Sonder to boost UK hotel portfolio by 900 units

Sonder Holdings Inc. has announced the addition of four new hotels to its London portfolio, amid expansion plans that will see around 900 units added across its UK and Ireland offering. Sonder has already opened two sites in London this month, including The Henry, a 102-bedroom hotel near Hyde Park in Bayswater, and The Voyage, a 53-bedroom site in Norfolk Square, near Paddington Station. Meanwhile The Rove, a 74-bedroom site that is also located in Norfolk Square, will open shortly, while Sonder also plans to open an 86-key hotel near to Bedford Square, Bloomsbury in the second half of the year. The new London sites are all in central locations near 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”. The sites will join the six existing hotels in Sonder’s London portfolio. Meanwhile, Sonder Royal Garden Apartments in Edinburgh is set to expand with an additional 11 units, while Sonder is also set to open its first hotel in Dublin, with a 26-room site on Leeson Street later this year. It has also contracted an additional 91 units in the Dublin 1 area. These will join Sonder’s two existing serviced apartment properties in Dublin. Including the new London sites and these additions, Sonder’s total portfolio will expand to 28 properties across the United Kingdom and Ireland with around 900 total units. The hospitality group opened its first property in London back in 2017, and noted the region remains a “focus for future growth”. Oliver Armitstead, regional director of Real Estate at Sonder, said: “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. “The modern traveller 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.” Steph Thrasyvoulou, co-owner at New World Hospitality Limited, added: “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.”