Holiday sublet service offers hotel-style amenities

Good ideas seem to inspire the launch of countless variations. To wit: house swapping and subletting, which we’ve already seen on several occasions. Similar to Creative Caravan, UK-based Onefinestay facilitates that process with a service that’s designed to build trust among members. The variation? It adds a wealth of amenities designed to mimic what’s available in a good hotel. Now in beta in the London area, Onefinestay focuses its efforts on what it calls the “unhotel”—specifically, a place to stay with all the advantages but none of the disadvantages of a standard hotel. Listed on the site are a variety of distinctive homes throughout the area whose owners have agreed to accept tenants while they’re away; at minimum, they are all “comfy, in a great location, easy to get to and safe,” the site says. Booking a stay—which requires membership on the site—is as easy as booking a hotel room, with online payment and confirmation. Every home is properly cleaned before and after every stay, including bed-making, “five-star-quality” linens and towels, and bathroom toiletry courtesy of The White Company. Maid service is available, as are myriad other hotel-style amenities, such as refrigerator supplies. Once guests are settled in, Onefinestay is available by phone 24/7 for anything from restaurant recommendations to extra toothbrushes—staffers make deliveries and site visits via scooter. The site prides itself, in fact, on supplying personal recommendations from the owners of each home to those who rent them, providing guests with an insider’s experience of the city. Membership costs and details are still forthcoming; rental costs are listed alongside each featured property. Onefinestay supports itself by taking an as-yet-unspecified fee from each rental. Though it currently serves just the London area, Onefinestay aims to expand to other cities near and distant. One to partner with toward that end…? Spotted by: Nigel Lamb