On this side of the pond, Airbnb provides not only a website where travelers can book time at a home away from home instead of a hotel, but also an app that can offer the same service. But if you happen to hail from the UK — specifically London — or you’re looking to travel there, you might want to consider their version of this service, an upscale website (and attendant iPhone application) called OneFineStay. Airbnb bills their service as a community marketplace designed to connect those with rooms (or apartments, or houses) for rent with anyone seeking a place to lay their head when they travel. But OneFineStay has taken a slightly different approach by calling their listings “unhotels”. In other words, you’ll get all the comforts of home, but in a house that’s likely far nicer than yours. And they’re taking it even a step further by offering features that will help you to live like a local while you’re living in a local’s house, whether it’s for a night, a week, or longer.

When you opt to book through OneFineStay you’ll find that this service has a lot to like. For starters, booking a “room” through the site is just as easy as booking a hotel room online. You simply pick the dates, check availability, complete your order, and get your confirmation. The houses listed on OneFineStay are not only clean and ready for habitation when you arrive, fully furnished and often stocked with necessities like cookware, just like a real home, but the service also ensures that they are outfitted with luxurious linens and toiletries, just like a hotel. In short, you’ll stay in a space that feels as comfortable, inviting, and private as your own home, but you’ll receive all the amenities that you would have gotten from a hotel. You can even arrange for maid service. And while there’s no room or laundry service, per se, you can make all kinds of arrangements simply by calling the 24/7 help line.

Of course, thanks to new features offered by the iPhone application, help is never far away. For starters, you’ll find that your booking through OneFineStay includes a complimentary iPhone for you to use during your visit (a boon for anyone traveling overseas without an international phone). This allows you instant access to the application, which aims to deliver the local experience. As a member, you’ll find thousands of recommendations posted by the owner of the home you’re staying in, other members living in the area and posting their homes, and local reviews created for services like Zagat and Lonely Planet. And members who book stays can also post their personal faves for your perusal (so you can add to the list if you find something truly spectacular to recommend to other members).

Unfortunately, there is a downside – the app is currently only functional in London and New York. So if you’re looking to travel elsewhere and you want the local experience you might have to settle for Airbnb. But if you’re planning a trip to one of the cities featured by OneFineStay, don’t hesitate to use this service to book your visit now. You’ll get more than a room with your membership; you’ll gain access to the best that your local environs have to offer during your stay.