How business travellers feel right at home

BACKPACKERS and business executives may occupy opposite ends of the travel spectrum, but one thing they often share is a desire to feel less like a tourist and more like a local.

And among the best ways for a backpacker to gain a more authentic experience is “couchsurfi ng” – the practice of using social networks to connect with like-minded people and then crash for a few days in whatever relatively clean space they have available.

Now a collection of travel websites is helping sophisticated travellers forgo five-star hotels or boutique properties for some couchsurfing of their own. If your first instinct is to recoil at the idea of bedding down on the couch of a hairy political science student, relax. These sites offer attractive upmarket apartments and homes whose owners are out of town.

One of the most popular and fastest growing sites is the San Francisco-based Airbnb, which recently raised $US7.8 million in venture capital funding. The company, which receives 10 per cent of its revenue from Australia, offers properties in 8000 cities and 167 countries, with options ranging from modest apartments in the heart of New York to a fairytale castle in Umbria – and pretty much everything in between (including boats, lighthouses and even an igloo).

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Since Airbnb arrived in late 2008 plenty of rivals – offering essentially the same model – have emerged. They include housetrip, with more than 100,000 properties in Europe, and, more recently, 9flats and My Friends Hotel.

But last year British start-up Onefinestay took the idea to a new level by introducing an innovative model designed specifi cally for business travellers. Rather than just holiday rentals, the company combines top-quality homes (average value of about £1 million) with the services that guests would expect from a four- or five-star hotel. Chief executive Greg Marsh says these “unhotels” offer the best elements of hotel service in the setting of a “carefully curated home”.

“What that means in practice is that we take great care to clean the place before each guest stay, deck it out with five-star linens and toiletries, greet guests on arrival and provide useful tools, such as a free iPhone to ensure we’re accessible 24/7.”

The properties have complimentary WiFi and the company puts barcodes on selected items – such as artworks and television set-top boxes – so guests can use an app on the iPhone to view short videos in which the owner explains an item or how it works.

Cultural differences mean some household gadgets have required more explanation that initially expected. “Americans can’t use kettles,” Marsh notes. “It’s because they’re much less common in the US. We had a case recently when a family put an electric kettle on a gas hob ... with predictable results.”

Onefinestay has proved particularly popular with business travellers from the US and Australia (the company’s secondlargest source market), who often stay in London for longer periods of time. “We have also had business travellers who arrive in groups or project teams and prefer to share a single living space, rather than having to crowd into the business lounge at a hotel or squeeze into a hotel room,” Marsh says.

Prices in the British capital range from £125 per night for a one-bedroom apartment in St James to £1145 per night for a five-bedroom house in South Kensington.

Marsh founded Onefinestay with two other entrepreneurs who had experience in the property management, logistics and technology fi elds. In March they raised $US3.7 million to fund expansion. Backers include some of the online travel industry’s most respected players, including Lastminute.com cofounder Brent Hoberman. The funds will be used to enlarge the company’s London operation, where it offers about 50 upscale properties. However, Marsh says he is “eagerly eyeing” other markets, including New York, Paris “and even Sydney”.

Onefinestay’s model is evolving. In response to guest demand, it recently started a partnership with food service Deliverance, which brings a choice of five different cuisines to the door. “When you place an order, it goes straight onto the fi nal bill. So it’s as simple as hotel room service, but more varied.”

He says the company is keen to launch a loyalty program. “And there are plenty of other services for guests we are keen to start experimenting with, from taxi services to a hotel-style concierge. We are in talks with a number of great London companies that provide those services at a world-class level.”

Joburg factory fire doused

Johannesburg - A fire that broke out at a bedding factory in Booysens, south of Johannesburg on Good Friday was completely extinguished by 07:00 on Saturday, Johannesburg Emergency Services said.

"We managed to stop the fire from spreading and had it completely extinguished by 07:00," spokesperson Percy Morokane said.

Emergency services had feared that the Gordon Prince factory on Koster Street, would collapse. A structural engineer had been at the scene advising emergency services which perimeters they could work in.
"A structural engineer came in last night to advise us which perimeters we need to work on. We followed all the safety protocols."

Morokane said the factory, which manufactures bedding material such as duvets, blankets and comforters had been condemned.

"There will be no further production, entry or exit to this building," he said.

"The Department of Labour will now have to visit the premises to carry its own investigation."

The department would investigate whether anyone had "broken any rules regarding employee safety".

The building appeared to have burnt from the basement and "might have been started by a spark".

"We'll have to look to look at the machinery being used in the basement.

"We suspect that it may have started from a spark from the machinery being used."

The police, labour department and structural engineers will hold an "extensive investigation" into the cause of the fire.

Morokane said the safety of the 150 employees who were inside the building when the fire broke out could be attributed to quick response by emergency services.

He added that the fire could have been a disaster if not for the emergency fire doors in the basement where the fire started.

On Friday Divisional Chief of Johannesburg emergency services, JJ Viljoen, told Sapa water could not used to extinguish the fire because of the weight it carries and it might cause the building to collapse.

"The heat emanating from the basement was so intense, that it caused the upper floor to crack. Therefore, it could collapse at any time."

Foam was pumped into the building to extinguish flames.

He said the pipes from fire hydrants attached to the building could also not be used earlier as it was melting.
Workers, although warned not to, jostled amongst fire-fighters, in a bid to salvage blankets, and the fibre used in manufacturing it.

The employees, loaded blankets onto trucks lining the street.

Security guard at the factory, Martin Griessel, said the fire broke at 21:00.
"I was in the bathroom, when the light suddenly went off. I went out to investigate and saw smoke coming from the basement," he said.