Sonder At The Promenade

The room itself was immaculate, and my friends and I decided to make the best of things. We really liked the balcony until we tried to shut its door. It was completely broken and wouldn't stay closed, so we were nervous about leaving the room that way while we went to an event. Someone friendly came to repair it about an hour later, after I'd called twice and sent a chat. I'm disappointed because I spoke with Sonder four times, by phone and chat, to make sure the arrangements we'd discussed were in place. Before checking in, I'd even left a five-star review based on the help they said they'd provide, but none of it came through. Rose from concierge and Mark from reservations both assured me the room I'd booked had a king bed and a couch. I also asked concierge about birthday decorations. They said they could arrange it by request, then spoke as though it would be done when I followed up, without telling me otherwise. I arrived expecting decorations and there was nothing, not even a balloon. The place has potential, but this wasn't the experience I hoped for.

The studio was pleasant, and the app made check-in and reaching someone for help easy. We could walk to almost everything from this convenient location. The bed, though, was pretty uncomfortable. We accidentally left our GoPro in a case with a bunch of SD cards and attachments. Staff somehow said they hadn't found it. Maybe someone took our $1,300 setup, or maybe the rooms aren't really cleaned well after guests leave. I know it was our mistake to leave it behind, but either answer was a real bummer.

The compensation didn't feel fair to me. After the trip, they gave us $30 a day, which was still too little in my view. We'd been offered either USD$20 per day or a refund for the final two days if we cancelled. The first option was laughable. The second made no sense mid-trip, when another comparable place would have been extremely expensive, and Sonder wouldn't cover the price difference for a last-minute replacement. We'd booked five nights at this location in September 2023, and had no hot water for the entire stay. We contacted Sonder after three days. They emailed about the shutoff only one day before our arrival, after the free cancellation cutoff three days before arrival, though we think the problem may have started earlier. They said technicians were on site, but we saw no sign of that or any other effort to fix things. The same stock notice saying hot water was "unexpectedly" shut off arrived every day. Meanwhile, rooms in the building were still bookable on Sonder's website, so new guests could have booked without knowing there was no hot water. The room was otherwise fine, but the bed was extremely uncomfortable and squeaky. My partner turning over could wake me up. The walls were thin, and we heard neighbors, though that may mostly be luck. Our room faced the parking lot, so street noise wasn't a problem. The first floor smelled strongly of mold and mildew, with a strong perfumed cleaning product apparently used to cover it up. It made me question the building's health standards.

If you're after a budget-friendly place and don't need to be pampered or have a chandelier or jacuzzi tub, this could work. I'm a mid-20s professional, and I'd book here again. The room was great, with no complaints, and the location near the quarter is fantastic. The street itself has plenty of life, too. Just know it's not a hotel, more like an Airbnb collective. Check-in and everything else happen electronically. I had trouble uploading my ID for verification, and sorting it out delayed check-in by about an hour. You need to be somewhat comfortable with tech, because if check-in goes wrong, you're SOL. The walls are thin, so footsteps from the hall and the floor above carry through.