What a Mess

So, Marriott and Sonder are done. Kaput. Over. And just like that, another shiny promise from the Bonvoy machine goes up in smoke. Remember when they were all excited about this partnership? "Affordable stays in cities around the world!" they crowed. Yeah, well, that lasted.

The official line is that Sonder "defaulted" on the agreement. Defaulted? What the hell does that even mean? Did they not pay their bills? Did their properties suddenly turn into flophouses? Marriott ain't saying, offcourse. They just dropped this bomb and left us all scrambling for answers.

And of course, Marriott is playing the hero, saying they're "prioritizing supporting guests." Oh, how noble. But let's be real, they're probably just trying to avoid a PR nightmare. I can already see the Twitter threads filled with angry travelers stranded without a place to stay.

Bonvoyage to My Points?

Honestly, this whole thing stinks. I was actually looking forward to trying out a Sonder property with my Bonvoy points. The idea of getting an apartment-style rental for a decent price sounded pretty good. Now? Forget about it.

Katie Genter over at TPG just finished a stay at a Sonder property booked with Bonvoy points. She says everything seemed fine. So what gives? Was this some kind of sudden, unexpected collapse? Or was Marriott just looking for an excuse to ditch Sonder?

And what about all the people who booked Sonder stays through Marriott? Are they going to get screwed over? Marriott says they'll contact them directly, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Anyone who booked through third parties is probably SOL. Good luck getting Expedia to sort that out smoothly.

It's just... frustrating. Marriott keeps changing the rules, devaluing points, and making it harder to actually use their rewards program. It feels like they're constantly pulling the rug out from under us.

Speaking of getting screwed over, I'm still waiting for that airline to refund me for that cancelled flight last summer. Customer service is a black hole. You call, you wait on hold for hours, and then you get some clueless rep who can't do anything. It's enough to make you scream.

The Fine Print Strikes Again

Marriott's press release is full of corporate BS, naturally. "Licensing agreement is no longer in effect..." Translation: "We're cutting ties and don't want to tell you why." According to Marriott Ends Agreement With Sonder Apartments Immediately, the agreement was ended immediately.

One source said that Sonder might have failed to comply with "Collection Standards," whatever that means. Or maybe they went bankrupt? Or maybe, just maybe, Marriott realized that Sonder wasn't bringing in the kind of money they expected.

It's all speculation at this point. But one thing's for sure: this whole situation is a clusterfuck. And it's the customers who are going to pay the price.

Then again, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe Marriott really is trying to do the right thing. Nah, who am I kidding?

So, What's the Real Story?

Marriott's playing games, and we're all getting played.