VRWS Leadership Interview of the Day

How would you describe your career path and what brought you to Homes & Villas by Marriott International? 

“My career so far has been full of exciting challenges and unexpected turns, but no matter the role, company, or industry, it has always centred around my passion for innovating to solve complex challenges.  

In early 2018, after moving to London and while working at a property management company, I had the opportunity to partner with Marriott International’s Innovation team to develop the company’s home rental pilot, which later became Homes & Villas by Marriott International.

This was an incredible opportunity to build a product from scratch from thinking about the booking experience and what our curation criteria should be after visiting multiple homes across different cities in Europe. After my positive experience with Marriott’s home rental pilot, I jumped at the chance to join Homes & Villas by Marriott International as I saw the growth potential and unique value proposition in the market. Last but not least, I joined because of the people. I love working with such a fast-growing, driven, and diverse group of colleagues and property management partners!” 

“Property managers can tap into Marriott’s network of more than 169 million Marriott Bonvoy loyalty members built over 95 years of hospitality experience”, a recent LinkedIn post of yours says. What is it like to be part of a huge family with such a strong heritage?  

“I’m grateful to be part of Marriott’s culture of constant innovation and putting people first. I see first-hand the company’s commitment to associates, guests, partners, and communities every day – and it’s so exciting to be able to pull that culture through to the home rental space with Homes & Villas by Marriott International.   

It’s no wonder more than 169 million members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program put so much trust in Marriott and continue to book with us again and again. 90% of our bookings on Homes & Villas by Marriott International come from Bonvoy members, and so this group is front and center in our strategy as we are growing the platform.”  

Let’s say for the purpose of the interview that Homes & Villas is exhibiting at an in-person event. A property manager approaches you to find out more. How would you describe the benefits Homes & Villas by Marriott International provides? 

 “There are several unique benefits for property managers looking to work with Homes & Villas by Marriott International, the top ones being: 

• Global Reach:  Vacation rentals listed with Homes & Villas by Marriott International can reach more than 169 million members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program around the world. These members prefer to book accommodations that are part of the program so they can earn and redeem points for travel. This gives homes listed on the platform exposure to a new and engaged audience and provides property managers with an incremental revenue stream. 
• Brand Affiliation: Marriott International is known for quality, consistency and operational excellence built on almost a century of hospitality experience. Property managers who list accommodations on Homes & Villas by Marriott International can benefit from this brand affiliation, particularly when speaking with prospective homeowners to drive inventory growth. Homes that are part of the collection are positioned as some of the finest vacation rentals around the world. 
• Unsurpassed Support: Homes & Villas by Marriott International provides property management partners support with operations and performance optimization on the platform as well as access to exclusive training and premium amenities and supplies. 

VRWS 22 is about to land in Porto. What do you expect from the overall experience? 

“I expect another fun and educational edition of VRWS where I can meet and learn from leaders in the industry. I look forward to sharing insights and having meaningful conversations about challenges, opportunities and what’s next in vacation rentals – and, most importantly, building relationships with the best, brightest, and most innovative people in the industry!”