How to Deliver a 5-Star Guest Experience on Marriott Homes & Villas

It takes more than signing up a luxury property to deliver a 5-star guest experience on Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. It takes exceeding guest expectations, providing a warm and personalized experience and fostering long-term guest loyalty.

In this article, we’ll explore what makes a Homes & Villas stay exceptional, the key expectations of Marriott Bonvoy guests and actionable strategies property managers can implement to consistently deliver exceptional hospitality. Whether you’re already hosting on the platform or considering it, these insights will help you maximize guest satisfaction, increase positive reviews and drive repeat bookings.

What is Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy?

Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is a premium vacation rental platform launched in 2019 by Marriott International. Unlike most other short-term rental platforms, Homes & Villas features a curated collection of over 180,000 professionally managed premium and luxury properties that meet Marriott’s high standards.

The platform works with select property management companies to offer elevated rental homes participating in Marriott Bonvoy in 12,000 cities worldwide.

Marriott Bonvoy members who book a Homes & Villas vacation rental can earn and redeem points for their stays as well as enjoy rewards like free in-room Wi-Fi, discounted rates and mobile check-in and check-out.

Why Host on Homes & Villas?

Hosting a vacation rental property on Homes & Villas provides property managers with a range of benefits:

• Access to 228+ million Marriott Bonvoy members, globally

• A loyal and engaged customer base

• Longer average stay durations, with guests booking an average of 4.6 nights per trip.

• Premium brand association with Marriott International, boosting property credibility and desirability.

Who is a Homes & Villas Guest?

Over 96% of bookings on Homes & Villas are made by Marriott Bonvoy members so understanding this audience allows you to understand the preferences and expectations of the large majority of your guests and thus tailor your guest experience effectively.

Who is a Marriott Bonvoy Member?

Marriott Bonvoy members earn points on each stay, which can be redeemed for free nights, exclusive experiences or even flights.

Members earn statuses ranging from Member to Ambassador Elite based on the number of nights stayed each year and consequentially grow their rewards.

According to Laurie Klapacz, Senior Manager of Business Development at Homes & Villas, Marriott Bonvoy members holding Gold status or above are:

• Aged 35-54 years

• Married and have children

• High earners ($150,000+)

• College-educated

• Stay an average of 4.6 nights per trip

They are well-travelled, highly engaged and loyal guests who prefer a premium and luxury experience. They also use their points — 50% of reservations involve point redemptions.

What is a 5-Star Experience on Homes & Villas?

Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy uses a guest feedback system to monitor guest satisfaction, track key performance indicators and identify areas for improvement. Its key performance metric for guest satisfaction however is ITR or Intent to Recommend. Says Laurie, “If a guest is recommending another guest to use Homes & Villas or to return themselves, then we are further winning in this space.”

The ITR score is measured on a scale of 1 to 10, but only a score of 9 or 10 is considered good enough. An ITR score of 9-10 indicates that:

• A guest will return, recommend or both

• A guest is satisfied the experience was exceptional

This drives new bookings through repeat bookings or recommendations, leading to revenue growth and creating a cycle of loyalty and trust.

Explains Laurie, “Ones to sixes are detractors. Probably something has gone wrong during their stay and their overall experience was negative. They’re most likely to talk poorly about their stay once they return home. Sevens and eights are passives. They probably had a good time but nothing has stood out to them to make their stay memorable or exceed their expectations. Nines and tens are the guests who are going to actively promote you. They're going to recommend you for future stays and most likely return themselves.”

How to Deliver a 5-Star Guest Experience on Homes & Villas

To achieve delivery of a best-in-class experience for your guests, work hard to embed the following process in the culture of your vacation rental business.

1. Transparent  and accurate listings

By setting clear expectations, you can ensure a strong pre-arrival experience for your guests. You can do this by:

• Ensuring listing accuracy by proactively addressing potential pain points such as slow elevators, road construction, noise levels, rainy weather, etc

• Ensuring photos match the current state of the home, particularly if there has been any renovations.

