The company: OneFineStay
The boss: Greg Marsh
When you go on holiday, your house is empty. Unused. The odd burglar may enjoy your absence, but mostly it’s a wasted asset.
Greg Marsh and his team at onefinestay want to turn that fallow period into gold. The moment you step out the door and head for the airport, onefinestay’s crack team arrives to turn your house into a hotel. They change the linen, tidy it up, and fill it with guests just like a hotel.
Marsh says: ?Homeowners join a membership service which earns them extra income out of their home when they’re out of town. We do all the work behind the scenes from cleaning to insurance to make the experience frictionless for homeowners. It’s a brilliant idea, and no surprise to find backers include Brent Hoberman, founder of Lastminute.com, and Index Ventures. From launch in 2010 with just six venues, the service has 130 homes in London on its books today. And revenues are growing 600 per cent.
Marsh who graduated top of his MBA class at Harvard Business School calls onefinestay the ?unhotel” for guests who want more space and personality than a boring hotel. And for cash-strapped property owners in the capital, it’s the perfect solution.
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