HOMES AND VILLAS [The Ultimate Destination For Holiday Bookings]

Homes and Villas by Marriott is a specialized channel for expertly managed luxury properties that were introduced in 2019. With this booking channel for affluent travelers, Marriott International introduces its know-how and reputation for excellence to the short-term rental market. Before being featured in this chosen collection of opulent short-term rental houses, every property is meticulously examined, and Homes & Villas by Marriott International has strict requirements that all of their listings must follow. One of the newest players in the online travel agency (OTA) vacation rental market is Marriott Homes & Villas. Marriott, a renowned international brand with a long history in the lodging industry, supports Homes & Villas. You would be mistaken to believe that Marriot is in charge of overseeing the opulent villas, houses, and condos. Instead, Marriot is collaborating with trustworthy vacation rental property management organizations. The hotel industry is familiar with the name Marriott. With over 8,000 locations spread across 139 nations and 30 hotel brands, it is the largest hotel family in the world. In almost every region of the world, there is a Marriott property. The Marriott Home and Villas program debuted in 2019. The Marriott Home and Villas website allows users to make reservations for professionally managed, privately owned rental homes using Bonvoy Points, Cash, or a combination of the two. Despite the fact that Marriott neither owns nor manages these properties, they are still inspected by Marriott staff members either in person or virtually to ensure they meet the company’s high standards. About 2,000 homes are available through the Marriott Home and Villas program in 100 different places. The reach of your Marriott Bonvoy points is increased because some of these sites fill in the few spots where Marriott was previously absent.

OVERVIEW 

Under the moniker Tribute Portfolio Homes, Homes & Villas by Marriott launched as a test program in Europe in 2018. It was created to address the changing needs of visitors who enjoy traveling with others and favor booking longer stays in multi-bedroom homes. It now runs in more than 100 locations throughout the world. The portfolio is concentrated on high-end and luxurious properties, typically owned by frequent travelers and utilized largely as vacation houses. Unlike other rental platforms like Vrbo or Airbnb, which are often someone’s personal home or guest house that is occasionally rented out, Marriott’s home rentals combine the comfort of a standard hotel stay with all the facilities of a private home. To guarantee that they adhere to Marriott’s standards for quality, style, and service, every Marriott house is professionally managed. You can anticipate excellent and design-forward accommodations including chic penthouses, waterfront bungalows, opulent villas, and intimate cabins. Homes are ideal for large parties since they are tastefully furnished with features like games, a wood-fired pizza oven, a private pool, or a children’s playground. Homes are examined by Marriott’s property management affiliates, who consult with homeowners directly to make sure the residences meet Marriott’s requirements for quality, design, and service. Several of these property management firms are well-known names in the industry, including AvantStay, Turnkey Vacation Rentals, LaCure, London Residents Club, as well as Mainsail Lodging, CPG, and Reserva Conchal, which is an established hotelier.

More Info Regarding Marriott Bonvoy

Loyal Marriott consumers are already familiar with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. For future visitors who might not be aware, every Marriott International reservation counts toward the Marriott Bonboy program, which awards points. This rule is applicable to all Marriott International-owned properties, including Homes and Villas. When enough points have been accumulated to be redeemed, they may be used to rent a house, room, or villa. Additional incentives to sign up for and take advantage of what Marriott Bonvoy has to offer its members include special discounts and offers in addition to the points program.

What Kind of Properties Are Marriott Homes and Villas?

The experience of staying at a Marriott Home and Villas property will be comparable to that of a VRBO or Airbnb stay. Although there is a preference for luxury residences, there is still a wide range of prices available. Whole-house rentals are available at all of the properties. So you won’t have to deal with any eccentric proprietors or uncomfortable bedroom setups.

A luxurious 4-bedroom estate close to Athens, Greece, is available for 187,000 Bonvoy each night, and locations and properties range significantly from this one-bedroom condo in Mexico City to everything in between. While there are many amenities available in privately owned vacation homes, Marriott promises the following features at each Marriott Home and Villas Property:

• 24/7 assistance
• Internet-connected television
• Kitchen requisites
• Integrated washer
• superior towels and linens
• beginning kit for a bathroom (Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, soap)
• hair dryer
• Smoke Alarms
• specialized cleaning

The actual reservation is handled by the property’s management firm, despite the fact that Marriott vets and regularly inspects the quality of the hotels on this list. Therefore, if you encounter a problem, you must resolve it. Marriott is essential “out of it” after a reservation is made at a Marriott Home and Villas property.

