Sonder South Wabash Apartments South Loop — Local services in Chicago

Booking: -Pros: we loved the booking experience, much better than Airbnb. It was so easy and fun to pick a room because of Sonder’s standard design language—much better than sifting through thousands of Airbnb rentals. -Cons: we found that we liked the S Wabash location, and so we picked one of the studio layouts with a hallway between the kitchen and alcove—it would have been nice to have a bit of separation between the spaces. Unfortunately, our room was double booked and we were assigned a traditional studio space with the bed in the same room as the kitchen. It wasn’t a big deal, but it was disappointing as the layout of our original booking was one of the reasons we decided to book with Sonder.

Parking: -Pros: there are lots of garages and spots nearby that you can find for a reasonable price on SpotHero. Do note that most garages don’t let you take out your car during your stay, so make sure to plan when you’ll need your car and make separate bookings accordingly. -Cons: street parking is tricky and limited, and there is no easy way to load and unload luggage from your car.

Check-In: -Pros: loved the ease of the self check in! We even got texts welcoming us once we used the keypad to unlock the doors to the building and unit. -Cons: the single luggage trolley was in use both when we checked in and when we checked out—one or two more carts would be useful as I’m sure many check in and check out times overlap.

The Room: -Pros: we loved the floor to ceiling windows (one of the reasons we chose the S Wabash location). They made the small space feel so big and open, and the ambient light from the city (day and night) gave the place a really unique feel. The kitchen was reasonably equipped, and the ability to chrome cast to the tv was an extra bonus. Also, the bathroom was very spacious which felt like a luxury touch. -Cons: although we enjoyed having the floor to ceiling windows and expansive views, we felt a little bit like we were staying in a fish bowl since, on the other side of the rooftop patio, the almost identical Coeval apartment building’s rooms looked directly into ours, meaning the blinds either had to be closed, or we had to deal with the fact that everyone could see what we were doing. Even with the blinds closed, their mesh-like construction made it possible to see in even when they were closed, especially at night with lamps on. The bathroom lights were bright which was nice, but a less blinding night light or ambient light would have been nice for evening bathroom use. The bathroom (especially the shower) was also very echoey, so the addition of some sound deadening materials would be a plus. Shelving in the shower for toiletries would have been nice as well. There was only 1 towel hook, 1 towel bar, and 3 hooks in the bedroom alcove (1 missing, and the other 2 constantly falling off) which was a bit limiting for two guests; additional towel hooks, a dedicated hook for a hand towel, and more useable hooks in the alcove would have been appreciated. Counter space in the kitchen was very limited, which is expected in a studio unit. However, what wasn’t expected was the overall lack of cleanliness and upkeep of the space. We were so excited when we first arrived to our room, but as time went by, we began to notice the many flaws. First of all, the smoke detector was periodically beeping due to what I’m assuming was a low battery; the customer service line responded quickly and maintenance brought new batteries immediately, but by the end of our stay, the smoke detector was beeping again. Not a big deal, but what was most disturbing was that if housekeeping had spent more then 5 minutes cleaning the space, they would have heard the beeping smoke detector—so the overall cleanliness was definitely questionable.

Overall, we enjoyed our stay, and would like to give Sonder another try...

DO NOT STAY HERE — I Was Lied To, Discriminated Against, and Defrauded

I had a horrible experience at Sonder South Wabash in Chicago, and I strongly urge others to think twice before booking with this company.

First off, communication with Sonder is only available through their app, which is slow, inefficient, and often leaves you speaking to rotating team members who give unclear or contradictory responses. It’s extremely frustrating when you need real-time support — especially for a serious issue.

I paid extra for early check-in and, more importantly, reserved a specific room nearly a month in advance — a room I selected and paid for in full because it met very specific needs for filming content during my trip. When I arrived, however, I was placed in a completely different room with NONE of the features I booked and paid for. To add insult to injury, the Sonder team tried to pass it off as a "free upgrade." It was nothing of the sort. The room was smaller, lacked the aesthetic and amenities I required, and completely ruined the purpose of my trip.

I reached out immediately for help, and no one bothered to fix the situation or even acknowledge the severity of the issue during my stay. I felt ignored, gaslit, and dismissed.

Even worse — and this is what makes my blood boil — I was told other guests had priority over me for the room I had already paid for. As a single Black woman traveling alone, I found this both discriminatory and completely unacceptable. This experience felt not only like fraud, but also a targeted disregard for my time, money, and dignity.

It has now been weeks since I returned from my trip and I still have not received a proper resolution. A 20% refund and some credits I’ll never use is not justice — it’s an insult. I will be filing a formal complaint with the Better Business Bureau and exploring legal options to hold Sonder accountable.

Until this company learns how to properly respect and treat its guests, do not waste your money, time, or peace of mind on a Sonder property. This was one of the most disappointing and upsetting hospitality experiences...

0 Stars if I could. It’s so sad that you guys think you have the right to take people’s money and scam. Also you think you have the right to judge me without knowing me?? You people are completely racist and ruined my birthday. You all canceled my location ON MY BIRTHDAY. Claimed that there was a “violation” when we hadn’t even checked in yet. When asking about the “violation” I was given NO INFORMATION. No real explanation just a canceled booking the night of and that we had to leave. So let’s get to the money. Canceled my appointment and I still had access to the app and all of the amenities with the room but no room they canceled it so weird and late. Sent my money to a card that I didn’t even pay with so now o have to wait an extra 10 days for my money. Lied about sending a refund receipt and didn’t even know my email that is ON FILE. I promise you I have NEVER experienced something so disgusting and profiling. Yes, I am young. I just turned 24. My age is no excuse to profile me. THEN!! There’s all these issues the day of but you guys sure had no problem taking my money. Also, we ran into another family that experienced the same thing. They were also young and Hispanic/African American…do I see a trend??? But a European family has no issues running in and out the building with drugs and alcohol. Days later and still no refund. I am so disgusted with the customer support and how dry and unsupportive they were. Better just book with AirBND or hotels.com. Sonder thinks they are better than everybody and it clearly shows. How can we “violate” a room we never entered?? How is there a “violation” before check in?? No “violation” when my money was taken out and booked the room. Hotel key, wifi password, parking, all was provided except for the password to enter the room. In summary, you guys played me for my birthday and I will never have anything nice to say about this place. I am so happy I was optimistic and still went to enjoy my day WITHOUT SONDER. Which was more than likely a blessing in disguise because who wants to stay under people who are judgmental and does weird...