New Orleans is relatively small in size but they packed a lot in the “Crescent City.” It’s brimming with beautiful architecture, great music, amazing food, and cute shops so it can be a little overwhelming to plan a trip there. Fear not, friends! I’ve got you covered. The research scientist in me did plenty of research before making my first trip to the Big Easy. In this guide I’ll be sharing some recommendations for lodging, what to do, where to eat, and what to wear in NOLA. First up, I’m talking about my stay at Sonder in New Orleans’ Central Business District.
Back in June when I was deciding where to go for my birthday, New Orleans quickly came to mind. I’d never been before and early November seemed like the perfect time to go – crisp, fall weather and a little less crowded. When I was looking for flights, I stumbled across some really cheap tickets but they were for the end of September. Change of plans. New Orleans in September it was! Now I just needed a place to stay.
Shortly after booking my flight, I got an email from my credit card company with a link to New Orleans’ hotels. There were plenty of options to choose from but one in particular stood out. It had high ceilings, an exposed brick wall, and floor to ceiling windows. If I had been watching House Hunters at this point I would have yelled to the homebuyer, “Pick that one!”
The space was beautiful but it definitely wasn’t a typical hotel. It looked like a listing for a specific apartment unit so I googled the name on the listing, “Sonder” to find out more.
When I got to Sonder’s website, I read the story of how the company came to be (you can read about it here). The concept is to give travelers hotel-like amenities in a space that embodies the spirit and charm of its host city (there are currently Sonder units in 13 cities across the US and internationally).
It sounded like a great concept – the “Instagrammable” space without worries of whether there’ll be fresh linens. It was the best of both worlds. But I had a few concerns:
- I hadn’t heard of Sonder before planning this trip so I didn’t know what to expect. When I searched online I couldn’t find detailed reviews of people’s experiences.
- The price seemed very affordable based on the photos of the unit. I love getting a good deal but I also tend to be skeptical when something seems like too good of a deal. During my selected nights the Sonder I was interested in was around $120/night (including fees), and that was for the entire apartment unit.
- Unlike many hotels where you can cancel up to 72 hours before your trip and get a full refund, that’s not the case with Sonder. You pay for the entire stay when you book, and once you do your money is locked in unless you cancel within 24 hours from booking. If you cancel outside of this window, at most you can get a 50% refund. Knowing this I needed more information before committing.
I called the number on Sonder’s website to see if a representative could answer my questions (e.g. how does it work – would someone be there to check me in, and where exactly was the unit located – a specific address wasn’t provided). The Sonder representative I spoke to told me I’d receive instructions a few days before my trip with the exact address, instructions for check in and check out, and information on accessing the space. For security reasons, they don’t provide the specific address until after booking but the listing shows you the neighborhood it’s in and the closest public transit stop.
I was still a little nervous after the conversation, but decided to go for it anyway. The space looked charming and if the photos were remotely reflective of the actual unit, the price was a really good deal.
June quickly turned into September and my NOLA trip was a short week away. Sure enough, I got an email a few days out with the specific address, check-in/out details, and instructions on how to access the unit. Both the building and the Sonder unit were secured. Entry was keyless and cardless. I would enter an access code to get into the building and then another one to get into the unit. Whenever I’d leave I’d press a button to lock the door. It seems like a small thing but I really liked this. I don’t know about you all but when I’m traveling it feels like I end up with a ton of little things in my purse, so it was nice that there’d be one less thing I’d have to keep track of.
When I first arrived Monday evening, I entered both codes for the building and apartment without any issues. Upon entering the apartment, I flipped the switch and immediately went into inspector mode. Taking it all in, I was pleased (and relieved) that the space lived up to the pictures online (all of the photos in this post are ones that I took).
The instructions I received also included a number to text if I needed anything during my stay. Sonder doesn’t offer daily housekeeping but if you have any issues with your unit or need fresh towels or toiletries, they give you a concierge number. I texted it on day one of my trip because there wasn’t any hand soap in the bathroom. Someone texted me back within 10 minutes and let me know they’d send some over. When I came back to the unit for a mid-day break the soap was there.
Aside from the actual space and responsiveness to my text, I really appreciated the attention to detail. I could tell they thought about how to make a traveler’s stay more convenient and comfortable. Need to do laundry? Not only did they have a washer and dryer, they also had a ziploc bag of detergent pods. I took advantage of this and did a load of laundry my last night there. It was nice not having to travel back home with sweaty gym clothes.
Want to cook (or heat up delicious leftovers from a NOLA restaurant)? There was aluminum foil and oven mitts along with Saran Wrap, measuring cups and spoons, a can opener, and a pizza cutter.
The kitchen was also stocked with bowls, plates, cups, utensils, wine glasses, a wine opener, a toaster, knives, a coffee maker, even teas. They pretty much thought of everything.
After all was said and done, I was happy with my choice to stay with Sonder. For what I got in terms of the amount of space and the amenities, the price was a steal. And the location worked well. It was about a mile away from the French Quarter, which is walkable (and a nice way to get in some physical activity after all the delicious food!), and it had some really nice coffee shops nearby (half a mile or less away). I’ll be sharing some of those in my where to eat post so stay tuned.
A Few Things to Consider:
In many cases, only partial refunds are given if you change your mind. As I mentioned earlier, canceling outside of the 24-hour window means you can at best get a 50% refund. This means that you need to be certain of your trip and travel dates before booking. If you’re not certain, it’s best to wait until you are (unless, of course, you’re okay with losing money).
No specific address is provided until you’re about a week out from the trip. This was the one thing I didn’t like about the experience. I like to know exactly where I’ll be staying when I’m traveling, especially if I’m going to be in a new city. Ultimately, this wasn’t a deal breaker because they provided the neighborhood the unit was in and the street it was on. With this information I was able to research safety, walkability and make tentative plans for getting around.
Longer stay friendly. If you’ll be in New Orleans for a stretch of time, 1) I’m jealous, and 2) this could be a good option. The amenities they provide lend themselves to a longer stay (in fact some of the Sonder cities have a 30-day minimum stay). You have all the essential kitchen appliances you’d need to buy groceries and cook for yourself, enough detergent pods to do several loads of laundry, a big, comfortable bed, spacious closet, cable, plus free WiFi.
Overall, based on my experience, I’d certainly stay here again and would recommend Sonder to others. Have any of you been to New Orleans before? If so, where did you stay and how’d you decide between the different neighborhoods? Let me know in the comments below!
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