As a loyal and longtime Marriott Bonvoy traveler, I have always used Marriott hotels for my shorter (week or less) stays around the world. For longer trips, I stay at Airbnb’s for more space and a kitchen, washer/dryer, etc. When I found out that Marriott had started renting apartments/homes, I was so excited to switch from Airbnb to Marriott. What could go wrong? The ability to earn Marriott Bonvoy points on long stays-sign me up! How could it not be a better experience than Airbnb when Marriott was willing to put their global brand on the program? I do expect high standards with the Marriott brand and have rarely been let down on my global hotel stays. Unfortunately, my first experience with Homes & Villas by Marriott in Paris was disappointing at best. Marriott-do better. Please.
When we arrived after a very long day/night of travel and the house cleaner was still working away at cleaning the Paris apartment, we rented for our Girls Trip 2023 (finishing the clean after the official check-in time) and I quickly spied a huge spider that I had to kill with my shoe, I cringed. Yikes-this might not be the upscale experience I expected.
Launched in 2019 to appeal to their Bonvoy customers who want a travel brand that they trust but the space and amenities of an apartment/home, Marriott needs to improve in order to keep customers like me coming back. With that in mind, here is my feedback on my stay for Marriott:
- Show customer ratings and reviews like Airbnb. Customers tell it like it is, both good and bad. I would not have rented this expensive apartment had there been customer reviews which described the neighborhood. Our block included a boisterous group that met every night on the corner under our windows (which had to be open-no a/c). It was crazy loud until the wee hours every single night.
- Ensure that every apartment comes with a manual (similar to Airbnb) so that you don’t have to watch a YouTube video to learn how to use the combo washer/dryer, which we had to do. I had to take a picture and send to the property management company to translate the front panel.
- Conduct Marriott property visits to ensure that appropriate ongoing maintenance is being done by local property management companies. Our apartment had duct tape holding cabinets together due to broken door hinges, peeling paint on the bedroom wall and kitchen appliances (oven and dishwasher) that didn’t work. These issues do not create a “premium and luxury” experience for the traveler.
- Under promise, over deliver. If you are going to promise High-Speed Wi-Fi, television and kitchen essentials, then you better make sure these are indeed included. Our apartment had slow Wi-Fi that negatively impacted our ability to work remotely and enjoy entertainment since the television only had local channels all in French, the bedroom televisions hadn’t even been set up, and the Wi-Fi wasn’t strong enough to use our technology to stream shows via Google Chromecast.
Below is Marriott’s program statement detailing the travel experience they offer with Homes & Villas. I was looking forward to enjoying this premium experience in Paris. I did not get it:
Marriott’s published program statement: Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy offers a curated and growing collection of premium and luxury whole home rentals located in prime destinations throughout the world. Leveraging Marriott International’s deep knowledge in delivering exceptional hospitality experiences, each home is professionally managed and meets the company’s design, cleanliness, safety and amenity standards. Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is part of the Marriott Bonvoy travel program, providing numerous benefits to both property management companies and travelers. Members of Marriott Bonvoy can earn and redeem points at all homes, providing more choice for a range of travel needs as a complement to Marriott International’s core hotel business.
Travels with Melinda 
Melinda,
I love that you put this out here.
I also was so excited to see the Marriott Homes & Villas program, but had a similar disappointing experience. We are in the Marriott program, and offsetting costs with points is helpful on our budget for a European vacation. Unfortunately, the condo we rented in Florence last year definitely did not meet up to expectations. I do not even consider using this as an option any more.
I thought maybe I just got unlucky but it sounds like it might just be that their program is not what it could or should be.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Barbara
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can I ask which property in Florence? I am looking to book one now for late April
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Hi Mike! The property we stay at in Florence is through AIRBNB: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4996085?source_impression_id=p3_1709141004_%2BzN9wUV6ehDTQIuI We are going back there in May and can’t wait.
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That looks very nice, I really appreciate you getting back to me. Unfortunately we do need a place with 2 bathrooms if possible. I did look at their other listings and it was only for a 1 bedroom.