How to Book a Marriott Home and Villas?

• The process for reserving a Marriott Home and Villas property is quite similar to that of reserving a hotel on Marriott.com. To locate a place that works for your trip, just visit homes-and-villas.marriott.com and search for your location and travel dates. 
• To narrow your search to homes with the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the price, or the attributes you need, use the filters. By checking the box in the top-right corner of the screen, you may also change the display to show prices in Bonvoy Points or Cash.
• To narrow your search to homes with the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the price, or the attributes you need, use the filters. By checking the box in the top right-hand corner of the screen, you may also change the display to show prices in Bonvoy Points or Cash.
• When you locate a property you like, select “Book Now.”  This will automatically reserve your property for the majority of properties, exactly like a hotel reservation. On other properties, the property manager must confirm the reservation within 24 hours.
• Some properties will only show a “Inquire for Details” button rather than a “Book Now” button.  This will connect you with the property management, who can provide you with information about the property’s rates and availability.
• Any property may be reserved using either all cash, all points, or a combination of both. When used to reduce the cash price of a Marriott Home and Villas reservation, each Marriott Bonvoy Point is worth 0.6 cents. 
• You are free to select the number of points you wish to apply to your stay. Simply select the “Use Points” checkbox and enter the number of points in your Marriott account in the points area.
• Remember that rates include the typical taxes, cleaning, and service charges that are associated with most vacation rental properties.
• You can avoid taxes and fees by reserving hotels with rewards points, but you’ll use your Bonvoy Points to make up the difference when you do so.

Remember that, like other vacation rental properties, pricing includes the all-too-familiar taxes, cleaning, and service fees. While using rewards points to book hotels helps you avoid taxes and fees, when booking through Marriott Home and Villas, you’ll use your Bonvoy Points to defray the cost of these fees. This would be true whether you used a travel website to book a vacation rental property or your Venture Miles to reimburse a travel expense, but it’s something to keep in mind when comparing redemption options.

What Makes Marriott Home and Villas Useful?

Booking a vacation rental with Marriott Home and Villas enables you to earn Marriott Bonvoy Points for the cash component of each stay, in contrast to doing so through well-known vacation rental websites. On the basis of your Marriott status, you will also profit from bonuses on the base points. On the cash portion of your Marriott Home and Villas stay, you’ll earn five times as many base points. Taxes and fees are not included in the base points.

Every night spent at a Marriott Home and Villas property counts as a qualifying night towards your next status tier in addition to earning Marriott Bonvoy Points throughout your stay. This is a fantastic approach to maintaining your financial standing while residing in vacation rentals.

If all else is equal, why not reserve your holiday home on a website where you can accumulate hotel points and gain loyalty status? Keep an eye out for bonus times when Marriott offers additional advantages or double points for reservations made at Marriott Homes and Villas. Marriott is placing a significant wager on the future of vacation rentals. It will be interesting to observe how their rewards and offerings develop over time.

What to Look Out for When Reserving a Stay at a Marriott Home and Villa?

It’s not always rosy when renting a holiday home from Marriott Home and Villas. Your reservation isn’t made with Marriott directly because Marriott Home and Villas is merely a curated selection. Consequently, it will be the same as reserving through a vacation agency, VRBO, or Airbnb. Your encounter with customer service may be very different. Additionally, the charge might not categorize as travel because the management business processes your credit card. On your credit card with a Marriott logo, you also won’t accrue extra points for Marriott properties. Use the credit card that offers the best travel interruption insurance or the best rate on uncategorized expenditures when making reservations at the Marriott Home and Villas.

The highest value you can get from a Marrit Bonvoy point is not at 0.6 cents per point. Even said, many individuals consider their Bonvoy Points to be worth roughly this much, so it’s not a terrible rate. You can locate hotels valued anywhere between 0.5 and 1.20 cents per point according to Marriott’s dynamic pricing.

