Marriott Bonvoy also includes private vacation home rentals through its Homes & Villas platform — here's how it works plus top rentals available to book in the US

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• As travel resumes following the pandemic, many travelers are booking vacation rentals, which have seen a surge since April, and make it easy to practice social distancing.
• For those seeking a hotel-like experience in a private home, Marriott Bonvoy's Homes & Villas by Marriott International includes over 2,000 homes in over 100 destinations worldwide.
• All homes are professionally managed and must pass certain standards of quality, service, and design with 24/7 customer support, professional cleaning, and desirable amenities.

Marriott Bonvoy is renowned for its robust portfolio of hotels that includes breathtaking properties around the world from luxury brands such as St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, and Edition, as well as familiar and trusted names like Renaissance, Westin, Sheraton, Courtyard, and many others.

However, you may be less familiar with their home rental platform, Homes & Villas by Marriott International, which is their entry into the short-term rental space, operating thousands of homes in over 100 destinations around the world.

And it's certainly a good time to get to know the platform. As restrictions around the country start to lift following COVID-19, and travel cautiously resumes, many travelers are looking for domestic accommodations that follow proper social distancing. Vacation rentals, in particular, are especially attractive for this reason and experienced a recent surge in demand this spring. This is likely because medical and hospitality experts generally consider private home rentals to be a safe bet (safer than hotels, in fact) because there is generally less direct person-to-person contact. Of course, without a vaccine, there is no firm guarantee on safety, and it's crucial to follow guidelines from organizations such as the CDC and WHO, wear a mask, wash your hands, and maintain social distancing.

Marriott's home rentals blend the comfort of a traditional hotel stay with all the amenities of a private home, unlike platforms such as Vrbo or Airbnb, which are traditionally someone's personal home or guest house that is rented out from time to time.

All Marriott homes are professionally managed to ensure they meet Marriott's standards of quality, design, and service. Expect design-forward and impeccable lodgings like waterfront bungalows, luxury villas, cozy cabins, and sleek penthouses.

I tried Homes & Villas by Marriott International for the first time during the pandemic when my girlfriends and I needed a change of scenery during quarantine. As a travel writer, I normally prefer hotels over home rentals simply because I like being able to request extra shampoo on a whim, ask the concierge for local advice, and mingle with other travelers in common areas. However, given the current state of travel, I too felt that staying in a private home rental came with less risk.

My friends and I shared a Los Angeles home I found on the Homes & Villas by Marriott website that was a 3,615 square foot, 5-bedroom, 3-bathroom property near Point Dume in Malibu. The reservation was comped for review, however, the rate for our weekend dates was $930 per night. While expensive, when split between multiple people, it actually offers surprising value. Here's everything you need to know before you decide to book, too.

Homes & Villas by Marriott started in 2018 as a pilot program in Europe under the brand name Tribute Portfolio Homes, intended to speak to the evolving needs of travelers that like to travel together and prefer to stay in a home with multiple bedrooms for more than three nights.

According to Marriott, over three-quarters of travelers who used the platform during the pilot program were traveling for leisure with friends and family. In May 2019, the company launched in the US. Today, it operates in over 100 destinations worldwide. The portfolio focuses on premium and luxury tier homes that are generally owned by a frequent traveler, and primarily used as a vacation home.

The homes listed are all vetted by Marriott's trusted property management partners that include national, regional, and local companies selected for their expertise. These companies work directly with homeowners to ensure the homes are up to Marriott's standards of quality, design and service. Some of these property management companies include AvantStay, Turnkey Vacation Rentals, LaCure, London Residents Club as well as existing hotel operators like Mainsail Lodging, CPG, and Reserva Conchal.

Homes that are selected to be part of Homes & Villas by Marriott International include the likes of waterfront bungalows, luxury villas, cozy cabins and penthouses. The homes are thoughtfully curated to with amenities such as in-home games, a wood-fire pizza oven, a private pool, or a children's playroom with a climbing wall. They each have their own unique features that are well-suited for group gatherings.

Check-in is usually contactless and done through a lockbox code, which is provided in an email after you've booked your reservation. The email will also include a house manual to help navigate home amenities and features like lighting, washer and dryer, and Wi-Fi.

Every listing on Homes & Villas by Marriott International is guaranteed to include the following:

• 24/7 support provided by Marriott's carefully selected property management companies
• 24-hour check-in either in-person or through a touch key-pad
• High-speed Wi-Fi
• Television
• Kitchen essentials (cookware, utensils, microwave)
• In-unit washer
• Premium linens and towels, all expertly laundered
• Bathroom amenities (toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, soap)
• Hair dryer
• Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors where fuel-burning appliances are present
• Professional cleaning pre- and post-stay
• Child-friendly items upon request, such as high chairs and travel cribs

I found check-in to be super easy and convenient. I couldn't access the Wi-Fi network with the password provided, but management was quick to reply and replace it with a new password that worked. I also recommend checking with the property manager for certain kitchen utensils you might anticipate needing. For example, tea bags were available in the home I stayed in, but there was no kettle to boil hot water. I contacted management and they delivered one the next morning. Pantry basics (i.e. olive oil and ground pepper) were also not included in the home I booked, which meant having to make a supermarket run. Listings only mention kitchen essentials, which can be subjective, so it's best to confirm with the property manager if you have specific requests.

