Sonder integrates features to develop contactless guest experience

US: Hospitality startup Sonder has partnered with academic medical centre, The Cleveland Clinic, and integrated new features aimed at developing a fully contactless guest experience.

The Cleveland Clinic has worked with Sonder to enhance its safe stay standards, in order to create maximum contact-free comfort and safety. Added features include floor stickers to encourage social distancing in busy areas such as lobbies and lifts, safety signage, comprehensive cleaning programmes, flexible cancellation policies, self check-in, contact-free support, hand sanitisers and the enforcement of face coverings.

Sonder said on its website: “When it comes to designing for today’s guest, it’s not enough for a stay to be clean and frictionless. Hospitality needs to be human; the anticipation of guest needs, and warm personal touches that show care, consideration, and an understanding that a travel experience is not limited to the four walls and furniture provided.

“Since 2012 we’ve asked ourselves, how can we take a bloated industry dependent on high-touch service to provide connection, and use technology to empower guests—giving them everything they need, when they need it, and nothing that they don’t,” it added.

Sonder’s latest features to develop its contactless guest experience include:

• Contactless service: Sonder is rolling out further features on its guest app, in addition to 24/7 support, allowing it to carry out more requests with contact-free service.
• Fully-equipped living spaces: Living spaces contain fully-equipped private kitchens, in-unit laundry and hand sanitisers, while Sonder is carrying out partnerships and integrations that make essential tasks more convenient, such as arranging for parking and free deliveries.
• Flexible cancellations: Guests who cancel their booking any time before their stay will receive Sonder credit for the full value for one year.
• Self check-in: Sonder is pushing its self check-in, whereby the company sends details to its guests via the app and email to enhance the contactless experience.
• Face coverings: Guests are being asked to wear masks or other face coverings in all indoor common areas.
• Signage: Signs have been put up across Sonder’s buildings to encourage social distancing and occupancy limits.
• Comprehensive cleaning: Cleaning is being tracked through Sonder’s housekeeping app, while all cleanliness standards and protocols have been updated to reassure guests of their safety during their stay.
• Occupancy limits: The number of guests that can occupy common areas is being limited to encourage social distancing between guests.

Last month, Sonder closed a $170 million Series E round, led by Fidelity, WestCap Group and Inovia Capital, which brought its valuation to $1.3 billion.