You can be saving your flexible Marriott Bonvoy points for more lucrative redemptions by redeeming them at a slightly lower rate than usual. For instance, you can transfer Capital One Venture miles to an airline to pay for your flights instead of using them to offset the cost of a vacation rental, likely receiving two or three times the value.

How to earn Marriott points and use them?

• When you reserve a house or villa through Marriott, you’ll receive one Marriott elite night credit and 5 Marriott Bonvy points for every dollar spent. If you have elite status with Marriott, you will receive extra points according to your tier and a 500–1,000 point welcome bonus, also according to your tier. 
• You will often earn an additional 6 points for every $1 spent on eligible Marriott purchases at hotels that are a member of the Marriott Bonvoy program when you change your reservation to a cobranded Marriott card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
• The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, for example, has a new deal that allows you to earn 10 points for every dollar spent on stays at Marriott Homes and Villas. Up to $7,500 in spending entitles you to a bonus of 10 points for every dollar. When you spend $3,000 on purchases during the first three months of opening your account, this card will give you a welcome bonus of three free nights (each night is worth up to 50,000 points).
• Keep in mind that only payments made using the Marriott Homes & Villas platform are likely to qualify for this 10-point-per-dollar promotion.
•  If you have made subsequent payments directly to the property management firm, so if that’s the case, I would presume you wouldn’t get the bonus points on that payment, but you would get the bonus points if you made the payment through the Marriott Homes & Villas platform.
• Based on multiple TPG personal testing, it can take a few weeks for the points and credits earned to post to your Marriott account. In fact, many had had to follow up with Marriott customer support because their own Marriott Home and Villa stay never automatically recorded the points.
• Our research indicates that your Marriott points are now worth approximately 0.6 cents toward a stay, though this value has occasionally changed. If you choose to use your points for booking, you must either use all of your points or all of your cash. It is not possible to book a trip using both cash and points.
• Marriott Bonvoy points are currently worth 0.8 cents each to TPG. Because of this, even though 0.6 isn’t the best value, it also doesn’t completely discount the option. For instance, receiving $600 in value from a 100,000-point Marriott welcome bonus toward a rental home is hardly the worst thing that could possibly occur.

Is Homes & Villas Marriott worth it?

When Homes & Villas by Marriott first opened, it was positioned primarily as a means for Marriott to compete with Airbnb and other vacation rental services. In that regard, I consider the execution to be really inferior:

• These listings can all be found on other websites that specialize in housing rentals.
• Marriott almost always levies a fee for the ability to accrue points.
• Marriott isn’t really doing anything to increase customers’ peace of mind when making reservations; a Marriott representative digitally reviewing a property isn’t exactly a high bar for judging a location’s quality. 
• This is roughly the same as if Marriott began offering petrol at existing gas stations at a 10-15% premium while collecting points. The idea is the same.
• This business strategy doesn’t seem to be very viable in the long run. Then again, I suppose Marriott isn’t spending a lot of money on this, so it’s a way for the business to generate passive income. 
• In the end, Homes & Villas by Marriott is only worthwhile if you want to accumulate or use points and are prepared to pay a premium for the opportunity. Since you only receive 0.6 cents per point due to the higher rental price, I wouldn’t use Bonvoy points in this manner.
• In meantime, I believe it may be worthwhile to make a reservation through Homes & Villas by Marriott in specific circumstances, such as if the expenditures would help you achieve Ambassador Elite status or if there is a fantastic promotion. The math can be in your favor if you book a Home & Villas by Marriott stay during one of Marriott’s occasionally-running promotions that provide bonus points.

What cancellation procedures are there?

In response to COVID-19, Homes & Villas by Marriott published revised cancellation procedures that provide more flexibility.

Most new reservations allow for free changes and cancellations for a predetermined amount of time. However, some in-demand properties don’t offer a cancellation policy. To begin the cancellation process, guests must get in touch with the property management organization that is specified on their email of confirmation.

Individual properties and management firms have their own policies.

