Hotel guests across the world have been kicked out of their rooms mid-stay after Marriott’s partner Sonder suddenly collapsed into bankruptcy.
The abrupt shutdown left travelers stranded from Boston to Dubai, with some returning to find their belongings stuffed into plastic bags or dumped in hallways.
Sonder, once valued at over $1 billion and hailed as a rival to Airbnb, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on Monday after Marriott International terminated its licensing deal — forcing the company to wind down operations immediately.
The collapse came less than a year after Sonder — which offered short-term apartment-style rentals and boutique hotels — rebranded as Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy under a 2024 partnership that allowed it to list rooms on Marriott’s website.
But the two companies reportedly struggled to integrate booking systems, leading to what executives called a ‘sharp decline in revenue.’
‘We are devastated to reach a point where liquidation is the only viable path forward,’ said interim CEO Janice Sears.
Guests were blindsided on Sunday when Marriott and Sonder ordered them to vacate immediately — some halfway through their stays.
‘Received a message from Sonder giving me less than 24 hours notice to vacate the property because its partnership with Marriott was terminated,’ Katelyn Caralle wrote on X.
A guest is seen abruptly leaving the Sonder hotel she was staying at in Philadelphia with her luggage in tow
In 2024, Sonder signed a high-profile licensing deal with Marriott International and rebranded its properties as ‘Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy’ — a move meant to bring its short-term rentals under Marriott’s global loyalty program
‘I’m lucky because my trip ended today… but what are others doing who already paid and had their stays cut short?’
Retired tech executive Steve McGraw said he and his wife were evicted halfway through a 17-day New York stay booked through Marriott.
McGraw holds Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.
He thought is stay at the Marriott-partnered Sonder Battery Park Apartments in NYC’s financial district would be like the hundreds of other hotel trips he’s booked with the company over the years.
However, on Sunday — about a week into their stay — he received emails from Marriott and Sonder ordering him to vacate by 9am the next day.
‘We ended up spending several thousand dollars more to find a new place,’ McGraw told Business Insider. ‘It was very, very disruptive. They treated us so poorly.’
McGraw was just one of the many guests who were caught off guard with this tricky situation.
Paul Strack, a 63-year-old business owner from Arkansas, said that when he returned to his Sonder apartment in Boston on Sunday, he discovered all his luggage had been packed up and placed in the hallway.
Those staying in the boutique hotels and short-term rentals were notified on Sunday by Marriott and Sonder Holdings that they would need to vacate immediately (stock image)
The company signed a licensing deal with Marriott International and rebranded as Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott and Sonder guests were abruptly ordered to vacate, some mid-stay, as staff learned they had lost their jobs the same day
Sonder offered short-term rentals and boutique hotels in 40 cities across the world, including Amsterdam all the way to Dubai (pictured: a guest at Sonder’s Dubai hotel)
Sonder was forced to wind down operations immediately and initiate a Chapter 7 liquidations after Marriott terminated its licensing agreement (pictured: a Sonder hotel in London)
‘They handled all our personal belongings, toiletries, clothing, computers, electronics,’ Strack said.
‘Some they packed into suitcases, and some they put in plastic bags. It was quite shocking and very impersonal.’
Alec Arritola, a 27-year-old Harvard student, said staff at the Sonder hotel he was staying at in Boston were as surprised and devastated as he was.
‘I immediately went to the office to speak with the manager, who was also shocked and saddened to learn she would lose her job today,’ Arritola said. He had been planning to stay in the residence for 18 nights.
