Articles tagged “onefinestay”

Most start-ups lose money, at least in the early stages. Before it was acquired by Accor, Onefinestay's most recent set of accounts show that it was burning through cash at a considerable rate and that its business was suffering as a result of attacks in Europe.

We've known this day would come for quite some time now. The only question left to ask is this: Can Airbnb succeed in becoming a "super brand of travel" like it aspires to be?

Given the timing of this announcement, there's no doubt the AccorHotels acquisition may have had something to do with Marsh's decision to depart the company he founded. It'll be interesting to see, however, what Marsh pursues next, and if the company will expand rapidly under AccorHotels and Frank's direction.

Whether or not you agree with Marsh's take on some established tenets of the hospitality business, his progressive, disruptive viewpoints are worth more than just a look.

AccorHotels is making some smart, strategic moves, whether it's buying up luxury alternative accommodations provider Onefinestay or adding these three storied luxury brands to its hotel collection.

With its multi-million-dollar investments in Onefinestay, Oasis Collections, and Squarebreak, AccorHotels is taking a smart, strategic approach to battling the encroachment of home-sharing platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway by embracing their direct competitors.

We've been watching how early adopters in business travel are beginning to partner with Uber and Airbnb. Likewise, segments of the hotel industry are beginning to accommodate the sharing economy. Five years from now that collaboration and cooptation will be in full swing.

In the same way that Onefinestay is the boutique Airbnb, this funding round is the smaller equivalent to its larger rival's recent $1.5 billion haul.

While many hoteliers are dismissive of the sharing economy, Hyatt and Hilton Worldwide are either learning from it or at least taking a balanced view about the trend. Don't expect either to rent out couches anytime soon, though.

OneFineStay has dug into a lucrative segment of the alternative accommodations market, although its approach is somewhat labor-intensive and doesn't scale like an Airbnb. For investors and like-minded companies, though, there are lots of dollars and euros at the end of the rainbow.