Big hotel target group travel – Las Vegas Sun News

Major hotel brands are adding vacation rental properties to their portfolios, creating new opportunities for large groups and families.

For years, home-sharing platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have been major sources for large group travel accommodations. These platforms make it easier to find multi-bedrooms for rent. Often, these were more comfortable and cost-effective than spreading across multiple hotel rooms. But in recent years, peer-to-peer home rental sites have drawn attention for high fees and unreliable hosts.

However, interest in short-term rentals remains strong. Demand for short-term rentals grew 7% year-over-year in 2024, according to a 2024 report from AirDNA, a firm that tracks vacation rental data and analytics. AirDNA projects demand for short-term rentals will further increase by 4.9% in 2025.

Now, major hotel companies like Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott have debuted their own vacation rental properties.

Recently, on January 8, 2025, Hilton Hotels & Resorts announced a partnership with a vacation rental resort called Evermore Orlando Resort. Evermore offers hundreds of vacation rentals on a sprawling property, along with resort-level services such as a 24-hour front desk and on-site dining.

For travelers looking for group accommodation—and who want to avoid the unpredictability that can come with renting from individual owners—these hotel-linked vacation rentals are worth checking out. A potential downside, however, is that they can be expensive.

Why Hilton’s eyes are on the Evermore Orlando Resort

Evermore Orlando Resort opened in January 2024 as a 1,100-acre luxury vacation rental complex consisting of 69 homes, 206 condos and 41 villas ranging in size from two-bedroom apartments to 11-bedroom homes.

“We designed the perfect homes for a week’s vacation,” says Christopher Kelsey, developer of Evermore Orlando Resort. “Each house has identical primary bedrooms, so there’s no arguing about who has the best bedroom, or who should pay more or less because they have better bedrooms.”

The units have features that appeal to families like rooms with two bunk beds and – in the larger ones – a slide that takes you downstairs. Resort amenities include an artificial beach complex, golf courses, restaurants and a gym. Unlike other vacation rentals, the property has staff on site to help with issues.

But the units can be expensive. Rates always vary by night, but nightly rates for the 32-person, 11-bedroom house — the largest residence available — start at about $3,000. However, if you split that cost with a full guest house, it can be more affordable than individual hotel rooms.

As of January 8, 2025, Evermore travelers can use Hilton Honors points to book homes through Hilton’s website. When you book with cash, they’ll earn Hilton points on their stays, too.

Major hotel brands embrace more space and multi-family travel

Hilton’s partnership with Evermore isn’t the only example of big brands getting into vacation rentals.

Marriott

In 2019, Marriott International launched Homes & Villas by Marriott International, a collection of 140,000 vacation rentals worldwide where Marriott Bonvoy members can earn and redeem points for stays.

Unlike Evermore, these are mostly self-contained homes, looked after by Marriott-controlled property management companies that provide 24/7 support (though not necessarily on-site).

The collection includes several luxury properties, which tend to command expensive prices. Properties include an Italian villa with a sauna, private chef and infinity pool, which sleeps up to 24 and starts at $3,800 per night. There’s also an 18th-century Irish castle in Galway that sleeps 17 and starts at around $6,300 a night. Affordable properties include multi-bedroom homes in Orlando that cost less than $100 per night.

Hyatt

In 2023, Hyatt Hotels Corp. launched a similar offering called Homes & Hideaways by World of Hyatt. Like Marriott Homes & Villas, Hyatt’s program features independent properties overseen by management companies that have earned the Hyatt seal of approval.

Hyatt Vacation Club offers larger accommodations through timeshares, where you can purchase fractional ownership or occupancy rights in a property. Owners typically pay an upfront fee and annual maintenance fees in exchange for points to book stays at locations across the brand’s network.

Hyatt Vacation Club units can also be booked with cash or World of Hyatt points, which can be earned through stays or certain credit cards. Prices vary by location, with some resorts offering multi-bedroom villas for $200 or $300 a night, while others can charge up to $900.

There are more than 20 Hyatt Vacation Club locations throughout the US and Mexico, and each resort is designed to showcase its host location.

Stephanie Sobeck Butera, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Hyatt Vacation Club, said in an email that Hyatt Vacation Club specifically builds in locations that aren’t “necessarily traditional timeshare markets.” This includes Santa Fe, New Mexico and Branson, Missouri.

Offers vary by location. For example, the Hyatt Vacation Club Wild Oak Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, offers classes on how to make guacamole, tortillas, and margaritas, and families can enjoy the lazy river and playground.

Hilton

Hilton Grand Vacations is a timeshare company that was spun off from Hilton Worldwide. It’s similarly marketed to timeshare members — but like the Hyatt, it also allows non-owners to book using either cash or Hilton Honors points. Hilton’s HGV portfolio currently stands at around 200 resorts worldwide.

In November 2023, HGV expanded its Elara property in Las Vegas to nearly 1,300 units. Like most hotels, it has a check-in desk plus tourist amenities like a pool and restaurant. But because these properties are period, they also have spacious kitchens and dining areas—a rarity in hotels.

What does this mean for travelers ahead?

Travelers now have more properties to choose from when booking accommodations in large groups. Before travelers head straight to Airbnb or another short-term rental platform for a family reunion or a group trip, they should compare some of the other options.

New vacation rental or timeshare offerings from hotel companies may offer more amenities or services, plus ways to earn and use hotel points. And more competition in the short-term rental space could lead to lower prices for everyone.

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Caitlin Mims contributed to this story.