Avoid. After over one year of emails and two expensive international phone calls, Sonder have failed to refund me for my stay which I couldn’t redeem due to my health. With the unnecessarily complicated and unnecessarily prolonged process this has been, causing me, the client, further stress, Sonder is complicit in negatively impacting the health of a client. I’m in disbelief at the unethical conduct.
MM
Mohammed M.
Please be aware of potential fraud!
Please be aware of potential fraud!
One week after we checked out, I received an email charging me for damaged furniture. However, we barely even used the sofa in question!
Additionally:
- We had booked early check-in several times due to errors in their system, but still experienced a late check-in.
- Some furniture items were in poor condition, including a broken table that had been glued back together.
- Despite booking for a Burj Khalifa view, we were only able to see the building if we pressed our faces up against the window from a very specific angle.
Overall, we were deeply unsatisfied with our stay and will not be returning to this hotel.
AF
Aprel F.
Horrible!!
Horrible!!! Cannot speak to anyone who can help. I was double charged and am continuing to attempt to get my refund while speaking to a person who is not able to see any of my past communications regarding this issue. I was told initially that I should expect to see a refund in 7-10 days. Here we are at 10 days since that time and still no record that this was initiated. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!! Not worth the headache at all
ER
Erik
AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!
Hello, for me this was a 1-star experience with Sonder, and will be my last time using their service. First, the A/C was not properly functioning. It was over 100 degrees during the day, and the temperature in the unit never went below 80 degrees Fahrenheit, even at night. For this price point, I really wish I would have stayed in a nice hotel downtown. It would have been far better - I'm going to recommend all of my colleagues and family/friends to avoid using AirBNB and Sonder based on my experience on this trip. When I complained to the property management company "Sonder", they sent a technician into the unit without confirming with me that I authorized this, which was uncomfortable. And all the 'technician' did was INCREASE the temperature on both "A/C" units, then chastise me over text that I'm not to turn the temperature down any further. The communication was unprofessional and offputting.
The unit itself was shoddy and had black mold on the untreated ceiling wood. Also, the lack of insulation on ANY walls made this a heating/cooling nightmare. I've been staying at AirBNB properties for years, usually about 6 times a year with different friends and family, and this experience will be my last. Hotels have made a full comeback, and why should I deal with some half-ass property management company on a unit that isn't well maintained? I thought AirBNB was supposed to be my main communication, then I can't even enter the unit without making an entire separate account on this other property management company's website? Airbnb just feels like a cheap middleman anymore, instead of a welcoming individual sharing their home. Finally, the company indicated they were willing to give me a partial refund based on my experience, however I'm now told I'm to be charged an additional $100!!! for a printer-paper parking pass, that absolutely cannot be mailed in. What a joke. Good riddance, AirBNB and Sonder.
AC
arianna C.
Non funziona nemmeno il sito🤣
Non funziona nemmeno il sito🤣
IR
Irenie
I hated this place
I hated this place. The door lock was broken, the main light switch did not work, despite their ad that there was an amenities station where you could get towels and toilet paper. None existed. There was only a locked closet that just had no access to. There is no one to help you and no one will answer your questions or concerns. They just rent you the room and tough walk when there are any problems or issues. Because no one will help you. When I notify them of the broken lock when I first checked in and the broken main light switch saying that I was not safe in the room it took them 20 hours to respond with sorry about your luck. They offered no solutions. They offered nothing at all . The street is lined with garbage cans outside of the Barcelona hotel where people day and night are noisily emptying out their garbage and breaking glass bottles. This is not a hotel it’s not even an Airbnb rental where you at least have interaction with the host. Worst experience ever!
AM
A.M. C.
Sonder Ruins Historic New Orleans Hotel
Please bear with me as this is my first review and I am not a writer.
Summary: Sonder buys luxury apartments on top floors of historic 1920s hotel claiming to want to keep in the ethos of the hotel, refuses to match the hotel's excellent level of client services, units fall into disrepair and poor communications follow. Units are unprepared, and falling into disrepair. Chat-based customer service cannot make up for broken shudders and dirty furniture. No security. No concierge. No maintenance. No care. You are renting a fancy hut. Good luck.
