Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links below. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
Back in August, I wrote about how Marriott International, Inc. hit 9,000 hotels under its massive brand umbrella. The lodging giant did not stop there and added its 31st brand under a licensing agreement with Sonder Holdings Inc. This deal added more than 9,000 rooms to Marriott’s portfolio and approximately 1,500 rooms to its pipeline. These are bookable directly through Sonder’s call center (with online booking coming in the future).
Sonder’s portfolio, which primarily consists of apartment-style accommodations in urban markets will be added to Marriott’s offerings under the brand name: Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy. Members can earn points for bookings by adding their Marriott Bonvoy® numbers to reservations when calling. Sometime this year, this will be fully integrated into Marriott’s typical booking channels. Bookings can now be made by calling 415-849-2740.
Sonder was founded in 2014 and it currently operates in urban markets offering apartment-style accommodations and small boutique hotels across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Sonder’s offerings appeal to younger travelers and these assets leverage a digital-first operating model that caters to longer stays.
Marriott Bonvoy® members will see the following benefits when staying at Sonder properties:
- At Sonder Hotels, members earn 10x points per $1 spent on room rate and one elite night per night stayed
- At Sonder Apartments, members earn 5x points per $1 spent on room rate and one elite night per night stayed
When looking at benefits specific to elite status tier, members can expect the following:
Silver Elite
- Ultimate Reservation Guarantee
- 10% bonus points
- Priority late check-out
Gold Elite
- 25% bonus points
- Welcome gift of 500 bonus points per stay
- 2:00 PM late check-out (subject to availability)
- Room upgrades (subject to availability)
Platinum Elite
- 50% bonus points
- Welcome gift of 1,000 bonus points per stay
- 4:00 PM late check-out (subject to availability) and guaranteed 2:00 PM check-out
Titanium Elite
- 75% bonus points
- 48-hour guaranteed availability
Ambassador Elite
- Your24 to set your own check-in and checkout times (subject to availability)
- Ambassador support
When redeeming points for stays at Sonder properties, fifth-night free awards do not apply and certificates cannot be used for award stays (only points). For now, you must book stays at least seven days before arrival and you cannot book, modify, or rebook an award stay within seven days of arrival.
Tim Grisius, Marriott’s Global Officer for M&A, Business Development, and Real Estate, said:
We are excited about the addition of Sonder’s portfolio to our system, which will expand our portfolio of longer-stay accommodations in key markets around the world. Marriott has long believed in providing the right product at the right price point for all trip purposes and generations of travelers. 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.”
Anthony;’s Take: Marriott has made it quite clear that the goal is growth at any cost. It seems like it is willing to shove just about any brand into its portfolio and it’s losing focus on guests by allowing hotels to mess with benefits and making brand standards looser. At least this partnership is offering credit for nights stayed unlike its other new brand, StudioRes.
(Image Credits: Sonder.)
User Generated Content Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.
Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
