I warn everyone “set aside a few hours to browse the OneFineStay website as it’s a rabbit hole of “Wow!” As you dream of renting a luxury million dollar home, flat, mews house or villa that people actually live in…yes, actually live in…you wonder if this qualifies as “living like a local”.  If so, sign me up, because I definitely want to live like a wealthy local in London, Paris, Rome, New York and Los Angeles. Seriously, the homes are right out of a magazine – drool worthy gorgeous. This is the Airbnb concept on Luxury steroids and my “wish list” is full of properties around the world. I wanted to try One Fine Stay to see how it delivered on the luxury home rental experience in London when I was traveling with my mom and required two bedrooms. I say it’s a travel secret because everyone I seem to talk to has never heard of One Fine Stay (OFS) and that’s a shame because it really is a unique experience for you, your family or group. This is my review of One Fine Stay London experience at the South Kensington mews home.

OneFineStay History

Unlike Airbnb, OneFineStay centrally manages the properties that you stay in.  They personally vet each and every property before accepting them into the OneFineStay portfolio.  They supply the linens, towels and toiletries.  They manage the end to end guest experience to ensure consistency and a stress free unique experience from arrival to departure.  Recently acquired by Accor, the French hospitality giant behind 28 (and growing) hotel brands at the luxury end (Sofitel, Mondrian, Fairmont), mid-range (Mercure, Pullman, Swissotel) and budget (Ibis), I expect OneFineStay to expand  to other major travel cities as the home rental market demand increases and Accor figures out how to market (and profit from) the One Fine Stay brand.

OneFineStay Properties

Unique properties abound on the OneFineStay website and app.  The aesthetic is warm and welcoming as you are staying in someone’s home (or second home).  With a bit of background about the owner (i.e. – this artist travels the world and opens their home to guests while they are away), the properties are photographed and details meticulously listed on the website.  There are no surprises and there are even Home Truths (i.e. – walk up three flight of stairs in Paris).  In Europe, many properties will not have air conditioning which is the norm so One Fine Stay will supply fans. The properties are generally apartments with full kitchen and amenities and what you are lacking in service luxuries (think private chef, catering, in home massages, babysitting, etc.) One Fine Stay will arrange (additional fees).

Booking with One Fine Stay

Where One Fine Stay currently drops the ball in my opinion is the booking process as you can’t just book now in most cases (people are not patient so this is a friction point).  I contacted One Fine Stay directly with three properties of interest (have a few in mind in case your first choice isn’t available).   The online calendars all showed availability and none allowed instant booking.  The OFS rep had to contact the owners and within two days (time differences) had heard that the first property wasn’t available and the second property owner did not reply (he was away on business).  The third property, the largest, was available so I booked that.  I completed the credit card information online and entered my travel information, in this case the train from Paris to London scheduled to arrive at 4pm. I received a confirmation of my payment (in full) as well as information about a OneFineStay stay.

Luxury London Mews House Rental – Arrival

During our train journey from Paris, I received a text from the OneFineStay greeter to confirm our arrival time.  We were still on schedule to arrive at 4pm and with traffic across town, I estimated a 5 pm arrival at the property.  I was provided the OFS greeter’s name and contact details should anything change during our transit.

When the cab driver pulled into the little Mews cobblestone street in South Kensington and stopped in front of the Mews House black door, we were impressed and we weren’t even inside.  Our greeter opened the door anticipating us and helped us with the bags.  Once inside, she took me for a tour of the property after settling Mom into her ground floor bedroom (we noted that the tv didn’t work properly but it wasn’t an issue as Mom didn’t plan on watching tv).  The ground floor had mom’s ensuite bedroom along with the laundry area and door to the garage (off-limits).

Upstairs was the kitchen and living room with windows overlooking the mews homes on the street on one side and a small public garden on the other side. On the third floor (for US folks) was my bedroom en suite with sitting area and cool windows that opened to enjoy fresh air and a view. Every nook and cranny looked exactly like the online photos so there were no surprises. For more photos visit my post of the One Fine Stay Kensington Mews House Rental.

OneFineStay Welcome Pack

On the kitchen table was the standard OneFineStay kitchen welcome – a box of shortbread biscuits (I’m now addicted to them), bottled water, milk, tea and coffee as well as a welcome book and coupon for future stay.  Also included was our own pre-loaded iPhone.  We had a local phone number and only needed to press a button to call OneFineStay (the front desk per se) 24/7 if we had any issues (we would call for a backup hair dryer when Mom’s failed, an iPhone charger as it was missing and a handyman to shut off the closet lights as the owner taped them shut but the lights were on). The iPhone was a wealth of information about the property, the home rules and truths, suggestions by the owner for local restaurants and pubs and apps for many services. It’s a great amenity especially if you don’t want to use your own phone and incur international roaming charges.

OneFineStay also provided a list of services they could arrange for a fabulous stay (for an additional cost of course).  In home massage, private chef dinner, AirPortr luggage delivery to Heathrow were just a few noted items. The walk around included things that were off-limits (similar to an Airbnb stay in someone’s home) – in this house that meant the garage, a shelf of personal food items in the refrigerator and any drawers/closets that were taped shut.

Departure from the Mews House Rental in London

For departure day, One Fine Stay is pretty strict on time you need to leave as they need to get the cleaning staff in to turn the house around especially if it’s being rented later that day. We should have used AirPortr to send our luggage ahead to British Airways for check in which would have allowed us to enjoy our last day without baggage to worry about as there’s no storage option that you would have in a hotel (one downside).  You are required to ensure that the iPhone is put back on the counter charging (hence my query for a charger) and then either hand the keys back to the greeter or in our case putting them through the mail slot.

Overall Review One Fine Stay in London

We were so sad to leave our home in the Mews of Kensington High Street.  OneFineStay was so much better than the original two hotel rooms I had planned for Mom and me.  The home provided us such a unique experience having a full kitchen so we could enjoy our own foods from the local M&S (Mom picked up ice cream of course) and Whole Foods and also relax in the living room after a full day of touring London (our London photo shoot, Tower of London with Mom, the day out to Stonehenge, etc.).  The iPhone was chock full of great apps to use during our stay and a bonus to anyone who is traveling without an international data plan.

By managing their own select properties in the portfolio, One Fine Stay provides a luxury experience unlike any other out there in the city to my knowledge. If traveling with my family or friends, I’d look at One Fine Stay next time rather than have any surprises with Airbnb (there’s always Airbnb surprises in my experiences).  Plus One Fine Stay is a unique opportunity to pretend you won the lottery and are living in the luxury home of your dreams if only for a few days. It really shouldn’t be a secret to anyone that loves to travel and live like a local in luxury.

 

Have you used One Fine Stay?  If so, in what cities and properties?  If One Fine Stay is new to you, would you consider upgrading your accommodations on your next trip to live like a local in luxury?