Marriott International agrees licencing deal with Sonder

Marriott International has announced a new licencing agreement with Sonder Holdings, which offers apartment-style properties in cities around the world.

The deal will add around 9,000 rooms to Marriott’s global portfolio, with another 1,500 rooms in Sonder’s development “pipeline” to be added in the “next few years”.

Marriott said the agreement would see the creation of a new collection brand called Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy.

Tim Grisius, Marriott’s global officer for M&A, business development and real estate, added: “We are excited about the addition of Sonder’s portfolio to our system, which will expand our portfolio of longer-stay accommodations in key markets around the world.

“Marriott has long believed in providing the right product at the right price point for all trip purposes and generations of travellers. With the planned addition of Sonder by Marriott Bonvoy, we will be able to provide guests seeking apartment-style urban accommodation with even more options in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio.”

US-based Sonder, which was founded in 2014, features a range of apartment-style properties and boutique hotels in North America, Europe and the Middle East. But the company reduced its portfolio earlier this year and also faced a warning from the Nasdaq stock exchange in the US about its financial filings in April.

The company has a presence in many major European cities, including London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Paris.

Francis Davidson, co-founder and CEO of Sonder, said: “We’re delighted about our strategic agreement with Marriott.

“Benefitting from the extensive distribution, loyalty programme and sales capabilities of a global hospitality leader will help us to prioritise our core value drivers, including our unique guest experience, while unlocking significant opportunities for increased revenue and cost efficiency.”