A lot of organizations in the travel industry were forced to change their business model during and after the pandemic. Many businesses haven’t recovered but the ones that do can credit their existence to their ability to adapt to the times. One stand-out that comes to mind is the Marriott Hotels brand.
Recently they’ve announced a new product, apartment-style accommodations called Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy.
Apartments By Marriott
President of Marriott International, Stephanie Linnartz, said: “Travelers planning vacations and long business trips today are seeking more choice in accommodations, and the introduction of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy responds to those trends while offering developers a premium product backed by our trusted name and distribution platform.”
Helping remote workers:
With the pandemic creating so many remote workers across the United States, lots of people are looking for different places to call home. Travelers could still earn points through Marriott’s loyalty program while staying at these home-like apartments.
Competition Beware
Marriott introducing a line of apartments also brings competitors to short-stay companies like Airbnb and Vrbo. Marriott International has already started campaigning their rentals called “Home & Villas” which are over 60,000 properties in 75 countries. However, Apartment by Marriott will focus on the United States and Canada first.
Another option to Air BNB
Airbnb’s popularity has been losing its popularity due to recent horror stories over cameras inside vacation rentals, hosts requesting guests to clean up after themselves, and recently the death of 3 Americans in an Airbnb in Mexico who died from carbon monoxide.
Hotels Are Back
Hotels are once again becoming more attractive since there’s less stress and work staying in one. Although, travelers still need more workspaces when it comes to their business travel and remote work demands. This is where Marriott is understanding the needs of the new customer that travels for work and vacation.
Marriott has high expectations for their new line of stays, we can look forward to the Apartments in major cities across the U.S. The properties will be managed by Marriott, but developers will have some flexibility in design under Marriott’s parameters.
“With Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, guests will be able to shop a wider array of accommodation options within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, growing their loyalty to the portfolio and its range of brand offerings,” said Linnartz.