• Cancellations must be made 10+ days in advance of the scheduled arrival date.
• The stay cannot be shorter than 15 days.
• The inn provides a cancellation policy of 14, 30, or 60 days (90-day cancellation homes are excluded).
• Some homes might be excluded; check the listing to be sure.
• To begin the cancellation process, guests must get in touch with the property management organization that is specified on their email of confirmation.

Is it secure?

Due to the fact that there is typically less direct person-to-person contact, medical and hospitality experts generally view private home rentals as a safe bet (safer than hotels, in fact). Additional information about the Homes and Villas by Marriott International COVID-19 rules has been released on the website, including heightened sanitization between reservations using hospital-grade solutions. Each property listing also includes information about cleaning procedures.

Additionally, Marriott established a Marriott Cleanliness Council to update cleaning requirements for all Marriott lodgings. However, there is no real way to guarantee consistency because each home is maintained by a different property management firm.

Where can I purchase Homes & Villas by Marriott International?

• 2,000 exquisitely chosen luxury houses and villas comprise the current inventory of Homes & Villas by Marriott International, which operates in over 100 locations in the Americas, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Latin America.
• Small ski towns like Big Bear and Aspen, distant islands like Anguilla and Turks and Caicos, and less commercialized European regions like Lake Como or the Amalfi Coast have all been chosen as locations to depict areas where Marriott Hotels doesn’t have a significant presence.
• If a Marriott hotel is not currently operating in the location, a private home rental operating under the Marriott name may become available shortly since more than one-third of the markets are new additions to Marriott’s portfolio.
• In the US, Marriott reports that the Hamptons, Florida, the Carolina beaches, mountain retreats in Tennessee and North Carolina, and coastal hideaways in California are the most sought-after places to book houses right now.
• The region and particular property determine the average price for renting a holiday home on Homes & Villas by Marriott International. However, there is a three-night minimum stay requirement for each of the listed residences, and reservations often last for five nights at a cost of roughly $2,000 on average.
• These residences typically have numerous bedrooms, are spacious, sophisticated, and lean toward luxury, and the price reflects that level of comfort. For this reason, it might be expensive for couples or lone travelers.

What distinguishes Homes & Villas by Marriott International from other websites where you can rent houses?

For vacationers wishing to reserve a vacation rental, there are numerous options accessible, including Vrbo, HomeAway, and Airbnb. One of the key distinguishing features that make Homes & Villas by Marriott International stand out to tourists who might otherwise be reluctant to stay in a private residence is the support of a well-known, international hotel brand.

Competing characteristics that set Homes & Villas by Marriott International apart from other websites for renting homes include:

• Although there isn’t a location to post or read evaluations from previous customers, the residences have been carefully chosen and inspected by reputable management firms. Only whole luxury and upscale residences are listed (no guest bedrooms, partial house listings, etc.).
• These homes tend to be larger and more expensive than other rentals due to the collection’s luxury orientation, however, there are also more affordable possibilities depending on the region.
• Instead of the homeowners themselves, a skilled property management partner manages homes professionally. Standards matter, so every property listed on Homes & Villas by Marriott International is professionally managed by one of our reliable property management partners. They offer visitors a professionally cleaned home with a 24/7 local support team for assistance while staying at the booked home or villa, high-speed Wi-Fi, premium linens and amenities, and, upon request, family-friendly conveniences.
• Highly-Curated Offering: Each home is assessed before being posted on the site, either physically or digitally. They only partner with competent management organizations that offer premium and luxury private home inventory.
•  Earn & Redeem with Marriott Bonvoy: All stays at Homes & Villas by Marriott International are eligible for earning and redeeming points for Marriott Bonvoy members. Members of Marriott Bonvoy can accrue and use loyalty points, unlike users of other systems.
• Pet Policies: Pets are permitted in some rental homes but not all. Make sure you carefully review the entire page and everything it has to offer when looking for that rental house or villa. It will specify whether or not the rental is pet-friendly and whether an additional pet cost applies. It is the guest’s obligation to let the hotel know if a pet will be traveling with them when making a reservation.

Cons of Marriott International’s Homes & Villas versus other websites?

