29. October 2025
How The Flag Zurich upgraded operations, and reduced guest complaints by 80%

The Flag Zurich is part of a modern hotel group that caters to both long and short stays. Weekdays are usually filled with business travellers; weekends bring in leisure guests. With that comes a need for flexible, well-coordinated operations, especially when room types, guest needs, and cleaning schedules rarely follow the same pattern.

Felix Bauch has been with the property since 2019. He started on reception, moved into front office management, and now oversees the entire hotel as Resident Manager. Having worked across departments, he understands exactly where things break down and how much time gets lost when the team can’t easily stay aligned.

By the time he took over the lead role, his biggest issue was visibility. No one had a clear picture of what had been done, when, or by whom, and that made even small tasks harder to manage.

Visibility was the missing piece

Before Sweeply, The Flag Zurich relied on paper lists and manual updates. Tasks were written down or passed on verbally, and there was no central place to track them. Tasks were logged entirely by hand, and Felix and his team couldn’t easily see what had been completed or who had handled what.

“Communication was the most annoying factor,” Felix says. “We had no way to track who completed which task, or when.”

As demand grew, things became more complicated. Felix found himself spending time chasing down updates just to be sure something had been done. And that opened the door for mistakes: a missed room move here, a delayed request there.

Getting the team on board

When Sweeply was first introduced to the housekeeping team, some staff members were unsure. They were used to working from paper: switching over to a digital tool felt like it might slow them down, not help.

“First they were all pretty hesitant. Old ways are good ways,” Felix remembers.

But once the team saw Sweeply in action, things changed quickly. On day one, Felix took a job that usually took a long time, assigning rooms for the shift ahead, and completed it in just five minutes.

“That made a huge impression.”

Sweeply’s “very structured” onboarding process also helped. The Sweeply team was hands-on and available, and support was consistent across the board. In fact, Felix rated it a “perfect 10/10”. Support was delivered in English, which made it easy for the multilingual team to get comfortable quickly.

Once the team realised how efficient Sweeply could make their days, they were on board.

What Sweeply helped fix

The biggest win for the team was the impact Sweeply had on guest complaints.

Complaints about item requests and room changes have dropped by around 80%. Because the team can now see in real time what’s pending, they can respond faster and avoid missed handovers.

Another was time.

“I’d say we’ve saved about 8 hours a week at least, and that’s still increasing” says Felix.

They’ve also been able to roll out more consistent cleaning policies. Short and mid-stays are now cleaned every three days, long stays once a week, and guests can order extra cleaning at any time. Sweeply keeps track of it all, without needing a separate list or manual log.

Tools that work for real teams

Felix’s team includes a mix of experience levels, nationalities, and language backgrounds. That could be a barrier, but Sweeply’s design makes it easy to use without much explanation.

“We have staff from different countries…some are young, and some are experienced,” Felix explains. “The Sweeply interface uses numbers and colours, which everybody understands.”

The use of icons and colour-coded tasks helps staff know exactly what needs doing, without needing to read through a long checklist or rely on verbal instructions in a language that might not be their first.

Sweeply listens

Felix has also seen how responsive the Sweeply team is when it comes to product feedback.

“They listen. They really want to improve it based on how we work.”

For a hotel team with always-changing needs, that flexibility has made the world of difference. Plus, Sweeply’s multiple integrations (like with The Flag’s PMS, Apaleo) allows the hotel’s entire tech stack to work together without an added layer of complexity.

What a day looks like now at The Flag Zurich

The team has better visibility. Guests get faster responses. And Felix doesn’t have to check in constantly just to keep things running.

“Being able to see which rooms have been cleaned, when, and to what standard, on demand” lets him step back and focus on running the hotel, which is exactly where he wants to be.

If you’re still juggling paper checklists and waiting for updates, it’s time for a better way. Get in touch to learn more about how Sweeply helps hotels of all shapes and sizes delight their clients, save time, and run more efficiently.