A new travel accommodation competitor has entered the Toronto market, and many may not have noticed that some boutique hotels are now operated by a global accommodation provider. probe.
Two Toronto boutique hotels—Templar Hotel (now slate) in the entertainment district, and The Beverly Hotel in Queen West, are now operated by Sonder.
Although they were compared to AirbnbSonder’s Toronto property manager Claudio Costantino tells blogTO there’s a big difference.
“Sonder is a global hospitality provider, not a platform,” says Costantino. “We directly operate all of our units, so guests enjoy a consistent, high-quality experience that delivers exceptional design, modern technology-driven service and compelling value.”
Basically, Sonder rents the hotel or apartment and then takes over the day-to-day operation of the property.
“We partner with property owners and landlords to manage and operate hotels and multi-unit properties, providing property partners with benefits such as faster rentals, significantly reduced operating costs and no liability for day-to-day management or operation,” says Costantino.
A look at a room in the Beverley Hotel, which is now operated by Sonder.
But like Airbnb, Sonder has an online platform for guests to choose a room, book and upon arrival, check in.
Unlike a traditional hotel where guests check in at the front desk, Sonder has a “lobby on your phone,” which offers integrated check-in and one-touch Wi-Fi.
“It removes the reception bottleneck and provides a contactless experience,” says Costantino.
They also have a “digital concierge” in the app, which has listings for restaurants and attractions in the area. Guests can request services such as housekeeping and late checkouts.
the idea for Sonder came after the McGill University student from Montreal Francis Davidson, now co-founder and CEO, started managing a handful of apartments when he was 19 years old. A few years later, he and his co-founder Martin Picard launched what would become Sonder in 2014.
The company is now headquartered in San Francisco with a central office in Montreal and operates in over 35 cities, 10 countries and three continents.
Sonder has four apartments in The Elm of Baldwin Village.
Sonder started in the Toronto market in 2019, when The Slate opened. The Beverley is their latest addition, operated by Sonder since 2021.
In January 2022, Sonder announced an expansion in Toronto with over 110 units under contract in four additional locations, spread across desirable neighborhoods such as Little Italy, West Queen West, St. Lawrence Market and the Entertainment District. These units are in addition to more than 120 live units spread across five existing Sonder locations in Toronto.
The company is also listed on the Nasdaq in January 2022, so future expansion is on the horizon. This includes expanding into new and existing markets.
“We see a lot of potential in Toronto as a destination of choice for business and leisure travelers, both domestic and international, especially as travel continues to rebound from the pandemic,” Costantino said.
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