• Travelers wishing to reserve a vacation property have a wide range of rental possibilities. One of the key differentiators for tourists who might otherwise be reluctant to stay in a private home is that Homes & Villas by Marriott International is supported by a well-known, worldwide hotel brand.
• Homes & Villas by Marriott International prohibits visitors from posting new reviews, reading existing ones, and rating properties, in contrast to other vacation rental websites like Vrbo, HomeAway, and Airbnb.
• The collection has a luxury bent, therefore the majority of the residences are quite spacious and cost extra to rent as a result. There are some picks for a tight budget, but they are hard to find.

What are Villas & Homes Home Requirements?

Homes & Villas are looking for upscale, carefully selected properties that provide guests with an unmatched level of hospitality and stress-free travel. The Marriott team maintains rigorous standards for the hotels that are listed on their website as a result. To be listed on the Homes & Villas website, only 4 and 5-star homes will be accepted.

The Homes & Villas designer team conducts the selection process property by property. The following requirements must be met in order to review your properties:

• Entire private apartment with at least one bedroom (no studios)
• Stylish construction in good shape
• Fully functional kitchens (appliances, cookware, etc)
• A washer and dryer in the suite
• WiFi that is fast
• 24-hour guest service
• Between-stay cleanings by professionals
• Superior toiletries and supplies
• Superior towels and linens

How does the listing process work on Homes and Villas?

• To comply with the standards of the channel, property managers who have listings on Marriott Homes and Villas must be ready to uphold a higher degree of property management.
• It’s crucial to continually deliver top-notch services to both visitors and homeowners. You must continue to uphold a solid reputation for prompt responses, client satisfaction, and meticulousness.
• You’ll be in charge of making sure that your pricing and calendar are always current. All property managers who work for Marriott Homes and Villas have access to a dedicated account manager who will work with them to maximize their platform performance and maintain compliance with all rules.
• Additionally, you will have access to special training programs in hospitality, operations, and cleaning procedures, and you can get special prices on high-end supplies and amenities.

How can I make a reservation on homesandvillasbymarriott.com using cash and points?

• When booking utilizing Cash + Points Awards for Marriott Bonvoy participating hotels on Marriott.com, you may experience something different from the Cash & Points Payment at Homes & Villas by Marriott International (“Cash & Points Payment at HVMI”). Please read on to learn more about HVMI’s Cash & Points Payment.
• Once the stay has been finished, Marriott Bonvoy Members who used the Cash & Points Payment at HVMI will receive Marriott Bonvoy Points on the cash portion of their payment, excluding booking fees, taxes, cleaning fees, and other add-ons during the stay. When paying with cash or points at HVMI, members are also qualified to receive Elite Night Credit.

The following procedures can be used to make a reservation on homesandvillasbymarriott.com using a combination of cash and Marriott Bonvoy® Points:

• On homesandvillasbymarriott.com, make sure you are logged into your Marriott Bonvoy Member Account.
• In the search bar, type the desired location and dates. Choose a house that is available that you want to reserve.
• You will see the nightly rate, taxes, and fees related to your chosen dates in the rate card once you land on the specific home listing page.
• Choose Cash & Points from the “How To Pay” menu.

To choose the Cash & Points combination you want to use to pay for your stay, use the two options for # of Points and Cash Total. There are no minimum requirements for either cash or Points, but the Cash & Points payment option does require a minimum of 1,000 Points. You are only permitted to use the number of Points that are already in your Marriott Bonvoy Member Account.

You will be directed to the following page where you can study your home’s information and be ready to reserve it when you click Pay With Cash & Points.

Note: At the time of reservation, 100% of the total amount paid in Cash and Points will be subtracted.

Currently, Homes & Villas by Marriott International does not accept Marriott Gift Cards or Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Awards as payment for any reservations, including those made through the Cash & Points Payment at HVMI.

The HVMI Cash & Points Payment may be changed, canceled, or limited at any moment without prior warning at the discretion of the Loyalty Program.

