Marriott Hotels is experimenting with homesharing

The largest hotel company in the world is putting Airbnb, HomeAway, and Booking.com on notice — along with fellow hoteliers AccorHotels and Hyatt. Marriott International is launching its official foray into the homesharing market via a six-month pilot in partnership with London-based home rental management company, Hostmaker. Travelers can log onto TributePortfolioHomes.com and book a stay in more than 200 homes in London, each of which has been chosen specifically by Marriott and Hostmaker. These homes, all of which have one or more bedrooms, full kitchens, and laundry facilities, adhere to Marriott’s exacting standards regarding safety, design, security, and service. Guests who stay in them also receive additional services and amenities, such as 24/7 dedicated phone support and an in-person check-in/welcome experience. Guests who book Tribute Portfolio Homes can also earn loyalty points for both Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest, and beginning next month, they can redeem points for homestays as well. The average nightly rate for a one- or two-bedroom home in this pilot is 200 to 250 pounds sterling, or $280 to $351. With this pilot, Marriott certainly isn’t the first major hospitality company to dip its toes into the sharing economy or professionally managed home rentals. Other hotel companies, such as Wyndham and Choice Hotels, have participated in the vacation rental market for years. And AccorHotels and Hyatt have made investments in the homesharing space with Onefinestay and Oasis. But what Marriott is doing here differs somewhat slightly. For one thing, Marriott is using one of its own existing brands to market the homes, and not using the Hostmaker brand or creating a new brand.