Raising the bar on vacation rental quality

[SPONSORED] Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy discusses what it means to raise the bar in vacation rental quality, how it is enhancing personalised searches through its Generative AI search tool, and what it offers to professional home management companies.

We often hear the saying ‘quality over quantity’; but what does it really mean for vacation rentals? And how can your company raise the bar?

While attributes like a clean, well-designed, or luxurious home play into the definition of quality, at Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, we view quality as something more. We view quality as an experience.

An experience that inspires more travel, while delivering high standards that guests come to trust.

We work exclusively with select professional home management companies whom we trust to deliver on the high product and service standards that guests expect of Marriott International in design, cleanliness, safety, reliability and high-end amenities.

From the moment a guest visits our website to book their vacation rental, to when they’re recounting their unforgettable vacation moments with friends, quality comes down to one thing – the experience.

At Homes & Villas, that experience begins even before the guest has decided on where to go. Our new search tool powered by AI is a pioneer among vacation rental platforms, allowing travellers to search for their perfect vacation without a specific destination in mind. Guests, including our 200 million+ Marriott Bonvoy members, can focus on defining their ideal experience and their preferred in-home amenities without knowing their destination or dates. Our AI search tool uses natural language to match searches with a list of ideal homes in destinations worldwide that fit their criteria – and which may not have occurred to them otherwise.

Our new AI search tool is one way Homes & Villas has enhanced the guest experience and anticipated guest needs. Partnering with select home management companies that prioritise the guest experience through every touchpoint enables us to seamlessly provide exceptional service consistently throughout the guest journey.

To raise the bar on vacation rental quality, three elements are non-negotiable for the entire guest experience: seamlessness, exceptional service, and consistency.

Seamlessness

In today’s world, where booking a trip, paying for an excursion, checking in, and leaving a review can be done in an instant on a mobile device, guests have high expectations for each experience to be seamless.

So how can your company provide a seamless experience?

• Don’t overcomplicate the process – keep it intuitive and user-friendly
• Ensure your homes can be booked instantly
• Confirm your listing descriptions and amenities are accurate – no surprises [unless it’s a welcome basket!]
• Send a thorough pre-arrival email – this will eliminate unnecessary questions and back and forth between the guest and your team
• Provide everyday household items and supplies – guests should not have to make a run to the store after a long day of travel

Finally, safety and security also provide a sense of seamlessness when a guest is travelling. It’s no surprise they value safety over price.

Following these steps is essential to raising the bar in vacation rental quality.

Exceptional service

With 95+ years of trusted hospitality, we know that every guest interaction has a big impact, so providing a high level of service is not only important, but critical. And exceptional service, at that.

Exceeding guest expectations should drive the work you and your team do. Exceptional service must be at the forefront of how you interact with guests. Your team should strive to remove friction and personalise each experience. Exceptional service can also turn a negative situation into a positive outcome by applying one of Marriott’s operational methods – the LEARN method.

L is for listen. By listening to the guest, you’re reinforcing that you care what they’ve just experienced.

E is for empathise. Empathy is essential to the LEARN method.

A is for apologise. Apologies are the best way to reiterate that you’re empathetic to their experience.

R is for react. Empower and train your team on how they should react to certain situations.

N is for notify. Notify your team, and the guest, about next steps.

Tackle your next situation by applying the LEARN method and delight your customers with exceptional service.

Consistency

What’s Marriott’s “secret sauce” to building and sustaining the loyalty of millions of members around the world and ensuring them a quality experience every stay? Being consistent in everything we offer.

That means quality standards in services such as seamless check-in experiences and guest recognition. It also means quality standards for tangible products ranging from in-room amenities to comfortable linen.

While each one of your vacation rental homes will have a unique look and feel, consistent quality needs to be at the heart of your strategy and everything you offer.

What we offer professional home management companies

At Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, we work exclusively with select professional home management companies. We trust our partners to deliver on the high product and service standards that guests expect of Marriott International.

Home management companies who list with Homes & Villas know they can benefit from the halo effect of Marriott’s world-class reputation in the hospitality industry and our deep knowledge of delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Being associated with the Marriott name allows home management companies to prove to homeowner clients that they are well-run, reliable and among the best in the industry.

Ultimately, what matters most is working with partners to provide an unforgettable guest experience and raise the bar on vacation rental quality.

If you are a professional home management company with over 20 homes in your portfolio and are looking to partner with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, click here to enquire.