Marriott International has launched a home-sharing program that will allow clients to book a stay in more than 200 homes in London.
The six-month pilot program was launched in collaboration with Hostmaker, a London-based home rental management company, and marks Marriott’s official debut in the home-sharing market scene. Marriott could eventually be competing with Airbnb, HomeAway and Booking.com, as well as AccorHotels and Oasis, which have entered the home-sharing scene with their Onefinestay and Oasis brands, respectively.
Rather than creating a new brand for home-sharing, Marriott will be utilizing its Tribute Portfolio brand, and call the new option Tribute Portfolio Homes.
“This extension of Tribute Portfolio made a lot more sense to us than starting from scratch,” Nakui Sharma, founder and CEO of Hostmaker, told Skift. “It’s a seamless experience for guests when they come onto Marriott’s booking platform.
Travelers can log onto tributeportfoliohomes.com to book a stay at a London home, each of which was chosen by Marriott and Hostmaker. The homes have one or more bedrooms, full kitchens and laundry facilities. They are in compliance with Marriott’s safety, design, security and service standards. Guests receive services and amenities, such as an in-person check-in and welcome experience, and 24/7 phone support.
Customers who book through Tribute Portfolio Homes can earn loyalty points from Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest. Starting next month, they can also redeem points for homestays. The average nightly rate for a one- or two-bedroom home is $280 to $351.
Tribute Portfolio has 28 independent hotels around the world. Marriott inherited the brand as part of its $1.3 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016.
Marriott and Hostmaker decided to launch the pilot program in London because they felt the market there is conducive to learning quickly and complementary to Marriott’s hotel inventory. If the program is successful, Marriott has indicated that it may consider expanding it into other markets.
Home-sharing has been considered previously by Marriott.
“We’ve been thinking about this for a while, and how this type of business affects ours,” CEO Arne Sorensen told Skift. “Timing is about finding the right partner to bring an idea to life that makes sense for our business. That’s what we’re offering here.”
