How custom tech helped a vacation rental brand streamline operations and grow direct bookings
SaaS
Vacation Rentals
UX/UI Design
Development
Automation
A closer look at how we helped MyVN - a U.S.-based vacation rental brand - turn its vision of trusted, direct hospitality into a scalable digital platform.
About the project
In the hospitality world, relationships matter. Guests return not just because of a view or an amenity, but because they trust the people behind the experience.
MyVN set out to build on that idea - to create a private vacation rental platform where owners could manage their properties, guests, and payments inside their own trusted network.
The goal was to move away from impersonal OTA marketplaces and return to human-centered, direct hospitality with the ease and control of a modern digital system.
Challenge
For property managers and boutique hospitality brands, scaling direct bookings often means juggling disconnected tools: spreadsheets, messaging apps, CRMs, and OTAs.
That creates friction, manual work, and lost revenue.
MyVN wanted to:
Offer direct, private bookings without relying on OTA commissions.
Build a custom ecosystem for owners, guests, and managers - all under one roof.
Enable secure transactions, guest verification, and transparent communication.
Launch fast and cost-effectively, but with a solid architecture that could scale.
This challenge mirrors what many of our hospitality clients face today: how to automate and personalize at the same time.
Our Approach
We started with one clear goal - to build a platform that would become a natural extension of real hospitality operations, addressing the company’s specific goals and workflows through custom solutions tailored to its unique business model.
To achieve this, our team took full ownership of the product from day one from UX strategy and interface design to frontend implementation and integration with the client’s backend systems.
We acted as a remote product team, working alongside the client’s internal developers, product owner, and business managers. This ensured every decision aligned with their existing workflows and long-term scaling plans.
Here’s how we approached it step by step:
Business & User Alignment
We analyzed how property owners, managers, and guests interacted across the existing ecosystem from inquiries to payments and identified pain points caused by fragmented systems.
Our goal was to unify these steps into one clear, intuitive flow.UX and Visual Strategy
We designed a structure that mirrors real hospitality processes: managing availability, handling inquiries, approving guests, and tracking payments - all in one place.
The UX was centered on transparency and trust, with consistent logic for every role in the system.
Technology Architecture
We built the frontend using React + Next.js for speed and scalability, connected to a robust .NET backend with PostgreSQL and MongoDB databases.
The system was designed to handle multiple properties, role-based access, and real-time synchronization across calendars and bookings.
Close Collaboration & Continuous Feedback
Each week, we held short sync calls and shared progress demo videos, helping the client’s operational team see how features would work in daily use — not just technically, but practically.
This approach allowed us to iterate fast, refine the product early, and keep the business team fully engaged.
Every feature was created not only for ease of use but also to strengthen trust, transparency, and operational clarity - the three essentials for any hospitality business relying on direct bookings and recurring guests.
Key Features
Multi-Role System
A flexible access structure with 3 user roles: property (network) owner, invited member, property manager - allowing complete control over the data available to see and manage. Also the platform admin to access and manage general data, see the number of users, to get and resolve complaints and reports.
Private Guest Network
Owners can invite trusted guests and build private communities around their properties, encouraging loyalty and repeat stays.
Interactive Property Map
Integrated map view displaying all available properties with key details and filters allowing guests and owners to visualize locations, check availability, and plan their stay with ease.
Reservation Management
Full control over bookings with calendar synchronization (including Google Calendar), custom pricing per season or day, and the ability to block unavailable dates.
Built-In Messenger
A secure chat system for guests and owners with attachments, read receipts, and notifications replacing scattered communication tools.
Automation Tools
Customizable email and SMS campaigns to promote listings within private networks. Promo and discount codes for early booking or returning guests.
Guest Notes and Insights
Owners can leave internal notes on guests, helping to maintain quality, track preferences, and personalize future stays.
Integration with nearby places
Yelp-powered map showing places around each property, with the ability for owners to add and curate recommended restaurants, shops, attractions, and useful services.
Multi-channel owner notifications
SMS and email alerts for owners and property managers about new booking requests, upcoming check-ins, and check-outs.
Guest notification system
SMS and email notifications for guests covering booking request status changes, upcoming check-ins, and check-outs.
In-app activity notifications
Real-time in-app notifications for all users about key actions and important platform events.
Rich property profiles
Highly detailed property pages with descriptions, photos, videos, file attachments, standard and custom amenities, room and bed types, check-in and check-out times, preparation time, automatic map placement, nearby places, base pricing, additional fees, supported payment methods, and dynamic price adjustments during booking confirmation.
Automated stay instructions
Custom check-in and check-out instructions created by owners and automatically delivered to guests at the right moment.
Guest reviews and feedback
Guests can leave reviews after their stay and read existing reviews for properties they are invited to.
Owner review management
Owners can respond to and moderate reviews directly within the platform.
User reporting and moderation
A complaint and reporting system with admin tools for reviewing cases and blocking users when necessary.
Owner acknowledgements
Mandatory acknowledgements during property creation to ensure clarity and responsibility.
Owner subscription system
Subscription plans for property owners, including integrated payments.
Owner overview dashboard
A lightweight dashboard giving owners a clear view of requests, bookings, and overall activity.
Tech Stack
Frontend: React Native, TypeScript
Backend: Node.js, GraphQL API
Infrastructure: AWS, PostgreSQL
Integrations: Google Calendar, Stripe, analytics (Amplitude), push notifications (Firebase)
Design: Figma
Results
MVP delivered in 3 months, followed by continuous development.
Booking flow simplified by 40% through optimized UX.
Guest loyalty and repeat bookings grew thanks to a more intuitive booking process and clear, trust-based communication.
Operational efficiency improved by consolidating tools for booking, communication, and payments.
Why This Matters for Hospitality Brands
For vacation rental networks, boutique hospitality groups, and outdoor resort brands, MyVN is more than just a case study - it’s an example of how a custom-built platform can pay for itself by cutting manual work, increasing direct bookings, and reducing reliance on OTA channels.
Instead of fitting into someone else’s platform, MyVN built their own one that grows with their business.
Astana, KZ
Helping hospitality teams
grow direct bookings
©
2026
AlexFrontEnd
A. Bobykin SP · TIN 821019050222
NP 113, 23 Bukhar Zhyrau St, Astana, Kazakhstan