Dive Brief:
- Sonder has launched its first hotel collection, Powered by Sonder, the San Francisco-based short-term rental company announced Tuesday.
- The 23 properties in the new Powered by Sonder collection are design-forward boutique hotels centrally located within key travel destinations. Of the hotels, 16 are in the U.S., though the collection spans 13 markets domestically and abroad.
- Sonder has made space for its short-term rentals out of everything from former office buildings to ground-up developments, but its recent expansion plan leans heavily on pre-existing hotels, which are being integrated into the company’s network.
Dive Insight:
Powered by Sonder launched in U.S. markets including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C, and Palm Springs and San Francisco in California.
“Hotels make up a significant and growing part of our portfolio,” said Francis Davidson, Sonder’s co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “The Powered by Sonder collection offers authentic, local stays in the heart of vibrant neighborhoods.”
Davidson said the collection's hotels each offer “a strong design perspective,” which he said is “distinctive from Sonder’s core design aesthetic.” They also offer more amenities — such as on-site food and beverage outlets — than other Sonder-operated hotels.
All hotels are available to book through Sonder’s website and app, where guests can also reach on-the-ground staff with questions and comments.
Sonder’s partnerships with hotels have been growing in recent months. “We’re continuing to expand and diversify our portfolio, with hotels and resorts in both our Powered by Sonder and wider collection, in addition to multi-unit apartment properties,” said Davidson’s co-founder Martin Picard, Sonder’s chief real estate officer, in a statement.
Earlier this month, the company announced plans to expand with hotels in Florida specifically, having launched four new properties in the state. One of those, Found Miami Beach, is now part of the Powered by Sonder collection.
At the time of the Florida expansion announcement, Sonder Senior Director of Real Estate Peter Debs said: “We’re particularly interested in existing hotel takeovers and large multifamily developments with construction already underway.” Jenna Jacobson, regional director of real estate, said properties that align with Sonder’s brand “can be quickly and efficiently integrated into Sonder’s portfolio.”
Sonder is currently seeking additional properties to add to its Powered by Sonder portfolio. The company did not respond to a Hotel Dive query about which regions it hopes to expand within.
