Sonder The Magnolia Apartments Back Bay

We’d read about the elevator problems but decided to try the place for its location. The first impression was great: the location felt unbeatable, and our space was comfortable and private. Then we found swarms of ants all over the living room. I’ve stayed in plenty of older Marriott cobrand properties, but never had an ant problem before. We had a toddler who spent a lot of time playing on the floor, which made it more stressful. We contacted support to ask for some kind of spray, but they said nothing could be done. We’d paid over $400 for one night while passing through, so we decided to put up with it. Maybe some people wouldn’t mind, but finding ants on our feet, the dining tables, and our toddler’s arms was a really anxious experience, especially at that price. Without the ants, I would have rated it 5 out of 5. The stress has made Sonder properties somewhere I’ll avoid from now on. Marriott should reconsider having this brand in its portfolio, given how little help guests get.

We had no sleep over two nights. Pipes in the ceiling made loud noises all night, and the sound machine beside the bed should have tipped us off. On the second night, the whole building lost water, so we left in the middle of the night. They promised a refund for that night, but it never came. The worst “hotel” stay of our Bonvoy Lifetime Executive Platinum lives.

The only good thing was the location. I’d rather stay farther away and have a better experience. The apartment cost $300-$400 per night, so this wasn’t some cheap motel, but the service was terrible. It was meant for four people over five nights, yet we got only four towels and two rolls of very thin toilet paper. Getting more was a struggle. One morning, after several requests through the app, we had to use paper towels. In the end, we took toilet paper from the cleaner in the hallway. She looked alarmed and said, “oh no, I can’t give you any of this they count everything and they are constantly watching us… she seemed afraid”. The bathroom wasn’t thoroughly clean, and there was a leak underneath it. I reported it through the app, sent photos when asked, and was told they’d look into it. Nothing happened. When we asked for towels again, they took two days to bring some, and left only two. We tried washing them in the unit’s washer, but that didn’t work either. We notified management, got the same promise that they’d look into it, and nobody ever came. The chairs were ripped, too. I hated the experience and wouldn’t stay at Sonder again.

My Boston trip from Hawaii was ruined when my reservation got canceled as I was checking in. The message said, “we regret to inform you we are no longer partners with Marriott Bonvoy, your reservation has been cancelled.” There was no one to speak to in person, no manager on site, and support was all through apps and online chat. They also kept my money without refunding it. Who ends a contract on a Sunday? I was left scrambling during the holiday season, when prices had doubled.