It was a little over a week since we’d returned from our three-month trip from Antarctica-to-Zimbabwe. Could this be the perfect time for a weekend away in Toronto?
No – and I can’t stress this enough – not in the least. I hadn’t even managed to file our taxes at that point, let alone scale the mountain of paperwork that had accumulated atop my desk.
But they were holding the Bony Blithe Minicon for mystery writers that weekend and the car needed its tires changed, so off I went.
Searching for the nearest, cheapest rental to the High Park Club – where Bony Blithe would be held – I found myself looking at Sonder Artesa. Sonder is Marriott’s answer to the rapid proliferation of Airbnb-style vacation rentals around the world – reasonably priced apartments that offer “hotel amenities without hotel formalities.”
I would have been happy with a room at a bed-and-breakfast, but a one-bedroom unit at the Artesa was actually cheaper and nearer to High Park than the alternatives. We’re also planning to stay at Sonder Apollon in Montreal during our upcoming Quebec trip, so this would let me do a bit of reconnaissance to see whether Sonder lives up to its promises.
Soon thereafter, however, I discovered I would be needed in Toronto earlier than expected – so I had to book another room the night before. Sonder was full, but I did find a reasonably priced unit at GlobalStay Modern Lillian Street Apartments. While available via Expedia, my chosen unit (“Deluxe Suite, Multiple Beds, Balcony”) was operated in much more of an Airbnb-style than that of a traditional hotel.
What exactly do I mean by that? So glad you asked.
First, ID verification – this was done by e-mailing them my driver’s license.
Next, I had to manually submit a damage deposit via PayPal.
Then I received check-in instructions. I had a door code to dial, and then instructions to access a keybox in the parking garage.
And the end result? A very nice unit, but with no small amount of hassle to get here. (Though they get bonus points for offering early check-in.)
The stay itself was fine, but with the usual uncertainties of renting a vacation unit – there was no soap in the shower, though there was a wide selection of other forgotten toiletries, including shaving gel. There was coffee available, but only instant. Cleanliness was good, but not exceptional. And so on.
But there was a pleasant residential areas nearby:
Then check-out – GlobalStay asked that I start the towel laundry before leaving, and that I take out the garbage. The garbage chute was out of order, so I had to message them to let them know – and so I wasn’t charged. Then downstairs to put the key back into the lock box. I would later have to remind them to return the deposit, but it was then sent back immediately.
By comparison, the Sonder experience was much more hotel-like – mostly for the better, but occasionally for worse.
ID verification? Done through the app. No photo-taking or e-mailing required.
Deposit? Not required. Presumably they’d come after their pound of flesh directly if needed.
Lockbox? All integrated. You received your lobby and door code via the app, and then you just punch that in as you come and go. (Notionally you can also use your phone to act as your key, but it didn’t work for me.)
The stay itself was also more consistent. Soap and shampoo were included in the bathroom. There were small pre-packaged coffee packs that could be brewed. No laundry or garbage chuting required. The level of cleanliness at Sonder was better too.
And there was a terrific patio:
Early check-in was an option – but only if you paid for it, same as for late check-out. This is one way in which GlobalStay was superior to Sonder.
Total cost for GlobalStay was CAD$324.68 while Sonder set me back CAD$269.58. I booked GlobalStay with less notice, and the GlobalStay unit had more beds which partially accounts for the price difference.
(I tried to see if I could find a less-expensive comparable unit at GlobalStay but they are now showing as unavailable on Expedia for reasons unknown.)
Bottom line – GlobalStay was perfectly fine, but I really liked Sonder and the whole concept of getting Airbnb-like spaces with hotel-like services. I’m looking forward to staying with Sonder again in Montreal in just a few weeks’ time. Stay tuned to hear how that goes!