When Giants Forget What It Means to Be Hoteliers
The Sonder–Marriott case is more than a failed integration.
It’s a symptom of something deeper happening across the industry — the widening gap between corporate strategy and the true essence of hospitality.
Sonder had a brilliant model: flexible stays, design-forward units, efficiency, and tech.
Marriott had what any startup dreams of: a global brand, credibility, and millions of loyal travelers.
On paper, it was a winning alliance. In reality, it became a predictable disaster.
Why?
Because neither side truly understood the DNA of the other.
Sonder underestimated what it means to operate within a culture built on standards, rituals, and service.
Marriott, blinded by corporate arrogance, believed it could absorb a foreign model without redesigning itself or getting its hands dirty in execution.
Marriott’s executives acted like financial analysts, not hoteliers.
They focused on the “deal,” on investor headlines, not on the core question: how does the guest actually experience this?
They thought technology integration was enough when what was needed was an operational and emotional integration.
They didn’t adapt the story, train the teams, or craft the product narrative for real guests.
And when things got difficult, they did the easiest thing — they walked away.
That’s not leadership. That’s damage control.
What’s most surprising isn’t the failure itself — the model had great potential — but the lack of humility and strategic rigor from people supposedly at the top of their game.
A partnership of this scale demands pilot programs, co-authored manuals, joint KPIs, shared governance, and transparent communication.
None of that was visible.
Sonder failed financially; Marriott failed relationally.
And both forgot a simple truth: hospitality isn’t managed through spreadsheets — it’s led from the floor.
This case should be a wake-up call.
The era of “size equals success” is over.
Winning now requires human sensitivity and strategic clarity — the ability to merge heart, vision, and discipline.
Innovation without empathy is empty.
Scale without soul is fragile.
The collapse of Sonder and Marriott doesn’t mark the end of hybrid hospitality.
It marks the end of lazy leadership — the kind that hides behind legacy instead of evolving with courage.
Because in today’s industry, greatness isn’t measured in room count or brand portfolio — it’s measured in clarity, adaptability, and truth.
And many of our so-called giants seem to have lost all three.
Marriott Hotels
Sonder Inc.
You can read the article here.
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https://lnkd.in/eaugdUYf
