Sonder simply joined Marriott Bonvoy — right here’s every thing you should find out about this Airbnb various

Sonder, a short-term rental platform for apartment-style models and inexpensive boutique lodges, just lately partnered with Marriott. Below the brand new “Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy” model, Marriott Bonvoy members have early entry to earn and redeem factors at Sonder lodges and flats via Sonder’s web site. Full integration throughout all of Marriott’s platforms will come later in 2025.

Here is what you should find out about this new-to-Marriott model.

What’s Sonder?

Launched in 2014, Sonder owns and operates roughly 9,000 apartment-style models and lodge rooms in 10 international locations throughout Europe, North America and the Center East. The model, which focuses on city stays, operates in over 35 cities, together with New Orleans, Paris and Dubai.

Although the model is geared towards flats with facilities like totally stocked kitchens and in-unit laundry, it is also doable to e-book competitively priced rooms in its boutique lodges. These lodges supply coworking areas, 24/7 entrance desk attendants, and primary facilities like baggage storage and housekeeping upon request by way of its cell app.

As a result of the corporate operates its lodges and flats below long-term grasp lease agreements, it’s not topic to Airbnb bans.

Since I deliberate a visit to London this previous February — and the British capital has 15 Sonder lodges and flats with charges as little as $125 per night time — I made a decision to e-book a number of nights at every sort of lodging to see what the model is like.

Associated: Sneak peek on the first Residences by Marriott Bonvoy Resort within the US

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For a two-night keep in a one-bedroom unit on the Sonder Inverness Mews condo in February, I paid $960.26 (about $480 per night time). No factors redemptions had been accessible for stays at this unit in February after I known as.

The incomes charge at Sonder flats is 5 Marriott Bonvoy factors per greenback spent, however as a Gold Elite Marriott member, I earned a 25% bonus, or 6.25 factors per greenback. I additionally earned 2 elite night time credit for my two-night keep at Sonder Inverness Mews.

For 2 nights on the Sonder Chelsea Inexperienced lodge in February, I paid $348.58 — or roughly $174 per night time — for a 105-square-foot double room. (Compared, different inexpensive lodges in London with related facilities and room sizes had been usually not less than $200 throughout the identical dates.)

Once I known as Sonder, the agent on the cellphone informed me I may e-book the identical room for 89,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors for the 2 nights. That might be a price of 0.39 cents per level, nicely beneath TPG’s April valuation of 0.7 cents per Marriott Bonvoy level. I skipped the redemption and opted to pay money.

The incomes charge at Sonder lodges is 10 Marriott Bonvoy factors per greenback spent, however with my 25% bonus as a Gold Elite Marriott member, I earned 12.5 factors per greenback and a couple of extra elite night time credit for my two-night keep at Sonder Chelsea Inexperienced.

For my four-night keep, I earned simply over 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors. As a result of I charged it to my Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges), the place I get 2 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases, I additionally earned 2,617.68 Chase Final Rewards factors.

Restricted-time supply: Chase Sapphire Most well-liked — highest-ever 100,000-point bonus after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

An alternative choice when reserving a Sonder property is to make use of one of many bank cards that earn probably the most factors for Marriott stays, or one that provides automated Marriott Bonvoy elite standing for value-added advantages.

Marriott elite standing advantages at Sonder

As soon as Sonder properties transition to full participation, the next advantages shall be provided to Marriott elite members on qualifying stays:

* Based mostly on availability

** At Sonder flats, 4 p.m. late checkout relies on availability, 2 p.m. assured

*** At Sonder flats, 48-hour assured availability applies to straightforward rooms solely

Ambassador Elite members may also have entry to the Your24 versatile check-in and checkout profit and Ambassador Service.

Checking in to a Sonder condo in London

Issues began out nicely with the Sonder Inverness Mews condo I booked in London’s Bayswater neighborhood, only a seven-minute cab journey from Paddington Station and a five-minute stroll to the northern aspect of Kensington Gardens.

Along with its central location, the one-bedroom condo’s clear and ethereal decor appealed to me, with graphic artwork and enjoyable wallpaper within the bed room. It additionally had a contemporary kitchen, rest room and in-unit laundry.

An sudden improve

Just a few weeks earlier than my keep, Sonder upgraded me to a three-bedroom unit in the identical constructing for no additional value. Once I used the chat operate within the Sonder app to ask concerning the improve, I used to be informed I used to be relocated due to a upkeep problem.

Although I used to be touring solo and did not want the additional house, I used to be thrilled that they simply adjusted my reservation and did not cancel it. Pictures on the Sonder web site confirmed that the unit was adorned in stylish pastels and quirky artwork.

A narrowly prevented entry mishap

The day earlier than my arrival, Sonder emailed me the important thing entry codes to entry the constructing and the unit (which had been additionally added to the Sonder app). I boarded my flight with no worries. Once I landed at Heathrow within the night and took my cellphone off airplane mode, I acquired an SMS textual content message from Sonder alerting me that the constructing and condo key codes had modified.

