Staying at a Sonder managed property is undoubtedly the worst rental experience I have ever had the misfortune to endure.
Setting aside the initial and ongoing lack of timely communication throughout my stay, the following chronicles the major issues as I experienced them.
Sonder is an Airbnb-ish platform that is also listing their properties through Airbnb. Upon booking through Airbnb, I was charged $2600 for 31 nights (taxes & fees inclusive). A link was sent to me where I was directed to their website to complete a verification process. This process includes uploading a state or government ID, providing an email, as well as completing a 3d face scan (even though Airbnb already has similar verified identification information).
Arriving at the building I found that it is still very much under construction and full of workers. Of the two elevators meant to service 22 floors, one is available for guests.
I was greeted by cleaners still in the unit upon my arrival.
My first night there I discovered that the large, stacked washer/dryer was not plugged into power, the water was turned off, and the gas was also off. After a long struggle I got everything hooked up and turned on just to find out that the transition from one wash cycle to the next caused the GFI outlet to trip, good luck resetting it if you have short arms.
After this I decided to check for other electrical issues in the unit and found that:
The overhead kitchen lights are half functional, the range hood fan and light switches are wired backwards, the master bedroom light switch on the window side does not function, and that there is no piezoelectric ignitor for the oven (or lighter or matches) but the gas does flow!
Some other fun things include: no heating or fan(s) (contrary to what the listing said), no white noise machines (contrary to what signs posted in each bedroom say), the master bathroom toilet lines up perfectly with an exterior window and the building just across the street, all the bath linens were new and unwashed (great for covering one with lint after a shower). Sonder provides earplugs here for a reason, there is a primary intersection outside the sliding doors where everything from squealing tires and revving sport bikes to window-shaking Jake Brakes at 2 a.m. will be heard.
WiFi was tested on different days with speedtest.net:
Ping (ms). 6, 50, 48, 14, 16 = 27 avg.
Download (Mbps). 42.65, 41.09, 18.35, 43.66, 41.64 = 37.48 avg.
Upload (Mbps). 2.94, 3.31, 3.54, 3.39, 3.30 = 3.30 avg.
Rather than any offer of a refund, I received sporadic messages of industry-standard sympathy: “I completely understand your frustration and concern in-regards to want a full refund.” “I can’t imagine the stress this has brought.” “I’m sorry to hear about the multiple issues you encounter when you arrived.” Their final position… “I have reached out to my leadership and I’m sorry to let you know that we can’t provide a full refund or a refund for the unstayed nights in the event that you decide to check out early.”
They did choose to send three people into the unit while I was out for the day, without my consent. They added a box of matches, a stack of dirty bowls, and a white noise machine in the master bedroom.
I wish I had two more hands so I could give Sonder four thumbs down!