My Second Sonder

Is the first time really the best?

Andy Spears
2 min readMar 8

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Photo by Vojtech Bruzek on Unsplash

This week, I’m at work in Washington, DC.

I came up (from Nashville) a few weeks ago to get acclimated to a new client.

Instead of a hotel or an Airbnb, I chose Sonder.

As I noted then, it was a great experience. Cheaper than a hotel OR an Airbnb. No list of fees.

It’s like a hotel in an app.

There is no on-site staff. You enter and leave based on codes/mobile keys on your phone.

Yes, people clean — when you leave.

I actually stayed in the same Sonder but in a different unit.

This one was smaller than the previous one — but had a larger bathroom and a window with a street view.

Missing: A couch near the TV.

Included: A full kitchen, a generously sized bed, and all the comforts of living in your own apartment.

I mean, the place is great.

I haven’t stayed in Sonders in other cities, but if this is how they are, I’m in.

Hotels are nice but often cramped and Airbnb often ends up with “surprise” fees — or, if not surprising, at least a long list.

Sonder is straightforward — you know you’re going to a hotel without a staff.

There are self-serve amenities — soap, towels, etc. — and in some Sonders, there’s a washer/dryer. Great if you’re in town on work or for a longer stay.

Plus, this one — and many I’ve seen — are in older buildings in town that have been renovated. This means they are keeping the community character while offering the customer an interesting experience.

Have you Sondered?

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Andy Spears

Writer and policy advocate living in Nashville, TN —Public Policy Ph.D. — writes on education policy, consumer affairs, and more . . .