Upmarket Airbnb OneFineStay Reaches 1,000 Homes For Rent

• August 12th 2013

by Shilpi Paul

A London-based, upscale competitor to Airbnb recently broke the 1,000 homes for rent mark, reported TechCrunch. Should Airbnb and hotels be worried?

OneFineStay is an Airbnb-like company, but they differ in a few key ways: 1) OneFineStay makes an in-person visit to every home before they allow it to be rented on the site, 2) every renter gets towels and toiletries, and 3) the home is cleaned professionally before and after every visit. Renters can call the company with complaints or request a maid service at any time during their stay. Owners also leave detailed recommendations to the renters regarding cool things to do and see in the area. Of course, prices are higher as a result; a quick look at the units available in downtown New York City reveals price points from $249 per night up to $3,599 per night.

Basically, whereas renting an Airbnb abode can be a gamble, OneFineStay is aiming to be a predictably comfortable experience akin to staying at a hotel, though with the benefit of getting to “Live Like a Local,” as their tagline states.

Right now, the site has been building up their base of homes in London and have started expanding in New York, where they have 300 homes for rent. According to TechCrunch, founder Greg Marsh hopes to expand the range of services offered to renters eventually, perhaps to include things like access to gym nearby. They will be expanding to Paris and LA this fall.

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This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/upmarket_airbnb_onefinestay_breaks_1000/7447.