Sonder the Hampstead

I had several problems on arrival. The code to enter the unit didn't work, and I had to call (while standing in the hallway with my stuff) to obtain the backup code. Once inside, the unit was very warm/stuffy and the thermostat said it didn't have power and was shutting down (see photo). Nobody could come until the next day, so I opened the windows...thankfully, a cool night in Houston. I picked up some (unrefrigerated) soda, only to discover that the ice maker wasn't working. There were ice trays in the freezer, but they were empty. All of these hiccups were eventually fixable, but it made for a poor first impression when I arrived. The communication from the Sonder staff was impressive, though, and we did eventually have a mostly pleasant stay. I'd encourage the property managers to investigate a few things: * The unit in general was a bit scuffed up/dingy and could use a repainting and sprucing up. * The bar stools were so high that you couldn't really sit on them AT the island. Your knees will hit the counter, no matter your size. * None of the chairs were comfortable. The couch was OK. * The instructions for setting a departure date on the Roku (to sign us out of our accounts) didn't work. You needed a PIN to set a departure date. * All of the fixtures (especially in the bathrooms) were loose. * The beds were SO LOW! Especially in the second bedroom. I felt like I was sleeping on the floor. * The king bed looked rumpled when I arrived (photo was at check-in).

It was a very nice place to stay. The only thing that I personally would like would be a tv in the bedroom. Other than that it had everything you could wish for. Oh and the elevator could definitely use some service. Rattles and shakes, kind of scary.

Upon entering it was clear that the door had been kicked in and the unit had been broken into at some point. The lock had not been replaced correctly. A chipped and broken piece of trim was holding the bolt in place. One strong shoulder would have allowed entry into the unit again. I reported the problem and expected a quick response as this was a definite safety issue. The response was to send the on property representative the next day who was not a maintenance person and had no idea what he was doing. I asked Sonder to follow up with me with absolutely no response. I had to call them after our trip express my concerns. Especially if there is no on property presence to properly respond to safety issues, Sonder needs to do a better job checking and maintaining their units. The unsafe condition, especially considering the large homeless population in the surrounding area did not make for a safe? peaceful, or restful stay.

Truly enjoyed this visit. The instructions for using this property were detailed and easy to understand. The place had all the comforts of home, and I loved the balcony.

The Hampstead is located in the Museum District near the Med Center and provides easy access to both as well as the Zoo, Herman Park area, and plenty of local dining options. It is also adjacent to the intersection of I45, US59 & 288 and thus in minutes provides easy freeway access to help get you where you need to be quickly.

Units needs accommodating to days of stays especially with multiple people staying, four towels is not suffice for two people taking showers daily and their standard low quality towels. Barely any soap to wash face or even a freakin face towel to do a morning scrub. The provision are scarce. For it to be a nice building and in a safe place and the unit is nice I’m just disappointed in the provisions in unit and the lack of communication from Sonders agents. Disappointing at best!

The Hamsptead Sonder was perfect ! I felt safe and peaceful here. The rooms are large and spacious. I would certainly stay again.

The apar**ent was very nice and spacious. But the parking was not as represented. The check-in instructions provide the code for a keypad for the garage. There was no such keypad and one could not close the garage so it was not secure. However, there was a door opener in the appt that opened a garage below the main garage. This worked but was not part of the protocol. Also, the TV did not work and no one came to fix it although they said they would come. The batteries in the remote were weak and they never brought new ones. The only way to communicate was by texting on their app which was very frustrating as they, apparently, did not read the texts returned. When we asked for more coffee pods (they had provided 2 pods for 2 people and 2 days), we received coffee packets. We asked again and they offered to bring more packets (did not read our texts). Finally, someone brought more pods.

The space felt luxurious and it was well-kept. The main issue was the broken elevator. For some reason it worked at night but not during the day and they were still trying to fix it during our 2 night stay. Issues with streaming and since it didn’t work, the staff gave me a partial refund. Communication was fairly good, the Sonder company kept us up to date. Updates however did not appear on their app so that might be something to improve in the future. The walls are a little thin and I could hear my neighbor teleworking in case that bothers you. We were out and about most of the day so wasn’t bothered by it.