Custom Admin Platform for North TX RV Resort

The Problem With Separate Tools

Before the custom platform, North TX RV Resort managed operations through a patchwork of separate tools. Bookings were tracked in a spreadsheet. Guest communications went through personal phones and email. Housekeeping tasks were assigned verbally or via text message. Financial reporting required exporting data from multiple sources and reconciling manually.

This is common for small hospitality operations. Each tool works adequately for its narrow purpose, but the lack of integration creates gaps. When a guest checks out, the housekeeping team needs to know immediately so they can turn the site for the next guest. In the manual process, that notification depends on someone remembering to send a text. When they forget, the next guest arrives to an unprepared site.

The admin platform was designed to be the single source of truth for all resort operations. Bookings, housekeeping, guest communications, and reporting all live in one system, with data flowing automatically between functions.

Architecture and Technology

The platform is built with Nuxt 3, using the same framework pattern I have applied across BastionGlass and Routiine.io. Nuxt's server routes handle the API layer, and the frontend provides the admin dashboard and the guest-facing booking interface.

The choice to use the same framework across projects was deliberate. Each project reinforces my expertise with Nuxt 3's capabilities, and patterns developed for one project transfer to others. The role-based access control system I built for BastionGlass was adapted for the resort platform with minimal modification. The Stripe integration patterns from BastionGlass's payment processing applied directly to the resort's deposit collection.

The database is PostgreSQL, with a schema designed around the core entities: Sites, Bookings, Guests, HousekeepingTasks, Communications, and Staff. Relationships between these entities enable the cross-functional visibility that was missing in the separate-tools approach. A booking record links to its site, its guest, its associated housekeeping tasks, and its communication history, all queryable from a single admin view.

The Dashboard

The admin dashboard is the primary interface for resort staff. It is designed for daily operational use, not occasional configuration, which means the most common actions need to be fast and obvious.

The dashboard home screen shows today's operational snapshot: arrivals expected, departures expected, sites needing housekeeping, unread guest messages, and occupancy rate. Each item is clickable, leading to the detailed view for that function. The design philosophy is that a manager should be able to assess the day's operations in under ten seconds from this screen.

The booking management section shows the calendar view from the booking system, with additional admin capabilities: creating manual bookings, modifying existing bookings, processing early check-ins or late check-outs, and handling cancellations with appropriate refund processing.

The guest management section provides a CRM-like view of all guests. Each guest record shows their booking history, communication history, RV details, and any notes from staff. This history is valuable for repeat guests — the front desk can see that a guest has stayed three times before, always requests a specific site, and prefers early check-in. That context enables personalized service that differentiates the resort from competitors.

Guest Communications

Guest communications are centralized in the platform rather than scattered across personal phones and email accounts. The system supports email and SMS messaging, with templates for common communications: booking confirmations, pre-arrival instructions, check-in reminders, checkout reminders, and post-stay thank-you messages.

Automated communications trigger based on booking lifecycle events. When a booking is confirmed, the guest receives a confirmation email with their site assignment and arrival instructions. Three days before arrival, they receive a reminder with check-in procedures. On checkout day, they receive checkout instructions. After departure, they receive a thank-you message with a review request.

These automated messages can be customized by the resort manager through the admin interface. The templates use merge fields for guest name, site number, arrival date, and other booking-specific data. The manager can edit the templates without developer involvement, which is essential for a small operation that needs to update communications for seasonal events or policy changes.

Manual communications are also supported. Staff can send one-off messages to individual guests or broadcast messages to all current guests — useful for weather alerts, facility closures, or event announcements. Every communication, automated or manual, is logged against the guest's record for reference.

Reporting

The reporting section provides financial and operational analytics that previously required hours of manual data compilation. The key reports are:

Revenue reporting shows total revenue by period, broken down by site type, booking source (online vs. Phone), and payment method. This helps the resort understand which site types generate the most revenue and whether the online booking system is displacing phone bookings or capturing incremental demand.

Occupancy reporting shows occupancy rates by site type and by date, with historical trends. This is critical for pricing decisions — if weekend occupancy is consistently at 95%, the weekend premium is justified. If Tuesday occupancy is consistently at 40%, midweek promotions might be warranted.

Guest analytics show repeat visit rates, average length of stay, and booking lead time (how far in advance guests book). These metrics inform marketing decisions — a high repeat rate suggests the guest experience is strong, while a short booking lead time suggests the resort could benefit from earlier promotional campaigns.

All reports generate from the same database that powers the operational features. There is no export-import-reconcile cycle. The data is always current, always consistent, and always available through the admin interface. This immediacy — checking yesterday's revenue takes five seconds instead of thirty minutes — changed how the resort management makes decisions. They went from reviewing financials weekly to checking them daily, which means problems are identified faster and opportunities are acted on sooner.