Airbnb may be getting the big press attention just now for its upcoming public stock sale, but Marriott has been quietly making serious moves in the short-term rental market, too, with its Homes and Villas division.
The division, a tiny corner so far of the giant hotel business, has ramped up since it started in summer 2019 from 2,000 home listings in 100 destinations to 16,000 in almost 250, with 4,000 added just in the past two months.
While the two platforms might seem to be direct competitors, that’s really only true at the top end of the market, where only a small part of Airbnb’s business is, and all of Marriott’s effort lies. Marriott’s rentals are only complete units, and are aimed at luxury travelers.
Unlike some other hotel-organized short-stay programs, such as the one just launched by Accor or Four Seasons’ Private Retreats, the Marriott spaces are independent of Marriott hotels in both location and management, although a successful operation where there is no Marriott might serve as a guide to future hotel development.
Jennifer Hsieh, head of Homes and Villas, told travel info site Skift that “With the pandemic, the desire for this entire home product — where [guests] can go and control the environment and bring extended family back together — has really reemerged with demand, and that recovery has been better than anyone could have expected in a pandemic environment.”