Are there any other you are familiar with? and based on the reviews i’ve seen, I am planning on NOT using Marriott Home and Villas – you would agree?
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Hi! This is the only other Florence Airbnb that I’ve stayed at-https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5752196?source_impression_id=p3_1709155316_Q3dj29L7%2B6Japi%2BR Very nice, 2 bathrooms and great location. I won’t stay at Marriott Home and Villas again until they start posting customer reviews. I always use reviews to guide my accommodation decisions. The customers tell it like it is.
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Again, thanks for your reply! Unfortunately they are booked when we are looking but that place looks great!
I agree about the customer reviews. I was thinking at least “marriott can make it right” if there were issues, but based on the reviews of the Homes and Villas, it does not appear that Marriott helps out at all.
I just looked at your blog. I see under Italy the section on Milan for 2 days. do you have a specific page on Florence i’m not seeing? Also, do you have any recommendations for Florence? We are doing the academy / museums with a guide one day, but have another full day there as well. Particularly if there was a nice hike or something outdoors/in nature.
Lastly, have you ever done a Bologna food tour? We are trying to figure that out, and is challenging, bc we were planning to stop in Bologna on way to Venice from Florence, and won’t arrive until about 11am. Most food tours start in the morning and finish with lunch. I may have found one, but I love to get recommendations as well.
Appreciate your help and have a great day!
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Hi! All my Florence posts are here: https://mgeorge3948.wordpress.com/category/florence/ I hope they are helpful. Florence is my favorite city. I haven’t been to Bologna yet. Happy travels!
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We are experiencing the same thing in Lisbon.
Extremely disappointed.
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I am so glad that I found this site. My husband and I rented a Paris apartment through Marriott Villas and Homes and have a few complaints but Marriott does not seem to have a site where I can leave a review. We were fortunate that the apartment was clean but the building outside of the apartment reeked of cigarette smoke. There were other minor issues with lack of kitchen supplies, etc. but for the price/points that we paid I am not sure it was worth it.
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A huge disappointment is an understatement in Florida too! The management company left us with products that were not
Even the quality of “Dollar Store”.
When I contacted the Marriot homes customer service team and requested 2 nights refund to move
On to a hotel, we were told the management co doesn’t offer refunds.
My reservation was confirmed thru Marriott not some mgmt co.
We were provided 3 trash bags for a week- over used bath towels that were so thin you could see thru them. No sponge – but expected to do dishes. Who travels w a sponge?
I have learned a lesson the hard way. So disappointed in the loyalty that I had toward this company for 20+ years.
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we have booked Minerva Apt through Bonvoy near the Vatican, do you have any thoughts or experience with it for April.
Reddit had good comments on the Homes and Villa experience . Made back up at Hyatt Tribune ; however, time is ticking on the Hyatt reservation. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
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Hi! Until Marriott starts posting customer reviews for their Home & Villa properties, I won’t book them again but I am still booking Marriott hotels when I travel. When I went to Rome two years ago, we stayed at Le Meridien Visconti, which is a Marriott hotel and it was very nice. The neighborhood is not overrun with tourists but close enough to walk to the Vatican and other sites. I would recommend it. Have fun!
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Hi! Wish I would have found this site before we booked a Homes & Villas from Marriott in San Diego this year. It was extremely disappointing. The home was in poor repair, required more than three visits from the local manager and a handyman, and was not cleaned well, nor well equipped. I’m in the process of looking for a way to communicate with Marriott about this.
Maybe the most distressing part of the experience was the incredibly poor exchange rate we received. We booked using points only and “paid” more than twice what it would have cost using cash. We expected so much more.
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Glad I found this site! I was about to book a home on Homes & Villas but after reading all this, forget it.
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Glad I’m seeing all of these reviews. Was getting ready to book a dog friendly place
Cant imagine what it really will look like if you all have had bad experiences. No thanks! passing on this. What a shame..was hopeful it would be better than Air B&B since it’s Marriott Branded
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Hopefully they will start allowing customer reviews of the properties they have listed in Homes & Villas. That way you usually can tell if the property will work for you and what it is really like. I think they are expanding this segment of their business so fast that they aren’t checking all the properties to ensure the quality that you would get at a Marriott hotel. I’m currently staying in an ARBNB in Florence for 2 weeks and it’s nice (have stayed here before) but would have loved to stay somewhere I could accrue points because I travel often. Good luck finding a nice place!