Onto my personal experience:
I will begin by saying that I was an early adopter of Sonder. I still have a promo code and direct email correspondence from a lovely concierge named Mike who took care of me through all of my early stays. Mike communicated through a Sonder company email. There was no chat feature in the app.
There was originally a physical guest book, thorough cleaning service with proof of deep cleaning(stickers, packaging etc.) Each apartment came with its own stocked cleaning products, laundry detergent pods for the in-unit laundry. Enough towels for up to 4 people over however many nights you stayed. The units were recently done. Brand new in 2018. There was a Sonder front desk concierge as well which is important.
Sonder guest accessed the luxury hotel amenities for its guests as well so I had access to the rooftop/pool, historic bar, restaurant, and coffee shop. It was the perfect place. I could stay on-site the entire stay and never leave. Perfect for a staycation in my hometown. It was also the perfect safe place to send friends visiting my city.
Five years later and the Sonder "Luxury apartment-in-a-hotel" experiment has gone sour.
1. I walked in and asked for Sonder concierge. No one. So no one to receive guest food deliveries. Okay fine.
2. The elevator keypad requires a 6-digit code. This new keypad is NOT accessible for people with disabilities. There is no braille on the keypad. The keypad is touchpad instead of physical keys. The numbers are backlit but hard to see. It was a terror to use. Completely inaccessible to blind and elderly.
3. I get up to my room and I smell a faint hint of air freshener. The kind where you can tell they're trying to cover something up. I sit on the couch. I can't find the remote. Cannot run the chromecast without changing the input with the remote. So no tv. I sit back into the couch and my throat and sinuses close up. Someone has had one or more dogs in the Sonder unit. I look closer and the couch is covered in dog prints and stains. I cannot stay in the unit. I'm deathly allergic.
4. I panic and start a chat in the app. I got an agent who (after some firm talk) arranged for me to get a new room as there was no way I could stay in that room. Sonder is supposed to be pet-free. It's on every piece of their infographics. "No pets...no matter how cute they are"
5. I am given a new room quickly. I get in the room and I can only describe the room as the ugliest thing I have ever seen in my life. The wall is puke green and there's a long pink low profile couch and a grey mid-century modern style couch paired together. The kitchen table is glass top and not secure. I can lift it. The two dining chairs are dirty quilted microsuede. There is a side chair that is so filthy that I almost cannot believe it. I am shocked. But I look into the bedroom and it is fine. I am confused by all this but settle in as it doesn't smell like dog.
6. I try to use their provided Chromecast to watch a show. The chromecast will usually say Chromecast[123445]. I look at the tv and it says Frankie's Chromecast. Who is Frankie??? Is someone living in this Sonder Unit??? I am a little freaked out by that but I figured a guest could have named the device during the visit. I forget it and go to bed. At least the bed is neatly made and comfortable. By this time, it is 10 pm. I got in at 7. This has been a three hour check-in. I go to bed.
7. I wake up at 4am to use the restroom and THE TOILET IS BROKEN. The toilet has been broken this entire time. Sonder moved me to a room with a broken toilet. You have to flush a toilet to clean it. I am suddenly horrified at the idea that I am staying in a filthy room, with someone else's chromecast and a broken toilet.
8. I reached out to Sonder via chat at 4:15 am. They followed their script and submitted a work order. No eta on how long it will take to fix or if it will be fixed at all. **No one offered to move rooms**. I have requested a refund. It is 4am.
9. The whole purpose of this two night stay was for me to relax and luxuriate before my flight. I have travel anxiety and I trusted Sonder with bc they had been so good to me before. This feels like a slap in the face.
10. I can no longer recommend Sonder. there are severe deficiencies. Refusing to keep 111 luxury apartments up to their standard is unacceptable.
LR
Lærke
It doesn’t work
I had to check in online before-hand, but they wouldn’t accept my card (the one I booked the room with) or 4 other cards. I spent 3 hours talking to costumer service on five different occasions, still no solution. If this didn’t get fixed before my stay, I would apparently not be able to access the room which was too pricey anyways. I ended up getting a refund after 10 business days. Good service from hotels.com, but I would not recommend booking a stay with Sonder.