very first log-in on the app, the property information is cached so that the tenants can get their location and amenity details without needing internet access. Requests have been recategorized for a more digital-first — and friendlier — guest experience, enabling tenants to prioritize certain requests so they can look forward to a shorter turnaround time with a more direct servicing of their needs.

Two screenshots from the Blueground Guest App display screen. One of the screenshots shows the Requests that have been issued by the guest. Then on the right side is the Live Chat and the Inbox that the guest can use to communicate with our team.

Originally, there were also too many access points for users which were complicated both for the internal Client Experience teams to manage and externally, for the guests trying to navigate the app.

Now, there is more of a seamless and uninterrupted flow. With one action happening at a time, the app becomes easier to use and it makes the User Experience aesthetics more appealing.

Blueground Guest App UI

Ekin Burak Ozturk, the app’s Product Manager, has been instrumental in the app’s revamp and readiness for guests:

“We want guests to trust that the mobile app is there to create a smoother living experience. Our app is a one-stop communication, service and information portal — whether you need instructions to enter the apartment, locating your parking spot or contacting a Client Experience agent in an emergency.”

The ‘Today’ personalized homepage of the app is where guests can get see their property’s full profile. Notably, there are detailed instructions on how to check-in and check-out of the apartment. Full of dynamic components, it offers a good first impression of what the app can offer.

“We’ve observed how our guests have used the app since the beginning and this latest version prioritizes their most commonly used features and improves all of the access points,” according to Ekin.

In addition to how to enter the property (directions and access), there is also information about all of the available amenities. From the WiFi password and where the recycling bin is located to which floor the gym is on, all of the information that a guest needs is available in one spot and accessible at their convenience.

A man with dark black hair wearing a white shirt and a denim jacket and brown pants is sitting on a grey couch in front of a wooden coffee table. He has on black shoes and is wearing a watch. He is in the middle of using the Blueground Guest App on his mobile phone.

What about when guests have left the apartment and are on the move to work, or off to see friends in a new neighborhood?

Gone are the days of being abroad and having to buy a data plan to figure out how to get around a foreign city. Landing in a country where you don’t speak the language and can’t read the street signs is a nerve-wracking experience.

As soon as you walk into your completely equipped and move-in-ready Blueground apartment, you’ll instantly feel right at home, yet confident enough to head out and explore your new city.

With the Blueground Guest App, you can get walking, driving, and public transit directions at your fingertips. So, regardless of how you’re getting to your office or school, you can easily plan your route. Wherever you are in your new city, your app will help guide you back to your Blueground apartment, safe and sound.

The first version of the Blueground Guest App was created by a team of in-house engineers nearly four years ago in 2017.

Since then, the Product team has been working hard to collect feedback from guests on what they want to see more of in terms of in-app capability so as to make possible the February 2020 launch of the new & improved version.

In just a week after its launch, 98% of tenants have switched over to the new version and have been excited with the enhancements in service.

Today, every Blueground landlord is also utilizing the latest version of the app.

A close up look at a greyish blue dresser with a round mirror above and a standing lamp to the side. On top of the dresser are some small amenities for Blueground guests to enjoy such as high quality creams.

Blueground’s Product team is continuously striving to enhance the app to make the guest experience more enjoyable, and to streamline guest requests behind the scenes. Ekin already has more features in mind he’d like to add in the future. As the company grows in size and markets, the scalability of the app is something to look forward to. Currently in 27 cities, there’s no slowing down anytime soon. Blueground continues to expand in its existing markets while growing guests there, as well as plans for further European expansion-where the tenant pool, will multiply.

At Blueground, we provide tech-enabled, beautifully furnished apartments to guests for stays of a month, a year or longer. As a company, it’s important to make sure we are not only implementing technology in our properties but also behind the scenes and for the benefit of an enhanced customer journey.