This article was taken from the August 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Frequent travellers usually have a similar experience with five-star hotels," says Greg Marsh. "The first time you stay is great, but by the tenth it gets a bit generic, not very exciting and you don't experience the city you're in." Marsh, 32, is cofounder of onefinestay, a London startup offering an alternative to bland hotels: private homes. The company rents out these "unhotels" when their owners are away, providing room service (from nearby restaurants) and an iPhone with free local calls and videos containing tips. Marsh had the idea while commuting: "I used to walk home through Mayfair, which has some of the most beautiful residential property in the world, and there were very few lights on. "I realised that many of those properties are unused." Marsh was joined by Tim Davey and Demetrios Zoppos, and onefinestay launched in June 2010 with just six properties, including the cofounders' own. It now offers over 50 places in London, from a £125-a-night Brixton flat to a five-bedroom South Kensington townhouse for £1,100. In March they raised $3.7 million (£2.25 million) from Robin Klein of Index Ventures, who is now also a board member -- but he still has to pay to use the minibar.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
