Sonder the Heid

We booked a double room for one night with a pull-out sofa. The apartment is spacious with large open areas. The kitchen is extremely well equipped with a fridge, dishwasher, coffee machine, and oven. The bedrooms are roomy and separated from each other, which is very convenient. The living room has the pull-out sofa, which unfortunately is uncomfortable as the springs stick out. The location is excellent, with everything within easy reach. The price is fair and reasonable for the area.

Not for us! We knew that it would be a contemporary factory experience. However, it was not sleek and clean. It was more old and concrete. The largest complaint was that the bed was almost on the floor. It only came up to my knee. And the rug underneath the floor was absolutely filthy. Everything else was concrete floor. But it felt very dirty to sleep so close to a filthy rug. You knew your blankets were going to rub up against it and then on you. The kitchen and bathroom were clean but no attention to detail. There were no side tables or lamps so you had to charge your phones at a table across the room. There were plenty of drawers for your clothes, but no hangers to hang anything. There was a washer and dryer and iron and ironing board. There was a full refrigerator in the kitchen and nice soap and lotion in the bathroom. You have to pay for your parking, which is pretty normal for anywhere you stay downtown. But it was confusing coming in at night knowing where to park. They did not give us any recommendations. Thankfully, when we went into the lobby, the security man at the front gave us a good recommendation for the cheapest garage, which was about $25 a night. There was also free parking on the street behind us and we got one of those spots two out of the four nights.

We stayed for 4 nights. It’s a nice concept and a good looking industrial repurposing but it’s let down badly by awful noise issues. The walls are wafer thin and it feels like your neighbours are sitting on the end of your bed. The sound transfer is so clear it’s like they have shower curtains for walls. And the air conditioning system is a disaster at night with so much clanging, banging and knocking sounds directly above the bed. The ear plugs provided on the bedside tables are essential but still inadequate. The staff are all lovely but there’s no housekeeping, no physical keys, no restaurant so you kind of wonder why they are even there. If this is what Sonder properties are all about, we’ll pass. Given the noise issues through walls and from the a/c we don’t recommend and won’t be returning.

Had high hopes but very disappointed. The self service concepty is great as a concept but it requires that help musty be available if needed and that basic principles of accommodation be steadfast and fair. Wifi was promised yet not accessible for 24 hours. There MUST be a solution to deliveries (fineprint alone is not acceptable). Your clients are local regional and international and the same excat rules cannot apply. International guests also order items for delivery. I will not recoomend this place or the Sonder brnad going forward

Beautiful place, close to the Franklin music Hall and Reading Terminal. Staff very helpful, place clean, well furnished. Only complaint was the mattress was old & too soft, but new, good quality sheets. Some street noise but ear plugs provided

The amenities, room, staff were excellent. Location is fine, only 10 minutes from downtown on foot - the neighbourhood itself is quiet but has stores. Checking in and out was smooth. Luggage storage was very helpful. Why poor? Our bedroom backed onto the neighbours' living room. At midnight: they watched Rocky, and sang along. They rang their friends, and described the weather. They banged every cupboard door, dropped everything on the floor, and generally did their best to keep us awake till pass midnight. Security went up 5 times to ask them to quiet down. Sonder rang them. The manager spoke to them. They still did it again. Since we were in Philadelphia for a conference beginning at 8am, this was not ideal. Sonder provides a noise machine and earplugs but it still wasn't enough (I may as well have been watching the TV with them). I think if you are going to separate rooms with a thin dry wall, then you need to be really explicit to guests about quiet time(s).

The stay was great. The employees were wonderful with exception one. It was a Thursday morning 10/3/24. The big fella up front was a real ****. Wasn't the greatest listener. Ended conversation with him quickly. He had the WORST cust rep ever

I was very happy with my stay at the Heid three years ago and feel the same after my most recent visit. Three years ago, my girlfriend and I were fortunate to get one of the top floor units that gave us a beautiful view of the city. This time, traveling alone, I had a studio on the second floor that faced a building. No matter. The bed was comfortable, I liked having the refrigerator to store yogurt and juice for breakfast and the washer/dryer allowed me to wash clothes and thus bring a smaller suitcase. The Heid is in an up-and-coming neighborhood just several blocks from downtown. I felt safe walking there at 11:30 pm one night. The Heid has a loft-like charm.