About
Live like a local
onefinestay gives you the chance to stay in someone's place while they're out of town. You get to live their life for a few days and nights.
Booking a stay is as easy as booking a hotel room. And there's service to match.
Nobody wants to be a tourist, so our homes come with recommendations from the people who live in them. For everything else, we're here 24/7.
How it all began: A three-word incantation
It all started with three words that rescued Greg and his partner Kath from misery.
A chance tip-off from an-acquaintance-of-a-friend who’d grown up there. A sliver – but enough that when they ended up in Pisa for the night thanks to Ryanair's scheduling, they had a lead.
Crotchety from the flight and tired from hauling their overnight bags over cobbles, they were nearly seduced by the convenience and neon allure of the tat-store trattorias. But a three-word incantation kept them faithful: Piazza delle Vettovaglie, Piazza delle Vettovaglie.
Until, the final corner: and there, arrayed before them like a pearl necklace, the city’s true nightlife. There, in a corner of the medieval cloister was an osteria without photos on the menu, just a patron whose hands were white with durum.
Later, as they headed back to their overpriced, anodyne hotel, regretting they’d not known the Italian for ‘just a half litre’, Greg would wonder: if three words could unlock Pisa’s patina turistica, then couldn’t everyone live like a local?
Enter the ‘unhotel’
onefinestay gives you the chance to stay in an unhotel – someone’s place while they’re out of town. You get to live their life for a few days and nights. See what they’d see and, if you like, do what they’d do.
You get all the advantages of a hotel, like the nice smelly stuff in small bottles. And with none of the downsides, like somebody bothering you at 8.53am to fold your toilet paper into a triangle.
We’ve sifted through some of the most decadent, elegant, quirky and surprising houses and apartments, and curated a collection of wonderful places to stay. Every single one is different. But they all offer the same delicious levels of comfort and character.
And if you become a onefinestay member, not only will you get some significant discounts, we’ll give you access to some of our more exclusive homes.
Behind the scenes
Booking a stay is as easy as booking a hotel room, with online payment and confirmation. You get the same attention to detail and personal service too.
Every home is properly cleaned before and after you stay, beds made (we can even do hospital corners) and bathrooms kitted out courtesy of The White Company. There’s a maid service if you want it, as well as other hotel-style amenities.
Once we’ve helped you settle in, we’re just a call away, 24/7. If it’s something we can’t solve over the phone, we’ll pop over on one of our scooters.
And because nobody wants to be a tourist, our homes come with personal and unique recommendations from the people who live in them – places to eat, things to do and adventures to go on.
For our London launch, we’re starting in London with a small number of homes, and rolling out services progressively, before we move to other cities near and far.
And in the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for new homes. Find out more.
Corporate information
onefinestay is a trading name of Lifealike Limited, UK company number 06554630.
Lifealike Limited
7th Floor
4 Chiswell Street
London, EC1Y 4UP
United Kingdom
The marques 'onefinestay' and 'unhotel' are registered trademarks.
Website and all contents © 2011, all rights reserved.
Use of the site is subject to the Terms of use and Privacy policy.
More questions?
Try the FAQ. Or explore some of our homes—or, better still, tell us about your own.
Other names
We are aware that a scam website called 'Summer apartment lettings' is claiming an association with Lifealike Limited, onefinestay's parent company. Please note that this site is not affiliated with us in any way. We are working with the UK police to close down the scam.
