Sonder — Hancock Suites

Staying here felt like having a one-bedroom apartment in Boston, with the usual AirBnB or bed-and-breakfast amenities for less. It’s a great spot, only a few minutes from Boston common, and Whole Foods is just down the street. The rooms have what you need for a longer stay, and having a dishwasher was a nice extra. There was some outside noise and occasional sound from other units, but it wasn’t enough to bother us. Be ready for the stairs: any unit numbered 7 or above means about four flights up. I had a running toilet, and they sent a technician quickly to fix it. It was my first Sonder stay, and I can see myself choosing this way to feel like a local again.

I booked a studio at The Hancock Apartments in Beacon Hill in March for a trip less than six months away. After Sonder collected my legal documents and a photo, daily charges started appearing on my card. They called it a software glitch and said they’d refund me, but the charges kept adding up. By the time it was sorted out, I’d been overcharged nearly $10k. I made countless calls and was repeatedly told it would be fixed, but management never returned the calls they promised. The only offers were $75 or $300 in credits, both expiring within a year. Then, a month before the trip, they canceled my reservation, leaving me with little time to find somewhere else. I’m fed up with the lack of accountability and meaningful compensation. I’ll never rent from Sonder again. Customer service was useless, management didn’t respond, and the compensation was insignificant and expired quickly. They canceled without any positive resolution. I don’t want more Sonder credits. To make this right, they could offer me the equivalent of a night’s stay during my planned dates at either Marriott's Theater Center location or Courtyard North Station location.

The studio was compact but had everything we needed, and the bed was really comfortable. We loved our stay, especially being so central, just two minutes from Boston Common.

We tried to move to another property, but Bonvoy customer service talked over us, hung up, and brushed us off. That was a first, and it’ll be a last. I’m not sure Marriott cared about the Bonvoy members it would lose when it made a deal with Sonder. Be warned, access is biometrics only. Asking for such sensitive data just for a hotel room is frigen nuts. It’s a five-story walk-up, and you don’t get the room shown in the reservation pictures. Our toilet was crooked, pipes were in the room, there was no TV, the window couldn’t be reached, and the sofa was tiny and didn’t convert to a bed. There was only a mini fridge, and my clothes were left on the floor after hanging off the rickety closet shelf. Someone who knows the situation tells me they deal with guests who’ve been duped all the time. They pretend to call a supervisor, but really leave you on hold for 10 minutes at a time just to say no, even when there are medical issues. No changes, no care. I didn’t expect this from Marriott, but now I know they’ve turned from hospitality toward greed and deception.