One Fine Stay

I've never really been a flash hotel kinda girl, and while where I stay when I go away is generally down to budget than anything else, I do still prefer the experience of a homely B&B than a flashy but souless 4 star hotel. I like it when a room has quirks and personal touches, I even liked one place we stayed in Ireland a few years ago which had a large collection of scary looking dollies and teddies staring down at us from the wardrobe! To me this is so much more fun that a uniform room which you know is exactly the same as the one next door.

But while B&Bs have their charm they also have the slight feeling that you're living with the owner, and can sometimes be a bit close for comfort.  In one place we stayed in Cornwall recently, we came back to our room after being for a walk to find the owner had unpacked our bags for us, hung up our clothes, tidied my make bag and lined up our toiletries in the bathroom! slight invasion of privacy there! Another cottage we rented with friends one New Years, the owner lived next door, and spent our entire stay 'popping in' to see if we needed anything, or to ask if we wanted to go to the pub with his daughter?!! Again, there's being helpful and friendly and there's being annoying.

So this is why I am loving the latest trend for renting real peoples homes when you're abroad. You get that homely feel, but without the owner poking their nose in on what your plans are for the day. One company doing this in a very stylish way is One Fine Stay - currently operating in London and New York.  The homes they rent out are so stunning inside you may not want to go back to your own house! For example this one in Shoreditch, East London.... even though I live in London, I'm tempted to book it, just so I can pretend I live somewhere this cool for a few days! And lets face it, the staycation has never been more trendy.

Check out more of One Fine Stay's London homes and New York homes - it will have you drooling for hours. :)

www.onefinestay.com