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Sonder
p/sonder
A better way to stay
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Ben Tossell
Sonder — Travel in style with beautifully appointed, handpicked homes
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Ben Tossell
Hunter
I just saw @nabeel post on Medium Welcoming Sonder to Spark h/t @sparkcapital Here is what Sonder presents itself as: When you stay at a Sonder, you get all the local color of a traditional vacation rental with none of the inconsistencies. Sonders come in all shapes and sizes, from airy urban lofts, to delightful seaside cottages, but inside each one you’ll find the same crisp white linens, quality standards, and on-demand concierge service. It seems to be focused on the QUALITY and mention a few things in The Sonder Promise
ewalk153
Maker
@bentossell @nabeel @sparkcapital thanks for the nod. CTO of Sonder here. Happy to answer any questions.
nikhil
Interesting. Is the name inspired by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows? http://www.dictionaryofobscureso...
Chris Backe
Those prices, man. Making four-star hotels look cheap. Sorry, but I'll stick to Airbnbs that offer monthly rate discounts if that means saving literally thousands on a month's stay.
Leonel More
@ewalk153 I like the concept of a collection, and the product looks nice. How do you plan to get traction? You have a big guy called AirBnB out there.
Ben Tossell
Hunter
@leonelmore @ewalk153 in the Medium post it actually says that people find a lot of these places through AirBnB - so I'm intrigued how this works and what the strategy is here
ewalk153
Maker
@bentossell @leonelmore Airbnb is to Kayak as we are to Hilton. We have successfully worked with Airbnb so far by listing our locations on their site (as well as others). I see our popularity growing quickly as people have a negative experience with a host and want tosearch for an authentic experience, with hotel level standards.
Leonel More
@ewalk153 @bentossell I see, like a boutique AirBnB. I think the concept is good, but I do not see how I would be able to know the difference unless I use your service. It is a good idea, like a design-exclusive shop vs Amazon.
ewalk153
Maker
@leonelmore @bentossell a good point, on Airbnb and other sites, we have great photographs and we describe our 24/7 service and instant responses by Facebook Messenger, but it's not a complete solution. Over time, we'll gain more exposure and we'll have a greater chance to describe ourselves through SonderCollection.com
Jean-Jacques Halans
Not sure what the difference is with Airbnb Plus (which is also limited to number of cities worldwide)
Noah Miller Davis
I love staying with Sonder. My only complaint is them making their beds with a flat sheet in place of the fitted sheet. Other than that, zero complaints.
Rick Segal

If you were going to curate AirBNB, certified you were there, took the pictures,etc. this would be the resulting site. Traction is always a problem doing this, but hey, what is entrepreneurship, if not solving problems. I looked for a property in Rome for almost a year in the future. Only three available. But extremely well laid out and there's a bit more polish to the pictures and pages of the property vs. AirBNB. So, kudos to the tech/design team as it does come off well.

Pros:

Very selective on properties in very desirable locations

Cons:

The obvious. Small (so far) number of properties and cities.

Devi Dumbadze
Appreciating the idea, the branding may not be as fortunate ("Sonderkommando")...