🚀 Building StayEase: My Full-Stack Vacation Rental Platform (Node.js + MongoDB + Bootstrap)

Hey folks! 👋 I’m excited to share my latest project — StayEase, a full-stack web application I built to streamline vacation rental bookings.
It’s live here:https://stayease-9sga.onrender.com/

🌟 The Idea

Booking vacation rentals online can feel overwhelming — multiple tabs, hidden fees, sketchy listings. I wanted to build something simple, clean, and trustworthy for travelers and hosts alike.

StayEase is my take on that challenge:

Guests can discover, browse, and securely book vacation properties.
Hosts can list their properties with rich details and images.
Both sides enjoy a smooth, intuitive interface.

🛠️ Tech Stack

I went with a Node.js + Express backend and MongoDB Atlas for cloud database hosting, paired with Bootstrap for a clean, responsive UI.

Here’s the full stack:

Frontend: EJS templates, Bootstrap 5, Vanilla JS
Backend: Node.js, Express.js
Database: MongoDB Atlas (Mongoose ODM)
Auth & Security: Passport.js, bcrypt, Helmet, express-session
Hosting: Render.com (backend) + MongoDB Atlas (database)
Image Handling: Cloudinary for image storage

🔑 Key Features

📍 Listings Page – Browse properties with images, descriptions, and locations.
📝 Create & Edit Listings – Hosts can manage their properties easily.
🔐 User Authentication – Secure login/signup with encrypted passwords.
💬 Reviews & Ratings – Guests can leave feedback on properties.
🛡️ Secure Payments (Future Scope) – Planned Stripe integration.

⚙️ Architecture

views/        # EJS templates
routes/       # Express route handlers
models/       # Mongoose schemas
public/       # Static assets (CSS, JS, images)
app.js        # Main application entry point

MVC Pattern for organized separation of concerns
Middleware for authentication, authorization, and error handling
Modular route structure for scalability

🚀 Deployment

Database: Hosted on MongoDB Atlas for global accessibility
Backend: Hosted on Render.com (free tier works great for dev/testing)
Environment Variables: Managed securely with .env files (never committed to git!)

💡 Lessons Learned

UI consistency matters — aligning all pages to a unified Bootstrap theme makes a huge difference.
Cloud database setup — MongoDB Atlas made deployments painless compared to local DB hosting.
Security early on — Helmet + session management from day one saved me from late-stage headaches.
Keep routes clean — splitting routes by resource type (listings.js, users.js) keeps the codebase readable.

🔮 What’s Next

Search & Filter — Make it easier to find properties by location, price, amenities.
Payments Integration — Stripe or PayPal for seamless bookings.
User Dashboard — Personalized area for bookings, favorites, and hosting tools.