Onefinestay Launches Concierge Service With Loyalty Elements

Since its acquisition by AccorHotels in mid-2016, Onefinestay has embarked on a quest to become the most nimble luxury accommodations company among sharing economy giants. Part of that has involved consolidation into one brand and trying to figure out how to scale the company’s platform without losing the quality for which it is known.

In March, Onefinestay will introduce a concierge service for customers, who will be able to access a mobile concierge through an app after making their first booking on the platform.

Guests will be able to book excursions, event tickets, and restaurant reservations alongside making other requests, depending on their needs.

The new service, dubbed Higher Living, will be free for the first year with additional costs for the services booked through the app. The more a guest stays at a Onefinestay property, the more options will be tailored to a user’s preferences over time.

The program seems to suggest the goal is to create a concierge service that customers can use throughout their travels even if they’re not staying at a Onefinestay property each time.

The app was developed in conjunction with John Paul, the Onefinestay sister company that designs luxury loyalty and concierge program experiences.

“Higher Living is cut from the same cloth as our renowned luxury service, which is beloved by guests, and emblematic of our overarching vision: to unlock a whole new level of living for all of our guests,” said Javier Cedillo-Espin, CEO of Onefinestay, in a statement. “Guests love us because we’ve always set out to bring special experiences to their stays, and now we’re extending our service outside of their travels, and into their lives.”

AccorHotels itself has also gotten into the business of providing local experiences and services with its AccorLocal platform and app, which launched in November 2017. Higher Living won’t be connected to AccorLocal, though.

When Cedillo-Espin last spoke to Skift, he said that his goal is to bring personalized service to the Onefinestay brand in a big way.

“Being able to deliver a personalized and individualized service in these curated homes for me is extremely important,” Cedillo-Espin said November 2017. “We have a brand promise that has done a tremendous job. For me, the next big frontier is taking it to the next level. I believe, in fact, that Onefinestay is a statement, a lifestyle — that we are actually transforming the travel industry and private rental.”

During the interview, Cedill-Espin also hinted that insights from John Paul would make there way over to the luxury accommodations experience in the near future, and this looks like the first example from his vision.