Hi all,
You're thinking about ✨that holiday✨ for which you've been waiting for so long. Or perhaps it's something spontaneous like a city-break. Whichever the scenario is, accommodation plays an important part of the experience.
Meet RoamSense: Make an Informed Decision
🎯 The technical challenge: To build an application that provides an objective, data-driven analysis of accommodation reviews across Romania, cutting through the noise with intelligence.
🫡 The mission: To empower travelers to make informed decisions by reading behind the reviews and stars.
Diving into the Fundamentals & Features
At its core, RoamSense is designed to simplify accommodation selection in Romania.
1. Smart review processing engine
This is where the magic happens. I built my review processing engine using Google AI Studio – and honestly, it was a game-changer. Here's how it works:
Gemini API Integration: I leveraged the Gemini API for natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis. This wasn't just about positive/negative; it was about understanding nuanced opinions and extracting structured data from unstructured text.
Prompt engineering: A significant part of the challenge was designing prompts to extract structured, comparable insights from unstructured, often colloquial, reviews.
Pre-trained models: Google's pre-trained models handled the heavy lifting, allowing me to focus on extracting specific patterns relevant to accommodation quality.
API-first approach: This design allows for real-time processing of reviews without me needing to manage complex ML infrastructure myself.
2. User-Centric design
While the AI is under the hood, the user experience is paramount. I focused on:
Intuitive interface: Nobody wants to read documentation for a travel app. It had to feel natural.
Responsive design: Works seamlessly on any device.
3. Not sure where to go? Let RoamSense surprise you
If you're unsure where to start, you can pick a random city like Brașov, Iași, or Bucharest, and RoamSense will randomly display a series of accommodations with their insights. Just throw a dart at the map!
4. Comparison Feature
One of the most technically challenging features was the comparison system. Users can compare accommodations either by:
- Manual input: Traditional user-driven selection.
- Pre-generated Lists: Algorithm-suggested comparisons based on user preferences and my data-driven insights.
5. Comprehensive Feature Set
On RoamSense.io, you'll find:
A powerful Search function to roam through all the analyzed Romanian accommodation reviews.
Input lists for organizing and comparing your selections.
Multi-language Support: The possibility to switch between EN and RO, addressing both local and international populations.
A Security Guide, specifically designed to protect your digital identity when booking an accommodation – a crucial, yet often overlooked, aspect.
A Checklist with questions to ask yourself before booking an accommodation.
The Manifesto, which articulates the WHY behind RoamSense's existence.
Demo
I decided to use StoryLane for the demo experience. Honestly, it's the first time I use StoryLane and I must say it's definitely a tool that speaks more than 1000 words. I really admire how the AI agent just understands the topic of presentation.
Technical Learnings & My Development Experience
Building RoamSense taught me some invaluable lessons about user-focused development and leveraging modern AI:
AI Efficiency is Real: Leveraging Google AI Studio and Gemini API dramatically cut down on development time for complex NLP tasks. I focused on prompt engineering and integration rather than building models from scratch, which saved months.
Data, not drama: This core principle became paramount. Effective review processing means extracting meaningful, actionable insights (the "data") rather than just sifting through large volumes of raw, often subjective feedback (the "drama")
What's Next for RoamSense
RoamSense is still evolving, but the core systems are robust. The next phases involve:
API optimization for even faster response times.
Mobile-first improvements and dedicated app development.
Advanced ML models for even deeper review analysis.
User Login & AI-Analyzed Reporting: Introducing a login system to allow users to directly report accommodations' pros and cons, with all submissions being AI-analyzed to further enrich the data with objective, community insights.
Connect & Collaborate on RoamSense
If you're working on travel tech, location-based services, review analysis systems, or anything involving AI for real-world problems, I'd love to connect and share insights. The intersection of travel and technology has huge potential.
Ready to experience smarter travel planning? Visit RoamSense.io and explore the demo in action!
Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments below – have you tackled similar challenges with review analysis or travel tech?
You can find other ways to connect at the end of the article.
Tech Stack
Here's the stack I used for RoamSense:
- AI/ML: Google AI Studio with Gemini API for review analysis
- Frontend: React
- Backend: Serverless functions (leveraging APIs for specific data processing needs)
- Database: serverless data storage (focused on efficient retrieval of analyzed insights)
- Infrastructure: Managed cloud services
Connect & Support RoamSense
Enjoyed this deep dive into RoamSense? There are more ways to connect and support my journey:
- All My Links: Find everything RoamSense in one place on my Linktree.
- Buy Me a Coffee: If you appreciate my work, you can support my development efforts on Ko-fi.
- Follow My Journey: Stay updated with visual content and product developments on my Instagram.
What are your thoughts on AI-powered review analysis? Have you built similar travel tech solutions? Let's discuss in the comments! 👇
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