Additional Details OF Home & Villas by Marriott

• The advance payment for online reservations with Homes and Villas by Marriott International can be made with a credit card or Marriott Bonvoy redeemable points. 
• Neither any Marriott gift cards nor Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Certificates are currently accepted as a form of payment. Sometimes only a portion of the total is needed, and other times the entire sum. This is subject to the rules established by property management.
•  In the situation that there are any credit card-related problems at the time of booking, Homes, and Villas by Marriott will get in touch through email and provide a link to fix the problem within 72 hours. The reservation will be canceled if the issue is not resolved by then. 
• Any refunds that are in doubt are subject to any regulations set forth by the relevant property manager. No two places are identical, though some might offer additional features and services like equipment rental. 
• When visiting the web page for the home to learn more about it, the listing will typically explain how it differs from home to home. 
• It is advisable to be aware of any cautionary concerns that may have a direct impact on your travel experience when searching for a home rental, or any type of lodging for that matter.

FAQ

Why is a rental agreement necessary for various house rentals?

If a home has distinctive features that necessitate particular maintenance or access, some homeowners want a rental agreement. In these situations, after you finish your reservation, the house management business that expertly administers the home rental will email you the agreement. Please carefully read these agreements for any unique clauses, such as text stating that the agreement must be returned within a certain amount of time in order to keep your reservation.

Will there be additional costs after I make my reservation?

If a security deposit is necessary in some cases to ensure good upkeep of the house, it will be included in the “House Rules” part of the home listing. In these circumstances, the expert home management business that looks after the home will contact you through email after making a reservation to obtain the necessary security deposit sum. If the residence is in good condition upon check-out, they will also be liable for returning the security deposit to you. Your home management firm might provide extra services, like additional housekeeping or groceries pre-stocking, that can be paid for separately after booking, depending on where your home is located.

What if I don’t have enough points to pay the full price?

You won’t see the “Use Points” button if you haven’t logged in to the Homes & Villas by Marriott International website or if you don’t have enough Marriott Bonvoy points to book the reservation. Only those booking options where you have enough points to use will have the “Use Points” button visible.

How do I buy travel protection?

Travel insurance will be available as of November 1, 2022, when you book your home rental Stay on the Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy website. It’s the simplest and frequently least expensive option to safeguard your trip. You can still secure travel insurance if you turned down the offer when you reserved your stay by visiting the Allianz Global Assistance website or calling 1 (888) 897-2661.

How do I cancel my reservation?

Using the Lookup Reservation feature on the Homes & Villas website, reservations can be canceled. Please cancel your reservation by calling the number on your reservation confirmation, which starts with the letter “M or H” and is followed by a string of numbers. Before doing so, carefully consider the cancellation policy for your reservation. For help processing your cancellation, please get in touch with the relevant house management firm that was introduced to you at the time of booking.

How often are housekeeping services offered?

Every residence is thoroughly cleaned by a professional housekeeper before a new visitor arrives. The bed should be made with new sheets, and new bathroom supplies should be available. It will be specified on the home listing if housekeeping is offered during your stay at select upscale houses. Mid-stay housekeeping may occasionally be purchased during home booking or requested while you are there using the contact information that was given to you via email or during check-in.

Members, who make a reservation with Homes & Villas by Marriott International are eligible for how many elite nights?

The same requirements that apply to Marriott’s extended stay hotel brands apply to the elite night that customers earn for each night spent at Homes & Villas by Marriott International.

• Promotional nights contribute to the elite status earned each year.
• The lifetime status does not apply to promotional nights.
• Earned nights from Homes & Villas by Marriott International are recorded on the Marriott Bonvoy account as Bonus Nights/Promotional.

CONCLUSION

You can utilize your Bonvoy Points in an interesting way at Marriott Home and Villas. The majority of hotel award schemes place your family in small, bland rooms. In addition to helping you utilize your Bonvoy Points to book a hotel that is better suited for your family, using Marriott Home and Villas will earn you Marriott Bonvoy Points for the cash portion of your stay. Marriott Home and Villas is a decent value and one you’ll want to keep in mind the next time you need to book a vacation rental even though it might not be the most effective use of Bonvoy Points. Book your next vacation rental via Marriott Home and Villas to earn qualifying nights and points for your stay when comparing two properties with comparable costs. The ability to book vacation rentals through Marriott boosts the flexibility of your current Bonvoy Points and the convenience of upcoming family visits, even though transferring points to Marriott is rarely advantageous.