Marriott Guests Booted from Sonder Properties Amid Travel Chaos

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Steve McGraw, a retired tech executive, faced unexpected travel chaos during a planned 17-day visit to New York City with his daughter and newborn granddaughter. About a week into their stay at the Sonder Battery Park Apartments, McGraw received an email from Marriott and Sonder Holdings instructing him to vacate by 9 a.m. the next day.

“We ended up spending several thousand dollars more to find a new place,” McGraw said. “It was very, very disruptive. They treated us so poorly.” His experience is not unique, as many guests reported similar situations over the weekend.

On Monday, Sonder announced the termination of its partnership with Marriott, which surprised many guests who were abruptly removed from their accommodations. Business Insider spoke to 11 affected guests, who shared stories of travel disruption, mismanagement, and unexpected financial burdens.

Marriott stated that guests who booked through its channels would receive full refunds. The company also indicated that those with future reservations would be contacted about rebooking options. However, Paul Strack, a 63-year-old Arkansas business owner, found his belongings packed and moved when he returned to his apartment in Boston.

“They handled all our personal belongings, toiletries, clothing, computers, electronics,” Strack recalled. “It was quite shocking and very impersonal.”

Lenny Coynault, 23, a tourist from Paris, initially thought Marriott’s email was a scam and was dismayed to find confusion at the Sonder reception in NYC. “Being told to leave after only five days and the lack of customer care was surprising and disappointing,” he said. He plans to delete the Marriott app and end his membership due to this experience.

Alec Arritola, a Harvard student, also expressed his shock at the situation, saying the staff at his Sonder hotel were equally blindsided. In some cases, guests reported losses in the hundreds to thousands of dollars due to last-minute bookings required to find alternative accommodations.

Craig Murphy, a Houston insurance broker, is set to fly to New Orleans for his daughter’s wedding and was frustrated to discover he would have to pay an additional $1,401 for last-minute accommodations. He lamented the additional time and stress involved in rescheduling other wedding services.

Ahmed Alsheikh, a tourist from Saudi Arabia, was set to arrive in NYC for a family trip but panicked in the search for new lodging. “It costs significantly more due to the short notice and limited availability,” he said. “I will not book with Marriott again until this is resolved and I feel fairly compensated.”

April Walloga, a remote worker, criticized Marriott’s failure to secure alternative housing for her month-long stay, estimating that rebooking comparable accommodations could cost her at least $3,000 more.

“This has seriously changed my perception of Marriott’s customer service and reliability,” Walloga stated.