Here's how Marriott's Homes & Villas platform works

Marriott Bonvoy is renowned for its robust portfolio of hotels that includes breathtaking properties around the world from luxury brands such as St. Regis, The Ritz-Carlton, and Edition, as well as familiar and trusted names like Renaissance, Westin, Sheraton, Courtyard, and many others.

However, you may be less familiar with their home rental platform, Homes & Villas by Marriott International, which is their entry into the short-term rental space, operating thousands of homes in over 100 destinations around the world.

And it's certainly a good time to get to know the platform. As restrictions around the country start to lift following COVID-19, and travel cautiously resumes, many travelers are looking for domestic accommodations that follow proper social distancing. Vacation rentals, in particular, are especially attractive for this reason and experienced a recent surge in demand this spring. This is likely because medical and hospitality experts generally consider private home rentals to be a safe bet (safer than hotels, in fact) because there is generally less direct person-to-person contact. Of course, without a vaccine, there is no firm guarantee on safety, and it's crucial to follow guidelines from organizations such as the CDC and WHO, wear a mask, wash your hands, and maintain social distancing.