Preparing for travel this holiday season? You might want to double-check all of your bookings.
Recent weeks have seen major shakeups in the travel industry. First, the government shutdown resulted in numerous flights getting canceled. Those who didn’t have their flights canceled experienced long airport wait times, among other issues.
Even hotel stays aren’t immune from problems. TikTok user Katie Newton (@ktbrooke97) recently learned this after booking a stay at a Marriott property through Sonder—only to discover that it had been canceled.
What Happened To This Woman’s Hotel Reservation?
In a video with over 385,000 views, Newton explains how she came to find out the hotel reservation for her dream trip to New York had been canceled.
“Our New York City hotel reservation just got canceled,” she states. “We were supposed to be staying with the Marriott through Sonder, and they just canceled their partnership together, and now, we’re left without a hotel.”
Despite looking for other properties, Newton says that she’s unsure if they’ll be able to find a hotel with “three weeks notice” in order to spend the holidays in New York.
“My dream trip is gonna be ruined,” she says. “We’re gonna have to cancel everything, and I just don’t know what to do.”
In the comments section of other videos, users noted that, while hotel rooms are still available in the city, they command high prices. This is typical of hotels in New York around the holiday season.
What Is Sonder, And Why Did It Cancel This Woman’s Reservation?
As Newton explains, she booked her hotel through Sonder. This is a short-term rental and boutique hotel company that, until recently, had a partnership with Marriott-Bonvoy.
However, on November 10th, 2025, Sonder announced that they would be winding down operations and initiating Chapter 7 liquidation. Additionally, the company admitted that Marriott-Bonvoy had terminated their agreement a day prior.
Consequently, guests at Marriott properties who booked through Sonder are being told that their reservations are no longer valid. While guests are reporting that they’ve received refunds, the New York Times notes that this can leave them with limited options for bookings or bookings where the prospective rental price is significantly higher than it was previously.
Sonder has provided a phone number that guests can call for assistance. The New York Times reports that, when guests actually called the number, it said it was not in service.
The Internet Reacts
Newton turned off comments under her video. That said, a visit to the r/Marriott subreddit shows that her situation is not unique.
From the guest side, numerous users claim that they’ve been booted from reservations due to Sonder shutting down.
“Being asked to leave immediately during peak season in NYC where prices are sky high,” says a post. “We had a long term booking (about 2 months), and booked Sonder at a decent rate. Half way in and we are being asked to move out immediately, during peak season where prices are way more than usual.”
“Kicked out of a Sonder hotel mid-stay. I can’t even get back to my room this evening to deal with this,” shared another.
Commenters are divided about whether they’ve been able to get refunds. Some have said that they were able to be rebooked at the same rate per Marriott policy. Others claim they were told this policy didn’t apply.
@ktbrooke97 Replying to @Rachel tik tok please help!! Has anyone had a last minute hotel cancellation like this?! I’m devastated and don’t know what to do 😭😭 #nyc #marriott #newyorkcity #hotels #sonder we booked through @Hotels.com and really hoping they pull through here
Former Employees Join The Conversation
Alleged former Sonder employees also jumped into the discussion, sharing in the commenters’ dismay while noting that they were similarly blindsided by the announcement.
“Many of us on the ground didn’t even hear the news from corporate. We found out from guests. Guests came up to us showing canceled reservations on their phones before we even knew what was happening,” reads one post. “That is how we learned we no longer had jobs.”
“Even most of us at the corporate level were left in the dark. We didn’t find out anything until our city teams started messaging us for more information, which [of] course we didn’t get. We received notice Sunday that more information would be sent to us today (Monday the 10th), and literally senior leadership was silent ALL DAY,” details a comment. “The only thing we received was an email saying ‘thanks for your service to the company, here’s a link to the DOL’s unemployment website. Your employment is terminated effective immediately.’No email from SLT, no messages, nothing.”
BroBible reached out to Sonder, Marriott, and Newton via email.