2. Personalized guest experience

• Gather guest preferences during the pre-arrival stage like dietary restrictions, accommodation preferences and reasons for travel

• Use this information to understand your guests better and create a more personalized experience to surprise and delight them. For example, acknowledging and celebrating a birthday or an anniversary.

3. A warm check-in process

Ensure a warm and professional check-in experience even when your guests opt for self-check-in. You can do this by:

• Giving guests a call or sending them a welcome message after they have arrived.

• Making sure to use their name

4. Anticipate guest needs

• Show interest in your guests so they know you are engaged and understand them.

• Using the information you’ve collected and are learning, provide them with personalized recommendations like the best place to dine for their favorite cuisine.

• Provide 24/7 guest support to handle inquiries and resolve issues swiftly.

5. Empathy and attentiveness

Listen to your guests and answer their questions warmly, even if you have already provided them with the information.

If something goes wrong, follow the LEARN model in interacting with your guests.

1. Listen to guest concerns actively. Don’t interrupt.

2. Empathize by acknowledging their feelings and concerns.

3. Apologize sincerely for the inconvenience or frustration they have experienced.

4. Respond promptly to resolve the issue. If you can’t resolve the issue, make sure to prevent it from occurring in the future.

5. Notify guests of any follow-up actions. Transparency is crucial for building trust.

6. Express gratitude

• Make sure guests don’t feel taken for granted

• Ensure they have an exceptional experience

• Thank them for their stay. Let them know how much you value their decision to choose Marriott and stay with you.

Addressing Common Guest Concerns on Homes & Villas

Marriott Bonvoy guests have high expectations. Avoid negative feedback by proactively addressing these common causes of negative guest feedback on the vacation rental platform.

Complaint: Poor property conditions including wear and tear of furniture, utilities not working or in bad condition, discrepancy between photos and reality, cracked walls, mold and plumbing and electrical problems

Solution: Regular and proactive maintenance, deep cleaning and updates to worn-out furniture, old appliances, etc

Complaint: Slow response times to complaints and to resolving issues through corrective action or adequate compensations

Solution: Ensure 24/7 support and prompt resolution

Complaint: Lack of or insufficient amenities in the kitchen or bathroom for the number of guests and/or duration of stay

Solution: Ensure an ample supply of toiletries, kitchen essentials, and linens. Always have extras on hand in case of damage or other emergencies

Complaint: Feeling of unease due to condition of neighborhood, building, surroundings, etc

Solution: Manage expectations through transparent listing descriptions. Also highlight security features, good lighting, safe entry options, etc 

How to Leverage Hostaway to Partner with Marriott Homes & Villas

If you are a Hostaway user, connecting your vacation rental property to Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is seamless.

As a trusted channel integration partner, Hostaway offers a reliable channel connection that enables you to list your property, get bookings and provide your guests with a memorable stay.

Why Use Hostaway for Homes & Villas?

• Seamless integration

Hostaway’s channel manager ensures automatic updates between your property and Marriott’s platform.

• Multi-channel syncing

Distribute your listings across Marriott Homes & Villas and other top platforms with real-time synchronization, ensuring higher occupancy while avoiding double bookings.

• Automated guest communication

Hostaway enables automated pre-arrival messaging, post-stay follow-ups, booking confirmations and other messages so your guests feel attended to and well-informed.

• Revenue optimization

Hostaway’s pricing tools help you adjust rates dynamically to maximize revenue based on demand and competitor analysis.

• Property maintenance

Automate, schedule and track cleaning, maintenance and other tasks to maintain your vacation rental property in prime condition. Stay in communication with your team so you deliver a seamless guest experience.

Crafting Exceptional Stays on Homes & Villas

Providing a 5-star guest experience is essential for successful hosting on Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. By delivering seamless, personalized and proactive hospitality focused on transparent communication, warm welcomes and thoughtful gestures, property managers can ensure their guests feel valued and eager to return. With tools like Hostaway, integrating with Marriott Homes & Villas becomes even more efficient, enabling real-time syncing, automated guest communication and optimized revenue management.

By embracing these best practices, property managers can position themselves as top-tier hosts on the platform and unlock long-term success in the premium vacation rental market.