diff --git a/openstack/resource.py b/openstack/resource.py
index 06f66885f..e1643d182 100644
--- a/openstack/resource.py
+++ b/openstack/resource.py
@@ -23,6 +23,69 @@ class MethodNotSupported(Exception):
     """The resource does not support this operation type."""
 
 
+class prop(object):
+    """A helper for defining properties on a Resource.
+
+    A Resource.prop defines some known attributes within a resource's values.
+    For example we know a User resource will have a name:
+
+        >>> class User(Resource):
+        ...     name = prop('name')
+        ...
+        >>> u = User()
+        >>> u.name = 'John Doe'
+        >>> print u['name']
+        John Doe
+
+    User objects can now be accessed via the User().name attribute. The 'name'
+    value we pass as an attribute is the name of the attribute in the message.
+    This means that you don't need to use the same name for your attribute as
+    will be set within the object. For example:
+
+        >>> class User(Resource):
+        ...     name = prop('userName')
+        ...
+        >>> u = User()
+        >>> u.name = 'John Doe'
+        >>> print u['userName']
+        John Doe
+
+    There is limited validation ability in props.
+
+    You can validate the type of values that are set:
+
+        >>> class User(Resource):
+        ...     name = prop('userName')
+        ...     age = prop('age', type=int)
+        ...
+        >>> u = User()
+        >>> u.age = 'thirty'
+        TypeError: Invalid type for attr age
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, name, type=None):
+        self.name = name
+        self.type = type
+
+    def __get__(self, instance, owner):
+        try:
+            return instance._attrs[self.name]
+        except KeyError:
+            raise AttributeError('Unset property: %s', self.name)
+
+    def __set__(self, instance, value):
+        if self.type and not isinstance(value, self.type):
+            raise TypeError('Invalid type for attr %s' % self.name)
+
+        instance._attrs[self.name] = value
+
+    def __delete__(self, instance):
+        try:
+            del instance._attrs[self.name]
+        except KeyError:
+            raise AttributeError('Unset property: %s', self.name)
+
+
 @six.add_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta)
 class Resource(collections.MutableMapping):
     """A base class that represents a remote resource.
diff --git a/openstack/tests/test_resource.py b/openstack/tests/test_resource.py
index 3a2c51870..4bb2e7594 100644
--- a/openstack/tests/test_resource.py
+++ b/openstack/tests/test_resource.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ class FakeResource(resource.Resource):
     allow_create = allow_retrieve = allow_update = True
     allow_delete = allow_list = True
 
+    name = resource.prop('name')
+    first = resource.prop('attr1')
+    second = resource.prop('attr2')
+
 
 class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
 
@@ -59,7 +63,9 @@ class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
         self.stub_url(httpretty.POST, path=fake_path, json=fake_body)
 
         obj = FakeResource.new(name=fake_name,
-                               attr1=fake_attr1, attr2=fake_attr2)
+                               attr1=fake_attr1,
+                               attr2=fake_attr2)
+
         obj.create(self.session)
         self.assertFalse(obj.is_dirty)
 
@@ -75,19 +81,28 @@ class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj['attr1'])
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj['attr2'])
 
+        self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj.name)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj.first)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj.second)
+
     @httpretty.activate
     def test_get(self):
         self.stub_url(httpretty.GET, path=[fake_path, fake_id], json=fake_body)
         obj = FakeResource.get_by_id(self.session, fake_id)
 
-        self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj['name'])
         self.assertEqual(fake_id, obj.id)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj['name'])
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj['attr1'])
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj['attr2'])
 
+        self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj.name)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj.first)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj.second)
+
     @httpretty.activate
     def test_update(self):
         new_attr1 = 'attr5'
+        new_attr2 = 'attr6'
         fake_body1 = fake_body.copy()
         fake_body1[fake_resource]['attr1'] = new_attr1
 
@@ -98,12 +113,13 @@ class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
 
         obj = FakeResource.new(name=fake_name,
                                attr1=new_attr1,
-                               attr2=fake_attr2)
+                               attr2=new_attr2)
         obj.create(self.session)
         self.assertFalse(obj.is_dirty)
         self.assertEqual(new_attr1, obj['attr1'])
 
         obj['attr1'] = fake_attr1
+        obj.second = fake_attr2
         self.assertTrue(obj.is_dirty)
 
         obj.update(self.session)
@@ -118,6 +134,10 @@ class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj['attr1'])
         self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj['attr2'])
 
+        self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj.name)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr1, obj.first)
+        self.assertEqual(fake_attr2, obj.second)
+
     @httpretty.activate
     def test_delete(self):
         self.stub_url(httpretty.GET, path=[fake_path, fake_id], json=fake_body)
@@ -149,4 +169,22 @@ class ResourceTests(base.TestTransportBase):
         for obj in objs:
             self.assertIn(obj.id, range(fake_id, fake_id + 3))
             self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj['name'])
+            self.assertEqual(fake_name, obj.name)
             self.assertIsInstance(obj, FakeResource)
+
+    def test_attrs(self):
+        obj = FakeResource()
+
+        try:
+            obj.name
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            self.fail("Didn't raise attribute error")
+
+        try:
+            del obj.name
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            self.fail("Didn't raise attribute error")