Everyone assumes you’re giving up loyalty points when you book a vacation rental instead of a hotel. For years, that assumption was correct because rental platforms and hotel programs operated separately. That changed in 2019 when major brands started integrating vacation homes into their rewards systems, making earning hotel points on vacation rentals through partnerships with programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Capital One Travel. The catch is that not every rental qualifies, so you need to book through specific channels that connect to these loyalty programs.
TLDR:
- You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points (5 per dollar) on vacation rentals through Homes & Villas program.
- Capital One Venture X cardholders earn 5X miles plus $100 experience credits per stay.
- Stack credit card rewards with shopping portals to double your points on any rental booking.
- AvantStay partners with both Marriott and Capital One, earning rewards without sacrificing space.
Understanding Hotel Points and Vacation Rentals
For years, travelers thought hotel points and vacation rentals existed in separate categories. You either booked a hotel room and earned loyalty rewards, or you rented a home and got more space without any points. That choice seemed locked in with AvantStay and others now changing the game.
The hospitality world started changing around 2019 when major hotel brands realized vacation rentals were here to stay. Instead of viewing homes as rivals, companies like Marriott began adding professionally managed vacation rental properties into their loyalty systems. Now you can earn the same points on a five-bedroom villa that you’d collect on a standard hotel room.
The difference is that not all vacation rentals qualify. Properties need to be part of specific programs or booked through particular channels that partner with hotel loyalty programs or credit card issuers, and properly managed vacation rentals meet these requirements. A random listing won’t earn you rewards, but properties booked through participating channels will.
Marriott Bonvoy Homes & Villas: The Premier Path to Points
Marriott Bonvoy Homes & Villas launched in 2019 as the first major hotel loyalty program to include professionally managed vacation rentals. The concept is straightforward: book an eligible property through the Homes & Villas portal, and you’ll earn 5 Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on the rental rate.
We’re one of the original twelve property management partners in the program, which means many of our homes are available for booking through Marriott’s system. When you book an AvantStay property via Homes & Villas, your stay counts toward elite status qualification just like a hotel booking would.
The process requires you to search through the Homes & Villas website or app instead of booking directly. You’ll need to be logged into your Bonvoy account during checkout. Elite members get the same perks they’d receive at hotels, like flexible cancellation windows and dedicated customer service lines. Points post to your account after checkout, typically within a few days of your departure.
Credit Card Strategies for Earning Points on Any Vacation Rental
Credit cards offer a way to earn rewards on vacation rentals even when the property company doesn’t have its own loyalty program. The earning happens at the payment level instead of through a partnership, which means you can rack up points whether you’re booking through Airbnb, Vrbo, or any rental website.
Travel rewards cards typically earn 2-3X points per dollar on travel purchases, and vacation rentals usually code as travel. Cards with transferable points currencies give you the most options since you can move points to airline and hotel partners at your discretion. Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Capital One miles all transfer to multiple airline programs.
Some cards offer bonus categories that apply to vacation rentals. The Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3X points on travel, including most rental bookings. The Capital One Venture X earns 2X miles on everything, with the added benefit that Capital One has a direct booking partnership where you can earn 5X miles and receive a $100 experience credit per stay at properties like The Gilmore in Nashville.
Cash back cards work too if you prefer simplicity over transfer partners. A flat 2% cash back card returns actual money that offsets your travel costs without requiring you to decode redemption charts or transfer ratios.
Earning Method | Earning Rate | Booking Requirements | Additional Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
Marriott Bonvoy Homes & Villas | 5 points per dollar spent on rental rate | Must book through Homes & Villas portal while logged into Bonvoy account | Counts toward elite status qualification, elite member perks including flexible cancellation and dedicated customer service |
Capital One Venture X | 5X miles on vacation rentals plus potential 2X-5X on all travel | Book through Capital One Travel portal or use Cover Travel Purchases feature on any rental | $100 experience credit per stay for add-ons like private chefs or grocery stocking |
Chase Sapphire Reserve | 3X points on all travel purchases including vacation rentals | Book anywhere and pay with card, rentals typically code as travel category | Points transfer to multiple airline and hotel partners, purchase protection and travel insurance |
Shopping Portals | 2-4 miles per dollar or 3-5% cash back during promotional periods | Click through portal before booking on Airbnb, Vrbo, or other rental sites | Stacks with credit card rewards for double earning, rates fluctuate weekly based on merchant promotions |
Flat Cash Back Cards | 2% cash back on all purchases | Book anywhere and pay with card | Simplicity without needing to track transfer partners or redemption values, actual money back |
Capital One: Your Gateway to Booking Rentals With Miles
Capital One created a direct booking partnership that lets Venture X cardholders earn 5X miles on vacation rentals through Capital One Travel, plus a $100 experience credit per stay for add-ons like private chefs or grocery stocking.
