Sonder Grows in London, Rest of UK and Ireland
Main Photo: The Henry – was the Henry VIIIth
Date: April 2022
Name: Sonder Holdings
Locations: Global…4 new hotels in this post in London – Bayswater and Bloomsbury, England, UK
Number of Keys: 315
Owners: Private families and companies
Manager: Sonder
Sonder Holdings Inc, a leading next-generation hospitality company that is redefining the guest experience through technology and design, is adding four new hotels to it’s portfolio in London.
In April 2022, Sonder opened The Henry, (previously known as the Henry VIIIth) a 102-key hotel close to Hyde Park in Bayswater, and The Voyage, a 53-key hotel on Norfolk Square close to Paddington Station. A further property on Norfolk Square will follow shortly: The Rove, with 74 keys. Additionally, in the second half of 2022, Sonder will open an 86-key hotel near to Bedford Square in Bloomsbury. All are located close to major business districts, tourist attractions and transport hubs, and have been updated to offer Sonder’s signature exceptional design and tech-enabled, modern service. Building on recent expansion, with an ongoing focus on prime locations, these four properties will join the six existing hotels in Sonder’s London portfolio.
“As a high-growth global hospitality company, we are excited to expand our unique design and tech-powered hospitality offering across the United Kingdom & Ireland, with the opening of a number of new hotels in the region,” said Oliver Armitstead, Regional Director of Real Estate at Sonder. “The modern traveler demands digital service and thoughtful design, both of which we deliver across our portfolio worldwide. For owners, we offer competitive partnership terms with secured income, and we remove operational responsibilities. Following Sonder’s recent public listing, we’re advancing ambitious growth plans worldwide.”
“Sonder are innovators in the hospitality space and have been a reliable property partner for us; which is why we are pleased to collaborate with them on a second London hotel. The Bloomsbury location will offer thoughtfully designed accommodation, moments from The British Museum, Oxford Street and the new Tottenham Court Road Crossrail station,” said Steph Thrasyvoulou, co-owner at New World Hospitality Limited.
Elsewhere in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Sonder Royal Garden Apartments in Edinburgh is set to expand with an additional 11 units. Located opposite the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the property offers accommodation with in-unit kitchen and laundry facilities, ideal for extended stays. In Dublin, Sonder will open its first hotel in the city, with 26 keys, on Leeson Street later this year and has contracted an additional 91 units in the Dublin 1 area. The Leeson Street hotel is a historic, 19th-century Georgian building undergoing updates, located close to St Stephen’s Green park. These operations are in addition to Sonder’s two existing serviced apartment properties in Dublin.
With these additions, Sonder’s total portfolio will now expand to 28 properties across the United Kingdom & Ireland with approximately 900 total units. In 2017, Sonder opened its first property outside of North America in London, and the region remains a focus for future growth.
Headquartered in San Francisco, Sonder operates in 35+ cities across ten countries – seven of which are in EMEA – and has approximately 18,100 live and contracted units worldwide. The company partners with real estate owners and landlords to manage and operate hotel and multi-unit buildings. Sonder distinguishes itself in the hospitality industry through modern design and by infusing technology into its guest experience. This tech-enabled experience puts guests in full control of their stay. They can access everything they need – from booking, to interacting with guest services, to check-out – via their own mobile device from anywhere and at any time, using the Sonder app.
Sonder previously announced EMEA expansion in France and the U.A.E., and recently reported company record annual revenue of $233 million in 2021. Sonder also provides corporate travel offerings, and is live with all major Global Distribution System (GDS) networks. Sonder works in partnership with leading travel management companies such as ABC Global Services for business traveler-specific bookings. Sonder also recently committed to eliminating single-use plastic amenities in all of its’ guest-facing units no later than Dec. 31, 2022, as part of the company’s wider sustainability commitments under its People, Place & Planet framework.
Sonder describe themselves as a tech-enabled, design-forward hospitality company that provides a variety of accommodation options, from spacious rooms to fully-equipped suites and apartments.
Price: Sonder’s process is usually a lease model – Undisclosed
THPT Comment: Sonder is a sort-of sophisticated, year-round, leisure-stay model…take a property, ideally a hotel, and restyle it to a common decent standard, lease it from the owner and give the customer more consistency than the home-stay operators. Many a buyer will be sad that The Henry is no longer on the market to sell (rumoured!)
First Seen: Sonder press release
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