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DO NOT BOOK WITH MARRIOTT HOMES & VILLAS!! I also had the same horrible experience with a property in Lisbon, Portugal. I trusted that any property offered by Marriott would be properly vetted and would meet acceptable standards. The apartment was filthy dirty with an old, extremely lumpy bed; loud, odorous construction going on outside the windows giving us the inability to open the dark shutters without having workers look inside; stained upholstered furniture; dirty rugs and flooring….the list goes on. The WORST part is that Marriott refuses to take responsibility for their failure to properly vet the apartments offered on their site. Their attempt to break into the apartment vacation rental business is a complete FAILURE!
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I recently had the unfortunate experience of staying at what was advertised as “Marriott Homes” during my trip to Malaysia. I feel compelled to share my disappointment and concerns regarding the discrepancies and issues encountered during my stay.
Upon arrival, it became apparent that the property marketed as “Marriott Homes” was actually listed under the name “Platinum Suites” on various online platforms, with no evident affiliation with the Marriott brand. This discovery was disheartening, especially since I had made my booking through Marriott Bonvoy, using points earned through loyalty to your brand. The realization of this deception left me feeling misled and disappointed.
Furthermore, the rate charged for the accommodation was exorbitant compared to what was available for the same property through alternative platforms. This pricing inconsistency not only felt like a rip-off but also left me feeling exploited as a loyal customer.
Moreover, the condition of the apartment was subpar, falling far short of the standards depicted in the online images. This discrepancy was not merely aesthetic; it extended to safety concerns, as evidenced by the broken flooring that resulted in injury to my wife, necessitating a visit to the hospital and disrupting what was meant to be a relaxing family vacation.
In summary, my experience at “Marriott Homes” was deeply unsatisfactory. The misrepresentation of the property, coupled with the inflated pricing and lack of quality assurance, reflects poorly on the Marriott brand. As a loyal customer, I expected transparency and adherence to the standards synonymous with the Marriott name, both of which were conspicuously absent in this instance.
I cannot in good conscience recommend the Marriott Homes concept to others. It appears to be a deceptive practice, simply listing properties from Airbnb at inflated rates without the trademark quality and service associated with Marriott. Feeling both ripped off and deceived, I sincerely hope that these issues are addressed promptly to maintain the trust and loyalty of Marriott customers.
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We rented a house in Florida from Marrott Homes and Villas.
Marriott took no responsibility for any defects (there were many). Marrott blamed everything on the LLC they contracted with to rent the house.
I would never trust Marriott again.
They offered me, I think 15,000 points.
I did not respond. Program is awful.
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Homes and Villas by Marriott. After 3 decades with Marriott / Starwoods and over 500 nights in Marriott hotels without a complaint, I spent more than 500,000 Marriott points in my very first Home and Villas by Marriott stay. I have traveled more than 8 million miles going around the world as an international sourcing executive, so I’ve seen a lot. The entire building that housed my apartment was under construction and there was a bar that spilled out under our apartment. The railing on the stairs to our apartment was broken and there was an open toilet off the stairway just above our apartment. The stair treads were literally loose. The bar partying every night lasted until 2 am and the construction started at 8 am literally over our heads in the apt above. Upon checking in on Friday night, I contacted the customer service department which I learned was a call center somewhere in the Caribbean. The initial contact was named Sanjay who called the apt manager in France and told me that I would receive a discount upon checking out. I stated that I was not interested and requested a rescue and that I be moved to a hotel. I sent videos and pictures and was told that I would have an escalated and urgent response. I heard nothing and called the next morning Saturday only to learn, via voicemail outgoing message, that they were closed over the weekend. I was literally stuck with nowhere to go and no one to talk to. By the time we left I was in touch with a more senior person in Bethesda Maryland who seemed empathetic and told me that he understood my request for a full points refund. The next day I was offered a very insulting 15,000 point credit. I responded that he should keep his points and after 3 decades, I would cancel my account. I’ve heard nothing. This division is nothing like the Marriott brand and I’m not sure what if anything they have to do with each other. All the apartment managers had to do was be transparent about the construction, but they stated that they had no obligation to be transparent. Lastly, I also learned that Marriott does nothing to “qualify” the homes and apartments listed on their web site. I will never again stay and anything stating the Marriott brand. The address of the Apt is 104 rue du temple, París, France, 75003
I recommend staying far away from apartment and Homes and Villas by Marriott
If you would like to see pictures or videos feel free to comment with contact info
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I found a home on airbnb and it’s listed on vrbo as well as the property management’s company. I found a much better price on Marriott homes and villas – so I kind of want to try it out based on the reviews of the same property on these other platforms. I will be back on here to leave another follow-up review based on my experience.
