Sudden closure of Sonder short-term rentals leaves Chicago guests scrambling for place to stay

Sonder, a short-term rental company and onetime rival to Airbnb, abruptly went out of business this week, leaving guests without a place to stay, including in Chicago.

Reservations were stuck in limbo, and Sonder employees were left without a job.

The sudden closure created an absolute mess for travelers in the middle of their stays, and a lot of uncertainty for those with upcoming trips. The company blamed it on unforeseen financial struggles

Social media lit up after Sonder customers were abruptly kicked to the curb over the weekend.

"How is this even a thing to be able to kick people out of their reservation, and not even honor their reservation and leave them scrambling without any support?" one TikTok user said in a post.

Sonder shut down for good after Marriott ended its licensing deal with the company. Sonder operated in 10 countries and 40 cities, including Chicago. 

"I think it's just inconceivable that any corporate entity would treat human beings that way," Sonder customer Bonnie Strahs said.

Employees like Eboni Rivera were unceremoniously fired.

"I think that this could have been handled a whole different rather than doing it how they did," Rivera said.

She worked at Sonder's location in Streeterville for about a year

"I just feel heartbroken. It's before the holiday season," she said. "It's just really sad to think about that, not just us, but every Sonder employee was put through this."

Matt Hanson, from La Crosse, Wisconsin, and his family had booked with a Sonder property in Chicago for Thanksgiving.

"They said, 'Oh, you have to contact your credit card company to cancel the payment that you had made three or four months ago,'" Hanson said.

The Hansons' reservation is no longer valid. He said Marriott will book him at another property, but for full price well above what he had booked.

"The bookings, you know, here we are, two weeks out, have now doubled and tripled in price," he said. "I think Marriott really dropped the ball in terms of customer service."

Sonder told its employees that it will immediately begin selling off its assets. The Hanson family said they still plan on coming to Chicago, just for fewer days than originally planned.