🏡 StayNest – Premium Homestay Booking Platform

StayNest is a full-stack, responsive web application designed to simplify the discovery and booking of homestays. Built with a focus on scalability and user experience, it supports role-based access for guests and property managers, secure JWT-based authentication, real-time availability checks, and robust CRUD operations for listings and bookings. Whether you're implementing features for hosts or enhancing the guest booking flow, StayNest offers a modular, API-driven architecture that makes extension and maintenance straightforward.

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Features

• Smart Property Search
  Filter stays by location, price, amenities, eco-friendly tags, and more.

• Real-Time Availability
  Live booking availability with instant confirmation.

• Secure Payments & Verified Reviews
  Trustworthy bookings with secure payment gateways and real guest reviews.

• Role-Based Access
  Separate experiences for Guests and Hosts.

• Booking Notifications
  Email confirmations for guests and alerts for property managers.

• Dynamic Pricing & Discounts
  Automatic discounts for long stays (weekly/monthly).

• Host Dashboard
  Manage your listings, view bookings, and track property performance.

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Tech Stack

Frontend

• Next.js 14 with App Router
• Tailwind CSS for styling
• React Hook Form for form handling
• React Hot Toast for notifications

Backend (API)

• Node.js, Express
• MongoDB with Mongoose
• JWT for authentication
• Cloudinary for image uploads
• Nodemailer for email notifications

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Folder Structure

/
├── frontend/
│   ├── app/             # Next.js pages and routes
│   ├── components/      # Reusable UI components (e.g., Hero, FeatureCard)
│   ├── lib/api/         # Centralized API handler and modules
│   ├── public/images/   # Static images
│   └── styles/          # Global styles
└── backend/
    ├── models/          # Mongoose schemas
    ├── routes/          # Express API routes
    ├── controllers/     # Business logic
    ├── middlewares/     # Auth, validation, etc.
    └── utils/           # Utility functions (email, price calculation)

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Local Development

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/sourabhaprasad/staynest.git
cd staynest

2. Install Dependencies

Frontend

cd frontend
npm install

Backend

cd ../backend
npm install

3. Environment Variables

Create a .env file in both frontend/ and backend/ folders.

Backend .env

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=your_mongodb_uri
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
EMAIL_USER=your_email@example.com
EMAIL_PASS=your_email_password

Frontend .env.local (optional)

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000/api

4. Run the App

Backend

npm run dev

Frontend

npm run dev

Visit: http://localhost:3000

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Sample User Credentials

Guest

Email: guest@example.com
Password: 123456

Manager

Email: manager@example.com
Password: 123456

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API Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/signup – Register user
• POST /api/auth/signin – Login and get token
• POST /api/properties – Create property (Manager only)
• GET /api/properties – List all properties
• GET /api/properties/:id – Get property by ID
• GET /api/bookings/host – Host’s received bookings
• POST /api/bookings – Book property (Guest only)
• GET /api/bookings/guest – Guest's bookings

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Common Extension Patterns

Planning to add more features or scale the project? Follow these proven patterns:

1. Modular API Layers

Organize API logic into:

• routes/ – defines endpoints
• controllers/ – handles logic
• services/ – reusable business logic
• utils/ – helpers (e.g. price calculation, email)

Example: Want to add wishlist functionality?

• Create: routes/wishlist.js, controllers/wishlistController.js, models/Wishlist.js

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2. Role-Based Access Control

Use middleware to restrict routes:

// checkRole.js
export const checkRole = (allowedRoles) => (req, res, next) => {
  if (!allowedRoles.includes(req.user.role)) {
    return res.status(403).json({ error: "Forbidden" });
  }
  next();
};

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3. Client API Layer (Frontend)

Centralize all API calls:

lib/api/
├── endpoints/   # e.g., bookings.js, auth.js
├── modules/     # exports grouped functionality
├── client.js    # fetch wrapper
└── index.js     # re-exports all modules

To add new endpoints:

• Define in endpoints/wishlist.js
• Use in components via import { createWishlist } from "@lib/api"

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4. Component Reusability

Create shared components like:

• <Button />, <Card />, <PropertyCard />
• <BookingSection />, <DateRangePicker />

DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) design helps in scaling and maintaining UI logic.

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Future Enhancements

• Payment gateway integration (e.g., Stripe)
• Host earnings analytics
• Wishlists and Reviews
• AI Integrations