The “Cover Travel Purchases” feature works differently than standard redemptions. After booking any vacation rental anywhere with your Capital One card, including pet-friendly properties, you can erase the charge with miles at a fixed value. Book on Airbnb, Vrbo, or direct, then apply miles to the purchase afterward.
AvantStay properties appear in the Capital One Travel portal as of February 2024. The inventory mirrors what’s on our site, but booking through Capital One activates the 5X earning rate and experience credit.
This combination removes loyalty program restrictions. Any rental you book becomes eligible for both earning and redemption, giving you control over where and how you use miles.
Maximizing Earnings Through Shopping Portals and Airline Partners
Shopping portals create a stacking opportunity that most travelers miss. Before booking any vacation rental, you can click through a portal to earn bonus points or cash back on top of whatever your credit card already delivers. The purchase price stays the same, but you collect twice.
Airline shopping portals like British Airways Executive Club and Delta SkyMiles Shopping occasionally feature vacation rental sites in their merchant directories. When Airbnb or Vrbo appear, you might earn 2-4 miles per dollar spent by starting your booking session through the portal. Those miles add to the points your credit card generates, doubling your haul without changing your travel plans.
Rakuten takes a different approach by offering cash back percentages that rotate based on merchant promotions. During high-percentage periods, you could earn 3-5% back on rental bookings, which deposits as cash or converts to American Express Membership Rewards points if you choose that payout option.
The key is checking portal rates before every booking. Rates fluctuate weekly, and different portals feature different merchants at different times. A five-minute search can add hundreds of miles or dozens of dollars to a purchase you were making anyway.
Why Vacation Rentals Are Closing the Loyalty Gap
Vacation rental companies spent years watching guests choose hotels for loyalty perks while picking rentals only when space mattered. That division is disappearing because rental operators realized they were leaving money and repeat bookings on the table.
The luxury vacation rental market is growing as property managers build their own websites, loyalty structures, and guest services that rival hotel offerings. Cutting out third-party platforms means avoiding commission fees while building relationships that keep guests returning.
We’ve closed this gap by partnering with Marriott Bonvoy and Capital One to offer the points and perks that travelers expect without forcing them to compromise on space or group-friendly layouts. The old tradeoff between earning rewards and renting a home doesn’t hold anymore, especially with options like hotel buyouts for large groups.
Other rental operators are following similar paths, which means more choices for you as loyalty programs expand beyond traditional hotel walls. The gap is closing fast; for many properties, it’s already gone.
Earning Hotel Points With AvantStay Through Strategic Partnerships
When you book our properties, you have two direct pathways to earn rewards without sacrificing the space and group-friendly design that makes vacation rentals appealing.
The first route runs through Marriott Bonvoy Homes & Villas. As one of the original twelve partners when the program launched in 2019, our inventory appears in their booking system where you can earn 5 points per dollar on your rental rate. Your stay counts toward elite status, and you get the same account crediting that hotel bookings receive.
The second path goes through Capital One Travel, where Venture X cardholders booking our properties earn 5X miles on the total purchase. You’ll also receive a $100 experience credit per stay that applies to our concierge services like private chefs, grocery stocking, or mid-stay cleanings.
Both partnerships work because we manage every property directly instead of operating as a marketplace. That control lets us integrate with loyalty programs the same way hotel brands do, giving you reward options that most vacation rental companies can’t offer.
You’re getting the bedrooms, kitchens, and outdoor spaces your group needs at properties like Sea Crown in Newport Beach while collecting the points you’d earn at a traditional hotel.
Final Thoughts on Bridging Hotels and Vacation Rentals Through Points
The choice between earning rewards and renting a home disappeared once properties started joining hotel loyalty programs. Our partnerships mean vacation rental stays earn hotel points just like traditional bookings, so your group gets space without your account missing out. Credit card strategies add another layer, turning any rental into an opportunity to collect miles or cash back that offsets your travel costs.
Book an AvantStay property through the Marriott Bonvoy Homes & Villas portal while logged into your Bonvoy account, and you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent on the rental rate, with your stay counting toward elite status qualification just like a traditional hotel booking.
Yes, with Capital One’s “Cover Travel Purchases” feature, you can book any vacation rental anywhere with your Capital One card, then erase the charge with miles after the fact at a fixed redemption value—giving you flexibility to book wherever you want while still using your rewards.
Marriott Homes & Villas earns you 5 Bonvoy points per dollar and counts toward elite status, while Capital One Travel earns Venture X cardholders 5X miles plus a $100 experience credit per stay that you can apply to services like private chefs or grocery stocking.
Start your booking through a shopping portal like Rakuten or an airline shopping portal to earn 2-4% cash back or bonus miles, then pay with a travel rewards credit card earning 2-3X points—letting you collect rewards twice on the same purchase without changing the price.