It was two announcements, as brutal as they were brief, that made businessmen discover the extent of the problems behind the Sonder brand, a manager of hotel residences based in Canada. In a press release issued on the evening of Sunday 9 November, Marriott International, Inc. initially announced that its licensing agreement with Sonder Holdings Inc. was being terminated with immediate effect. The hotel giant referred to a "default by Sonder" without providing any further details.
With the end of the partnership with Sonder, the Canadian channel lost its affiliation to the Marriott Bonvoy and therefore to all Marriott booking channels. Since June 2025, Sonder properties have been available for booking on Marriott's digital platforms, including Marriott.com and the Marriott Bonvoy app, under the new "Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy" collection. The tie-up between Sonder and Marriott had been initiated in August 2024.
In the same press release, Marriott indicated that its immediate priority was to support customers currently staying at Sonder properties or with future bookings. The group announced that it was contacting travellers who had booked through its channels directly to assist them. However, customers who have booked through third-party online agencies are invited to contact these platforms.
Founded in 2014 in Canada, Sonder was present in more than 40 destinations across nine countries and three continents. In Europe, it was notably present in Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Madrid and Milan, as well as Paris, Nice and Cannes. In North America, it was present in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York and Toronto.
On 11 November, a second announcement just as brutal as the first: Sonder Holdings announced that it was winding down its operations and filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. This entails the liquidation of its US assets and the initiation of insolvency proceedings in the other countries where it operates.
And, above all, the customers were taken by surprise. Customers who had booked flats with Sonder were informed by email that they would have to leave their accommodation first thing on Monday morning...
