How We Built Hotel Booking Platform for Emergency Stay for US Social Services
About the Client
ReloShare is a Chicago-based technology company dedicated to revolutionising emergency housing access for vulnerable populations. They work at the intersection of social services and hospitality, partnering with government agencies, healthcare providers, victim services organizations, and nonprofits to provide immediate, safe accommodations. Their flagship product allows agencies to book hotel rooms under aliases without requiring client IDs, credit cards, or deposits—removing critical barriers for domestic violence survivors and others in crisis situations.
Launch Results
700+
agencies onboarded
500,000+
safe nights provided
15,000+
hotel partners
How we approached challenges uniquely
Alias bookings while satisfying hotel requirements
We built a backend identity management system that allows clients to check in under fake names while the platform maintains secure records, satisfying hotel compliance needs without compromising client safety.
Eliminating barriers for vulnerable populations
Designed the booking flow to require no credit cards, IDs, or deposits from clients—removing the friction that previously prevented crisis interventions.
Consolidated billing across hundreds of agencies
Built an automated billing engine that reconciles reservations across thousands of hotels, generating single monthly invoices per agency with detailed breakdowns.
Unpredictable hotel charges and disputes
Developed a fixed-fee protection plan covering linen, smoking, and cleaning fees—eliminating surprise charges and billing disputes for agencies.
Our process that built a scalable solution
- Discovery - Our engagement began when the client was a two-person startup with a vision to transform emergency housing access for vulnerable populations.
- Design - We embedded ourselves as part of their development team, defining sprint cycles and delivering tasks on time throughout our ongoing partnership.
- Development - Development followed an agile methodology with bi-weekly sprints, enabling rapid iteration based on agency feedback. We built a serverless architecture for scalability.
- Integration - We implemented sophisticated hotel partnership integrations with major chains including Choice Hotels, Wyndham, and Extended Stay America, ensuring intuitive interfaces.
Technology we chose for this project
React
Next.js
Chakra UI
Google Maps
Vercel
Figma
What We Did
We embedded ourselves as a core part of ReloShare's engineering team, taking ownership of UI/UX design and custom software development. Our primary deliverable was Safe Stays—a hotel booking platform for social service agencies that enables instant reservations under client aliases, with no ID, credit card, or deposit required.
We architected a backend identity management system that satisfies hotel compliance while keeping client identities fully protected. Beyond the core booking flow, we built consolidated monthly billing, an instant availability search engine, a fixed-fee protection plan, and 24/7 check-in confirmation workflows.
Result & Impact
Safe Stays has fundamentally changed how social service agencies respond to housing crises. What previously required hours of phone calls now happens in seconds—giving caseworkers more time for the people they serve. The removal of ID and deposit requirements has been especially significant for domestic violence survivors.
Since launch, the platform has facilitated over 500,000 safe nights, onboarded more than 700 agencies nationwide, and built a hotel network of 15,000+ properties including major chains like Choice Hotels, Wyndham, and Extended Stay America.
ReloShare grew from a two-person startup into a 40-person company over the course of our partnership. The 24/7 booking capabilities have made round-the-clock crisis response a reality for agencies that had no such infrastructure before.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the platform protect client identities?
The platform allows agencies to book hotel rooms under aliases—clients can check in using fake names without providing photo ID, credit cards, or deposits. The platform maintains secure backend records while ensuring the client's real identity is protected, which is crucial for domestic violence survivors and others in danger.
What makes this different from standard hotel booking platforms?
Unlike consumer platforms, this solution addresses unique social services needs: no credit cards or deposits required, alias-approved bookings for safety, consolidated monthly agency billing, 24/7 crisis support with check-in confirmation calls, and specialised reporting for grant compliance. There are no minimum booking, membership, or sign-up fees.
How does the consolidated billing work?
All reservations with check-out dates within a billing period are consolidated into a single monthly invoice per agency. This streamlines accounting, reduces administrative burden, and enables detailed usage reporting for grant requirements. Payment is accepted via ACH wire or check.
Can government agencies use this platform?
Yes! The platform is designed to support government agency partners with services tailored for safety, confidentiality, and cost-effectiveness. It can complete vendor paperwork and provides all necessary documentation for procurement requirements.
What is the typical timeline for building a platform like this?
Our partnership has been ongoing since January 2023, starting when the client was a two-person team. We took an iterative approach—launching core booking functionality quickly and continuously adding features like the protection plan, shelter platform, and hotel chain integrations based on agency feedback and business growth.