NestInn

NestInn is a specialized web platform designed to connect college students with suitable hostel accommodations. Unlike generic travel booking sites, NestInn focuses on the specific needs of students, offering features like college-proximity search, long-term stay pricing, and roommate-friendly booking options.

Table of Contents

• Description
• Features
• Technologies Used
• Installation
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Contributing
• License
• Credits
• Contact

Description

Finding a safe and convenient place to stay during college can be challenging. NestInn simplifies this process by providing a transparent, feature-rich marketplace for hostels. Students can filter accommodations based on their specific college, gender requirements, and budget. The platform fosters trust through verified listings, detailed reviews with sentiment analysis, and a seamless reservation system that handles dynamic pricing for student groups.

Features

• User Authentication & Security:
  • Secure Sign Up and Login using Passport.js (Local & Google OAuth).
  • OTP-based Password Reset functionality using Nodemailer.
• Hostel Management (CRUD):
  • Hostel owners can create, edit, and delete listings with detailed descriptions and amenities.
  • Image uploads managed via Cloudinary.
• Advanced Search & Filtering:
  • Filter hostels by City, State, and Price Range.
  • "Nearby Colleges" filter to find homes close to your campus.
  • "For Whom" filter (Boys, Girls, Co-ed, Parents).
• Interactive Maps:
  • Integrated Mapbox to display hostel locations visually.
• Reviews & Sentiment Analysis:
  • Users can rate and review hostels.
  • Integrated Sentiment Analysis automatically categorizes reviews as Positive, Negative, or Neutral.
• Smart Reservations:
  • Book stays for 6, 9, or 12 months.
  • Dynamic pricing calculation based on the number of students booking together.
• Dashboards:
  • "My Hosted Hostels" for owners to manage properties.
  • "My Reservations" for students to track bookings.

Technologies Used

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: MongoDB (Atlas), Mongoose ODM
• Frontend: EJS (Embedded JavaScript), Bootstrap 5, HTML5, CSS3
• Authentication: Passport.js (Local & Google Strategies)
• Cloud Storage: Cloudinary (for image hosting)
• Maps: Mapbox SDK
• Utilities:
  • joi (Schema validation)
  • nodemailer (Email services)
  • sentiment (Review analysis)
  • dayjs (Date manipulation)
  • @sentry/node (Error monitoring)

Installation

Follow these steps to set up the project locally:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [https://github.com/your-username/NestInn.git](https://github.com/your-username/NestInn.git)
   cd NestInn

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

3. Set up Environment Variables: Create a .env file in the root directory and add the following credentials (replace with your own values):

   # Cloudinary (for image uploads)
   CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloud_name
   CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_api_key
   CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_api_secret
   
   # Mapbox (for maps)
   MAP_TOKEN=your_mapbox_token
   
   # Database
   ATLAS_DB_URL=your_mongodb_connection_string
   
   # Session Secret
   SECRET=your_session_secret
   
   # Google OAuth (for login)
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_google_client_id
   GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_google_client_secret
   
   # Gmail (for OTP emails)
   GMAIL_USER=your_email@gmail.com
   GMAIL_PASS=your_app_password

4. Run Database Seeds (Optional): To populate the database with sample data:

   node init/seedData.js

Usage

1. Start the application:

   node app.js
   # OR if you have nodemon installed
   nodemon app.js

2. Access the app: Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000.

3. Explore:

   • Sign up or Log in to access full features.
   • Browse hostels, use filters to find specific accommodations.
   • Click "Add Your Hostel" to list a property.
   • Make a reservation or leave a review on existing listings.

Project Structure

NestInn/ ├── controllers/ # Logic for routes (hostels, users, reviews, etc.) ├── init/ # Database seeding scripts ├── models/ # Mongoose schemas (Hostel, User, Review, Reservation) ├── public/ # Static assets (CSS, JS, Images, Icons) ├── routes/ # Express routes ├── utils/ # Helper functions (middleware, wrappers, mailer) ├── views/ # EJS templates │ ├── hostels/ # Hostel CRUD pages │ ├── includes/ # Partials (navbar, footer, modals) │ ├── layouts/ # Base layout (boilerplate) │ ├── reviews/ # Review components │ └── users/ # Auth pages (login, signup) ├── app.js # Application entry point └── package.json # Project dependencies

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch: git checkout -b feature-name.
3. Make your changes and commit them: git commit -m 'Add some feature'.
4. Push to the branch: git push origin feature-name.
5. Submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the ISC License. See the package.json file for details.

Credits

• Vedant Patil - Lead Developer - GitHub Profile

Contact

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out:

• Email: vedantpatil9977@gmail.com
• GitHub: vedantpatil-99