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I entered my Sonder condo by way of key code. LYNDSEY MATTHEWS/THE POINTS GUY

Fortunately, I wasn’t utilizing an eSIM on my cellphone for this journey — the place I would not obtain SMS texts to my regular cellphone quantity — as a result of the important thing codes had been by no means up to date within the app and had been by no means emailed to me. If I hadn’t acquired that textual content message, I might have proven up on the condo constructing at the hours of darkness and struggled to enter the constructing.

Contained in the unit

As soon as I gained entry to the condo, I went from room to room, marveling at how a lot house I had. It was clear, and the kitchen had a Nespresso-style pod espresso machine and a laundry machine.

As soon as I took a better look, I began to note that hardly any furnishings and artwork matched the images on Sonder’s web site for the unit. As a substitute of a spherical glass espresso desk, I discovered a black steel one with dinged-up edges in the lounge.

The blue velvet Chesterfield sofa had been swapped for a bland tweed wool sofa. On the Sonder web site, it does be aware that “The format, furnishings, and decor of your house might range from what’s proven right here.” However this felt excessive.

Not one of the bedrooms had any artwork in them anymore, and most every thing regarded prefer it had been sourced from Ikea.

Getting rushed out

I reached the top of my rope when housekeeping tried to enter the unit 45 minutes earlier than my official checkout time two days later. Fortunately, I had showered and dressed earlier within the morning, however I used to be shocked after I heard somebody fumbling with the door at 10:17 a.m. After answering the door and telling the housekeeper the official checkout time was 11 a.m., I spotted he was ready on the staircase for me to depart, so I completed packing and left early.

After I defined the scenario to a buyer consultant by way of the chat operate within the Sonder app, they apologized and mentioned they’d converse to the housekeeping firm concerning the miscommunication.

Due to all these mishaps, I will not be reserving a Sonder condo once more because the expertise felt too just like an Airbnb.

A significantly better expertise at a Sonder lodge in London

After being rushed out of the Sonder condo, I took the Circle line 20 minutes south to Chelsea to test in to the Sonder Chelsea Inexperienced, a 54-room Sonder lodge that opened in 2020.

Within the Sonder app, you’ll be able to request to test in early for a small price (roughly 20 kilos the day I checked in). Regardless that I knew I might arrive early, I deliberate to retailer my baggage and discover London till the 4 p.m. check-in time. However after I arrived at 11 a.m., the entrance desk attendant mentioned my room was accessible and that I may test in early at no additional cost.

Earlier than I went to my room, he knowledgeable me that each one friends had entry to a free continental breakfast within the foyer lounge every morning. He additionally took the time to let me know that in lieu of every day housekeeping, a small cupboard close to the entrance desk contained additional toiletries and towels that friends may use at any time when wanted. And whereas there have been 24/7 entrance desk attendants within the foyer, he additionally gave me a key code to enter the constructing after darkish as an added layer of safety.

A small however well-designed room

As a substitute of receiving a standard key or keycard, the entrance desk attendant gave me a key code to enter my visitor room and walked me via establishing Bluetooth key entry by way of the app.

I used to be joyful to see that the room was precisely as marketed on-line. The 105-square-foot house was adorned with easy artwork on the darkish inexperienced wall behind the mattress, rattan lamps and a small desk. The closet saved a baggage rack, hair dryer, and kettle with espresso pods and tea baggage. There was additionally a capsule espresso machine, a TV mounted to the wall and a full-length mirror secured to the again of the room’s door.

The toilet was tiny and will solely match one sink and a bathe, however the water bought scorching rapidly and the stress was good. The condo and lodge used the identical Davines bathtub merchandise made completely for Sonder properties.

Although the room was small, it was clear and provided simply sufficient house for me to maneuver round comfortably. (The Sonder Chelsea Inexperienced additionally has bigger rooms and suites as much as 410 sq. ft with charges beginning beneath $350 per night time.)

Free continental breakfast

I loved a primary however free continental breakfast within the morning, which included yogurt, toast, croissants, muffins, cheese, bananas and oranges. Along with a DIY latte machine, there was additionally a contemporary orange juice machine accessible.

Breakfast was served within the foyer lounge in an ethereal atrium on the bottom ground, which is not open to the general public as different boutique lodges typically are. The opposite friends unfold out at cafe tables, comfortable couches and armchairs. As a result of it was February, no person used the outside backyard space simply off the lounge, however I think about it might be pretty in hotter months.

Trying out

When it got here time to take a look at two days later, I popped my baggage into one of many free lockers close to the entrance desk and went out for lunch till I needed to depart for my flight later that afternoon.

As a solo traveler who simply wanted an inexpensive, clear and protected place to sleep after lengthy days out and about, the Sonder Chelsea Inexperienced supplied precisely that. My solely criticism was that because the mattress was pretty near the room’s door, I used to be woken up as soon as folks began going to breakfast within the morning. Fortunately, the opposite friends had been respectful and quiet, so I wasn’t disturbed by the skinny partitions at night time.