Rockins: Efficient Hotel Booking Experience
Overview
A hotel booking website, Rockins, was created to make it easier for people to book rooms online instead of physically going to the hotel. The goal is to give users a simple way to view available rooms and book them in just a few clicks. The purpose of this website is to allow users to book hotel rooms easily and quickly. It has an intuitive design, so even first-time users can navigate without confusion. The site shows a list of rooms, and users can immediately see if they are available, which saves them time.
Core problems solved
Complicated Booking Process
Booking a hotel room can be confusing on many websites because there are too many steps or the design is hard to follow. With Rockins, the booking process is made simple and clear. Users can choose a room, check its availability, and book it without needing to go through complicated forms or pages.
Lack of Real-Time Availability
Some hotel websites don't show if a room is available right away, leading to frustration when users try to book a room that's already taken. Rockins solves this by displaying real-time availability. If a room is booked, it immediately reflects that on the website, so users won’t waste time.
Poor Mobile Experience
Many people want to book rooms on their phones, but some hotel websites don’t work well on mobile devices. Rockins solves this by having a mobile-friendly design. Whether a user is on a phone, tablet, or computer, they will have the same smooth experience.
Core stack
Next.js
Next.js is a popular framework for building fast, dynamic websites. I used it to make sure that the website loads quickly, It also helps with server-side rendering, which improves performance and SEO
Tailwind CSS
For the design, I used Tailwind CSS, a utility-first CSS framework. It allowed me to quickly style the website without writing a lot of custom CSS. This helped create a clean and modern design while keeping the code organized and efficient.
MongoDB
To store all the data, such as room availability and bookings, I used MongoDB. It’s a database that can handle large amounts of data and is flexible enough to grow with the website as more users book rooms. It also works well with other technologies I used in the project.
Functionality and Features
User Authentication
Users can create an account, log in, and reset their password if needed. This allows them to securely manage their bookings and personal information.
Stripe Integration for Payment
To handle payments, I integrated Stripe, a reliable and secure payment gateway. This allows users to pay for their room bookings directly through the website
Add Reviews for Rooms
After staying in a room, users can leave reviews to help others make informed decisions. This feature encourages feedback and improves the overall user experience
Bookmark Rooms for Future Use
Users can save or bookmark rooms they like, so they can easily find and book them later. This helps them keep track of their favorite options without needing to search again.
Real-Time Emails
For important actions like booking a room, resetting a password, or confirming an account, users receive real-time email notifications. This keeps them updated on their activities.
User Dashboard
Each user has a personal dashboard where they can see the rooms they have booked. The dashboard also allows them to view and edit their profile, such as changing their profile picture or name
Account Deletion
If a user no longer wants to use the website, they have the option to delete their account along with all their data.
Perfomance Optimization
I ensured that every page is optimized for search engines. This includes using proper meta tags, keywords, and descriptions so the site is more likely to appear in search results. This helps potential customers easily find the website when looking for hotel bookings.
Images are optimized to load quickly without sacrificing quality. I used lazy loading to ensure that images only load when they are visible on the screen, which improves page load times. I also compressed the images to reduce file size, ensuring the website stays fast, even with high-quality visuals.
Security features
Rate limiting
I set up rate limiting to prevent users from making too many requests in a short amount of time. This helps avoid spam and ensures the website performs well for all users
Room Booking Limit
To prevent spamming of room bookings, I limited users to a maximum of 3 active booked rooms at a time. This ensures fair usage and avoids overbooking
User Authorization and Authentication
I implemented proper user authorization and authentication systems to ensure that only verified users can access their accounts and make bookings. This keeps user data safe and prevents unauthorized actions.
RockIns Demo
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Conclusion
Building the Rockins hotel website was an exciting challenge that allowed me to solve real-world problems. By using a modern tech stack including Next.js, Tailwind CSS, MongoDB, and React, I was able to create a fast, secure, and user-friendly platform. The site offers features like user authentication, secure payment processing through Stripe, and real-time room availability, all while being optimized for mobile devices and search engines. With performance enhancements like lazy loading and image compression, and security measures like rate limiting and user authorization, Rockins is both efficient and scalable. This project helped me grow as a full-stack developer, and I look forward to applying these skills to future projects. Feel free to explore the site and see the features in action.