Sonder Removes Cleaning Fees Across Portfolio

Sonder has removed all standard cleaning fees across their portfolio and offers a more up-front pricing breakdown prior to booking, the company announced Wednesday.

The update enables users to search and book a property with a more accurate nightly rate, which includes tax and a $0 cleaning fee. The move signifies Sonder’s shift to a more transparent booking system for corporate travelers.

“Having a consistent price structure across our portfolio helps guests make informed decisions… We believe that pricing transparency is important for consumers and is also valued in our fast-growing corporate travel business,” Sonder representative told BTN over email.

Price Transparency Is Growing Point of Contention in Hospitality

Price transparency has been a hospitality industry sticking point for consumer and managed business travelers. Major hotel brands have been sued for undisclosed fees that have created an illusion of a lower price only to levy fees upon checkout that hike up the total charge.

While cleaning fees on Sonder and other tech-powered hospitality platforms, including Airbnb, are shown prior to booking, the practice of separating them from the total rate has come under increasing fire from consumers. Even the Wall Street Journal has profiled Airbnb users that paid more in cleaning fees than in rental rates.

In an increasingly competitive market, players are looking to remedy the situation. Airbnb is rolling out a search feature to display the property’s “total price” which includes “all fees, before taxes,” according to the company’s website. This feature will offer a more up-front view of the overall cost of a stay before the final booking stages. The Airbnb website does not state when the feature will be available.

Sonder has moved more quickly and, according to the company, is “going a step further to simplify pricing by rethinking our services in line with guest trends and removing standard fees where they aren’t needed.”

Angelique Platas www.businesstravelnews.com