The sharing economy is officially making waves in the hospitality world, with Marriott International recently announcing its foray into the home-sharing market.
Joining Hyatt and AccorHotels in an effort to compete against the popularity of Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com, Marriott embarked on a six-month trial with Hostmaker, a London-based home stay property-management company, in late April. Attendees can now visit TributePortfolioHomes.com to book more than 200 London homes, which have been specifically chosen by Marriott and Hostmaker.
The homes follow Marriott’s standards regarding safety, design, security and service, and attendees who stay in them will get 24/7 dedicated phone support and an in-person check-in experience. They can even earn loyalty points from both Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest.
What makes Marriott’s new endeavor standout compared to those of Hyatt and AccorHotels is that the hotel company is using its existing Tribute Portfolio brand to market the homes. Plus, it has control over which homes can be included in the collection to ensure quality and service, and Hostmaker’s on-the-ground teams will be physically present to check consistent quality control measures and maintenance, reported Skift.
If all goes well in the London market, Marriott may consider expanding the program into other destinations, and the timing couldn’t be better for meetings. The recent launch of the new Airbnb for Events tool means that this is only the beginning for attendees looking at home stays as an option during meetings. As the industry evolves with the sharing economy, only time will tell what future room night contracts will look like, as more hotels and outside companies offer home stays at competitive rates.
