Unbeknown to even us, our mission to reinvent hospitality has prepared us like no other for today’s world.
As pioneers of a digitally empowered guest experience, we’ve been obsessed with creating the kind of frictionless stays that we believed guests deserved, and now, in the midst of a pandemic, know they demand. Features such as digital check-in, keyless entry, and no-line lobbies that have long formed the foundation of our tech-enabled offering, are now essential hallmarks of a safe stay. And the fully-equipped kitchens, extra living space, and private laundry facilities which are standard in most Sonder spaces have become all the more important in an age of physical distancing and sheltering in place.
However, knowing that even ‘great’ isn’t good enough when it comes to our guests’ wellbeing in this moment of uncertainty, we have worked with industry leading health specialists like the Cleveland Clinic to enhance our already advanced standards — thinking through every single element of our staff and guest journey, then designed it for maximum contact-free comfort and safety.
But when it comes to designing for today’s guest, it’s not enough for a stay to be clean and frictionless. Hospitality needs to be human; the anticipation of guest needs, and warm personal touches that show care, consideration, and an understanding that a travel experience is not limited to the four walls and furniture provided. Since 2012 we’ve asked ourselves, how can we take a bloated industry dependent on high-touch service to provide connection, and use technology to empower guests—giving them everything they need, when they need it, and nothing that they don’t.
We’re excited to begin deploying our enhanced standards and experiences in the coming weeks, and to get you back out on the road and traveling well:
Contactless service
Sonder has always offered 24/7 guest support via our app, phone, and text message, but we’re rolling out features in the Sonder guest app which allow us to resolve more requests with contact-free service and put more information at your fingertips.
Living spaces with all you need
Most of our spaces have fully equipped private kitchens as well as in-unit laundry, plus plenty of room to relax or get some work done. New partnerships and integrations will make it even more convenient to accomplish essential tasks, such as arranging for parking and ordering free delivery right from the app. And we know that hand sanitizer can be hard to come by these days, so we’ll make sure there’s a bottle waiting for you.
Flexible cancellations
Booking travel can be tough right now. If needed, you can cancel your booking anytime before your stay and receive Sonder credit for the full value, good for one year.
Self check-in
We send details to our guests via our app and email, and the majority of our spaces have self check-in for a contact-free experience.
Masks, signage & more
We ask that guests wear masks in indoor common areas, and we’ve put up signage in our buildings to encourage social distancing and occupancy limits.
Comprehensive cleaning
We’re disinfecting common spaces and high-touch surfaces more frequently, and we track each cleaning through our housekeeping app. We’ve also enhanced our in-unit cleaning protocol and will keep sink cupboards and remotes sealed before your arrival. For a detailed breakdown of our cleanliness standards and protocols, click here.
For housekeeping extras like additional towels, we’re rolling out arrival ETAs
Occupancy limits
To encourage social distancing, we limit the number of guests that can occupy common areas.
We hope these changes put your mind at ease while staying with us. If you have questions or thoughts on how we can make your stay better, we’d love to hear them!