Homes & Villas by Marriott International currently has 2,000 highly-curated, luxury homes and villas and operates in over 100 destinations in the United States, Europe, Caribbean, Middle East, and Latin America.

Locations have been selected to represent areas where Marriott Hotels doesn't have a major presence, such as small ski towns like Big Bear and Aspen, remote islands like Anguilla and Turks and Caicos, and European regions that aren't heavily commercialized, like Lake Como or the Amalfi Coast.

Over one-third of the markets are new destinations to Marriott's portfolio, so if a Marriott hotel is not present in the area, a private home rental under the Marriott brand may soon be available.

Anyone can book a Homes Villas by Marriott International directly from their website, however, reservations can't be made through Marriott.com, which is still primarily reserved for hotel bookings.

Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and redeem points at all of the properties within Homes & Villas by Marriott International, which is a nice perk that most other home rental sites don't offer. Bonvoy members earn five points for every qualifying $1 USD spent. You can filter listings by Bonvoy points, price, number of guests or bedrooms, and home features like a pool, building elevator, and pet policy.

Once you book a property, you'll receive a confirmation email from Homes & Villas by Marriott International with the assigned property management company and contact information, payment details, and the cancellation policy. You'll receive a separate email with home details and the property address.

The average cost for booking a vacation home on Homes & Villas by Marriott International depends on the location and specific property. However, all homes listed require a three-night minimum and the average length of stay is five nights for an average price of about $2,000 per reservation.

Because these homes tend to be large, upscale, and luxury-leaning, with multiple bedrooms, the price reflects that tier of accommodation. Therefore, it might prove too costly for couples or solo travelers who require a more intimate space.

There are many different home rental options available to travelers looking to book a vacation home including Vrbo, HomeAway, and Airbnb among others. Homes & Villas by Marriott International is backed by a well-known, global hotel brand, which is one of the main differentiating factors that make it stand out to travelers who might feel otherwise hesitant to stay in a private home.

A few of the other differentiators between Homes & Villas by Marriott International and other home rental sites include:

• While there isn't a place to write or read past reviews, the homes are highly-curated and vetted by professional management companies. Only entire premium and luxury homes are listed (no guest bedrooms, or partial house listings, etc.).
• The luxury lean of the collection means these homes are typically quite large and more expensive than other home rentals, however, there are some budget-friendly options, depending on the location.
• Homes are professionally managed by an experienced property management partner rather than the homeowners themselves. Some already operate Marriott hotels and provide 24/7 support, a professionally cleaned home, high-speed Wi-Fi, premium linens and amenities, and other items on request.
• Unlike other platforms, Marriott Bonvoy members may earn and redeem loyalty points.

Each property listing shares details of their cleaning protocols, and additional updates regarding the Homes and Villas by Marriott International COVID-19 policies have been shared on the website.

Overall, the company has increased sanitization between reservations using hospital-grade solutions and provides all staff with personal protective equipment. Marriott is ramping up three main areas:

• Education: Training and equipping partners with proper disinfection protocols
• Enhanced standards: Providing partners with revised cleaning standards
• Equipment: Partnering with vendors to provide state-of-the-art equipment to clean homes

Marriott also created a Marriott Cleanliness Council to redefine cleaning standards across Marriott hotels and homes. However, since each home is managed by a separate property management company, there is no real way to ensure consistency across the board.

Homes & Villas by Marriott announced updated cancellation policies to offer additional flexibility in response to COVID-19.

For reservations made after May 6, 2020, with arrival dates on or before August 31, 2020, guests may cancel up to 10 days before arrival and receive a refund in their original form of payment. However, a $75 credit card processing fee will be deducted (this does not apply to redemption bookings).

In order to qualify for the refund, reservations must meet the following criteria:

• Guests must notify management of cancellation 10+ days prior to arrival.
• Length of the stay must be less than 15 days.
• The home has a 14, 30, or 60-day cancellation policy (90-day cancellation homes are excluded).
• Select homes may be excluded - see the home listing to confirm.

Guests must contact the property management company listed on their confirmation email to initiate the cancellation.

For reservations made prior to May 6, 2020, the standard cancellation policies apply, which vary for each home and are outlined in each individual listing. These are determined by individual properties and management companies.

As someone who normally prefers a hotel over a home rental for the convenience of on-site customer support, amenities, and higher cleaning standards, I really enjoyed my stay with Homes & Villas by Marriott International and would definitely book another home in the future. The home looked just like it did in the photos and any issue or question I had was immediately resolved, and management was quick to respond.

While Homes & Villas by Marriott International does require a minimum stay and rates are on the higher end compared to other rental sites like Airbnb, I still prefer Homes & Villas by Marriott because I can earn Marriott Bonvoy points, which is a huge benefit.

I also like that I didn't have to coordinate a meet up with the host to check-in as a lockbox code provided. While some travelers prefer the more personal interaction provided by an Airbnb Host, I prefer a more discreet experience where I don't see the owner's personal belongings in sight and still feel like I'm staying at a hotel.

With Homes & Villas by Marriott International, any request or issue is handled by a professional management company available 24/7, and the large accommodations make it a great fit for families and groups, though options for couples may be more limited or expensive.

According to Marriott, the most popular homes in the US to book right now are located in the Hamptons, Florida, Carolina beaches, mountain escapes in Tennessee and North Carolina, and coastal hideaways in California. Here's a closer look at some standout properties, available to book now.