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.

• 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.

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

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

/ ├── 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) 

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

Frontend

cd frontend npm install

Backend

cd ../backend npm install

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 

Backend

npm run dev

Frontend

npm run dev

Visit: http://localhost:3000

Guest

Email: guest@example.com Password: 123456 

Manager

Email: manager@example.com Password: 123456 

• 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

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

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

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(); };

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"

Create shared components like:

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

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

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