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Marriott Lifetime Platinum member and, as others have noted, got burned with my first Marriott Homes and Villas rental in the Lake Tahoe area. First, the management team impossible to track down to get basic unit information from. Unit was filthy (dried food and dead bugs in the dishes), blinds hanging off the window by strings, washer but no dryer (as advertised). To top things off, Luxvacation, the management team, sent me a copy of the bill they presented to Marriott and it was $178 less than what I paid Marriott. When I asked Marriott about this discrepancy, they indicated they don’t have access to the actual invoices. How are they getting paid? I will never, ever book a Marriott Homes & Villa unit again. Seriously poor experience.
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Mariott homes are a disgrace. Don’t ever book with them because they won’t be there for you when it goes wrong. Our Paris apartment was infested by bedbugs. Total compensation offered for over €2000 in additional costs and a destroyed vacation – 10,000 Mariott points. They can have them back!!!
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Just when you think it could not get any worse with Marriott. We’ve had several bad experiences on the hotel side this year, but this was even more horrific. We travel extensively for leisure (six months annually) and for the most our stays are in hotels across a wide range of Marriott brands. Trying to be a loyal Marriott user, we decided to try Homes and Villas by Marriott.
Our trip took us to southern Italy, specifically Ostuni in the Puglia region. The apartment we chose, Palazzo Rapana Superior Apartment is a two-bedroom space that touts all the comforts of home, as well as an indoor jacuzzi, which they feature prominently on the Marriott site. This location is booked across a wide variety of other booking engines on the internet on which they do the same.
Be warned, this apartment is nothing as advertised.
The check-in experience is a nightmare. We had to navigate the front entrance of this location accessed by keypad. It took 15+ attempts to respond (pic). It is very old and non-functional. Multiple attempts to call the management company (which Marriott defaults to) for assistance were unanswered. The inner access is by key lock, which is likely original to this 100+ year old structure (pic). Again, a nightmare and no guidance and no one to contact on how to use.
The space is very dated and quite gross. There is paint chipping off the walls in several locations (pics). The showers appear to have mold around the base (pics). The jacuzzi has lovely accents of brown and green (mold) at the water level (pics). As tempting as it was, we decided not to use for fear of some type of infection.
We reached out to the property management to request soap for the showers and informed them that only two of the pillows had pillowcases (pics -lovely stains on the uncovered pillow). There were also no towels for use in the kitchen (used bath towels) or soap for the dishwasher.
You are also expected to follow a daily garbage schedule and are threatened with fines if you don’t adhere. The schedule requires daily adherence (pics).
Lastly, the “Unlimited Wifi” is very limited. It barely works with one device (don’t expect streaming), and two devices are a wish and a prayer. Not very pleasant when overall cell signals are one bar at best and you have to go out to the street to have a conversation. Do not rent this location if you have any intention of getting work done.
I can’t stress enough how poor this experience is. Marriott would be best served to have their “Curators” spend a little more time evaluating potential properties and be less concerned with offering disgusting options like this one to drive revenue. Avoid this property and Homes and Villas by Marriott at all cost.
Please reach out if interested in pics of this stay.
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