Sonder, a prominent short-term rental company, has abruptly ceased operations and closed several of its Philadelphia properties. The sudden move comes just one day after Marriott International terminated its licensing deal with the company.
The integration process between Sonder and Marriott was expected to streamline their booking arrangements and systems. However, according to Sonder, prolonged challenges in this integration led to significant financial constraints that ultimately contributed to its downfall.
Sonder, which had a presence in over 40 cities worldwide, revealed that it planned to file for bankruptcy and liquidate its assets. This decision is attributed to the company's inability to overcome the difficulties in integrating with Marriott.
As a result of Sonder's closure, several Philadelphia properties have been affected, including The Arco, The Queen Hotel, Sonder The Witherspoon Apartments Center City, and The Edison. While some guests were given 24 hours' notice to vacate the premises, others were left scrambling to leave their accommodations.
A sign posted at one of the closed properties read: "This Sonder Property is now closed... If you have an active reservation for this property, please contact Marriott Customer Care." However, a similar sign was not displayed at The Arco, which remains operational despite being owned by Sonder.
Similar scenes are playing out across the country, with travelers facing unexpected closures and disruptions. One guest reported that her entire building in New York City was asked to vacate within hours of the closure announcement.
Sonder's CEO, Janice Spears, acknowledged the company's failure to overcome its integration challenges. "We are devastated to reach a point where a liquidation is the only viable path forward," she said. The company had explored alternative options, including a potential sale, but ultimately decided on liquidation as the best course of action.
As Marriott takes over Sonder's properties, it remains unclear how long guests will be able to use their bookings or what the implications of this closure will be for travelers in Philadelphia and beyond.
The integration process between Sonder and Marriott was expected to streamline their booking arrangements and systems. However, according to Sonder, prolonged challenges in this integration led to significant financial constraints that ultimately contributed to its downfall.
Sonder, which had a presence in over 40 cities worldwide, revealed that it planned to file for bankruptcy and liquidate its assets. This decision is attributed to the company's inability to overcome the difficulties in integrating with Marriott.
As a result of Sonder's closure, several Philadelphia properties have been affected, including The Arco, The Queen Hotel, Sonder The Witherspoon Apartments Center City, and The Edison. While some guests were given 24 hours' notice to vacate the premises, others were left scrambling to leave their accommodations.
A sign posted at one of the closed properties read: "This Sonder Property is now closed... If you have an active reservation for this property, please contact Marriott Customer Care." However, a similar sign was not displayed at The Arco, which remains operational despite being owned by Sonder.
Similar scenes are playing out across the country, with travelers facing unexpected closures and disruptions. One guest reported that her entire building in New York City was asked to vacate within hours of the closure announcement.
Sonder's CEO, Janice Spears, acknowledged the company's failure to overcome its integration challenges. "We are devastated to reach a point where a liquidation is the only viable path forward," she said. The company had explored alternative options, including a potential sale, but ultimately decided on liquidation as the best course of action.
As Marriott takes over Sonder's properties, it remains unclear how long guests will be able to use their bookings or what the implications of this closure will be for travelers in Philadelphia and beyond.
... so Sonder, a company that lets people rent out apartments on short-term bases, just shut down like that? 
They had properties all over the world and now they're going bankrupt. I feel bad for the people who were renting those places because now they don't have anywhere to stay. And Marriott is taking over their stuff, which means guests are stuck with nothing... it's just so frustrating. 
.
. so what can we learn from this? i'd say it's how we respond to failure that matters - do we give up or do we try again with a fresh perspective? sonder tried alternative options, but ultimately had to liquidate their assets... maybe there's a lesson in being open to new ideas and not getting too attached to one plan 
.
. it's just another reminder that life is full of surprises - we gotta stay flexible and roll with the punches 
.
. The rapid integration with Marriott was supposed to be a game-changer, but it seems that the logistics just didn't quite add up 
.
. The CEO's acknowledgement of the company's failure to overcome its integration challenges is a testament to the complexity of this issue 
.
. Will guests be able to use their bookings or get refunds? The uncertainty surrounding Sonder's closure is a sobering reminder that even large companies can fall victim to logistical complexities 
meanwhile i'm trying to figure out how marriott is gonna make this work 
. And now we're left with these poor guests who are scrambling to find new places to stay... Marriott's got its hands full, that's for sure 
.
sonder was struggling to keep up with the big players like marriott and the integration thing just didn't go as planned i feel bad for all the guests who got caught off guard but it's not like they didn't see this coming 
the phila scene is gonna be a mess now, hope Marriott can at least provide some relief to those affected 
sonder was literally my fave short term rental company 
they had the cutest apartments everywhere i stayed at one of them in nyc and it was literally a dream 
but now theyre closing all their philly properties and its just so sad 
. And can you believe Marriott just took over the properties without warning? I mean, I get it, integration issues and all that... but still, someone should've seen this coming 
. It's a shame they couldn't make the integration with Marriott work out 
they must be super stressed out right now 