Marriott and Sonder’s Partnership Blends Two Different Takes on Hospitality

Hospitality startups like Airbnb and Vrbo are often seen as being at odds with more established entities in the industry, especially the hotels and motels that have existed for far longer. There’s a good reason for that: the short-term rental disruptors and the hotel industry have, in fact, been on opposite sides of efforts to lobby governments about industry regulation. But not all startups in this vein have the same business model, and two companies who are nominally on opposite sides of this divide recently announced a wide-ranging agreement.

Those companies are Marriott and Sonder, the latter a company whose website boasts that it is “on a mission to redefine hospitality by bringing exceptional stays everywhere.” What that means in practice is that Sonder operates a number of dedicated spaces around the world, with an eye towards memorable design and convenient locations.

In a review of Sonder last year at Apartment Therapy, Elizabeth Laseter noted that Sonder’s spaces “can vary from entire condo buildings to dedicated floors in apartment buildings to actual hotels.” And, as Kathakali Nandi reported for the trade publication Hotels this week, this new agreement will see over 9,000 Sonder properties made available to book via Marriott by the end of the year, with 1,500 properties to follow at a later date. They will be rebranded as the Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy collection.

“Marriott has long believed in providing the right product at the right price point for all trip purposes and generations of travelers,” said Tim Grisius, Marriott International’s global officer for M&A, business development and real estate. “With the planned addition of Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy, we will be able to provide guests seeking apartment-style urban accommodations with even more options in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.”

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In a 2023 interview for McKinsey’s Travel Disruptors series, Sonder co-founder and CEO Francis Davidson spoke about what differentiated his company from hotels. “The main difference from a big-box, chain hotel room is that Sonder makes you feel like you’re in a boutique accommodation,” Davidson said. “We’ve taken great inspiration from some of the best boutique hotels and most beautiful, well-architected buildings.”

Davidson also spoke of his ambition for Sonder “to become the leading hospitality company globally.” It’s interesting, then, that the route to that destination involves partnering with an industry giant. On closer inspection, it starts to make a little more sense. It’s not hard to see the appeal of Sonder for travelers who like certain elements of the Airbnb experience but would prefer to avoid some of the occasional pitfalls that can come from booking a room through the company.

For travelers who appreciate what Sonder has to offer, this partnership has the advantage of getting them into Marriott’s ecosystem. It’s fair to say that, in 2024, countless travelers are omnivorous when considering their hospitality options. The Sonder/Marriott deal is one testament to that reality.