Indian Hospitality At It's Best At Cinnamon Stays

Today, we bring to you an account from Radha, a Cinnamon Guest from Canada. Radha came with her brother and mother and spent time with us at Cinnamon Stays. After a month's stay she has gone back and was kind enough to grace our blog with a short write up about her experience with us. Do have a look at what she says -

Indian Hospitality At It's Best At Cinnamon Stays

I was looking for a home away from home in the millennium city, Gurgaon, India for a month’s stay. Friends and family members made several recommendations and I spent my first four days in India exploring several places that offered a comfortable and homely place for my mother, brother and myself. 

(From L to R - Radha, Devika(Radha's daughter), Shilpi (Madam Cinnamon!), Vibhu (Radha's brother), Gumaan Singh Panwar, Auntie (Radha's mum)

It was especially important as my brother had recently undergone a serious surgery and was venturing out of rehab to enjoy quality time with the family. A friend said she had heard of a place called “Cinnamon Stays”. “Why don’t we check it out”, she said. Tired and exasperated we made our way to the greens of Nirvana Country. As we drove through Nirvana Country we saw a quiet neighbourhood nestled in green gardens, without noise or pollution. “WOW! This is a lovely neighbourhood”, I thought. A short walk and we had a quaint plaza with all facilities, including a bank, pharmacy, eating places, a few fashion stores. A great place to recoup from a surgery; all amenities and excellent service.

As I stepped into Cinnamon Stays I had a very positive and happy feeling. Very accepting, comfortable, and truly a “home away from home”. 

It was a very pleasant surprise to chat with Shilpi, the owner founder of Cinnamon Stays. Within 5 minutes of speaking with her, I knew that this was the perfect place; conducive to a happy family reunion and even more, a place that would facilitate positive interaction with like-minded people from all walks of life.

 

Thus began a memorable month’s stay. I met guests from across the globe and two amazing people who I am proud to call friends. The ambience, personal care, great cuisine and friendly environment made it a perfect holiday. Through guests I met a yoga instructor who learned the traditional science of yoga at a renowned school under a reputed guru. The combination of breathing exercises, asanas and meditation were both physically and spiritually an undescribed experience.  It’s been therapeutic for my brother who has recuperated faster than anticipated.

Shilpi and Manish have created an ambience and space that caters to the requirements of people; professional and personal. Needless to say that I look forward to coming back to Cinnamon Stays next summer and enjoying the hospitality of our wonderful hosts and par taking of this rejuvenating ambience. 

(Picture Courtesy - www.vectorstock.com)

Cinnamon For Parents of Residential Schools in Gurgaon

I had to make a tough choice. My daughter was in Grade 7 and she had already moved 9 schools in the past 9 years of her formal schooling. My husband being in the Army had moved those many stations. When she was younger, it was easier to move her. Notwithstanding the fact that my 12 year old became very adaptable, flexible and resilient in life, we got thinking that if she was to flourish holistically, she needed a school in a place that would help her focus on her future than being accepted in the next school. The choice was made easier when my husband was transferred to the north eastern part of the country where schooling would be compromised. 

(Picture Courtesy - www.clipartpanda.com)

We were seeking stability and after much thought, we roped into a prestigious school located at Sohna Road Gurgaon. One complete term had passed since she started her Boarding School. It was time to visit her for her 3 day break and I was very eager to see my doll’s face, meet her teachers and spend time with her. Being a long weekend plus 3 full days off from school, I wasn’t too keen on booking a hotel. The long weekend meant either over booked or over priced rooms.

My friend finally suggested that I visit Cinnamon Stays, a homestay run by the husband - wife duo Manish and Shilpi. I had never been a guest at anyone’s place before, leave alone strangers. Albeit hesitatingly, I put in a call. I was told that I was more than welcome to stay and before I knew it, I was on my way to visit my daughter hoping for a satisfying stay at Cinnamon.

I was in for a surprise as Cinnamon scored way beyond expectations. When I entered the place, the first thing that struck me was the genuine smile of every person I encountered - staff as well as other guests. Let me list down why Cinnamon Stays seems to be the ideal place for visiting parents of hosteliers and boarders of nearby schools.

1. Located very close to the school

The biggest advantage is where Cinnamon is located. My daughter’s school - G D Goenka is walking distance away. Staying here, it took away the stress of having to travel in Gurgaon. I could just take an auto and I was there in no time. In fact a couple of times, Shilpi even dropped me off since she was going the same way. Convenience of being so close to the school premises saved me a lot of time and money. This is not just true for G D Goenka but even Pathways that is close to Cinnamon.

 

(Picture Courtesy - Pathways School, Gurgaon)

(Picture Courtesy - GD Goenka School, Gurgaon)

2.           Rooms with character

As I was completing the check in formalities, Shilpi gave me a choice of choosing the room since that day two double rooms were available. One look at both the rooms and I knew my teenage daughter would love to stay at the Bollywood room. I had missed my daughter immensely and making her stay in a room that reminded her of her space back home was a huge value add. You should have seen the delight on her face when I first brought her in! 

3.           Flexibility of spending time with the child

With a thousand errands to run in the school, we were walking in and out of the homestay at odd hours. But the staff did everything to make us comfortable. Imagine they would serve us breakfast at 7am and even pack snacks for my daughter. I had never experienced hospitality of this kind. It was something I took away as learning!

(Picture Courtesy - www.nelive.com)

4.           Handy tips to move around Gurgaon

It was the first time both my daughter and I were in Gurgaon. With ample time in hand, we wanted to do a lot of stuff. Advice can pour in from all ends and internet can confuse you to the bits. It was then that Shilpi stepped in and took us through what we were really interested in. She helped us shortlist places, gave us tips on local travel and even introduced us to some of her friends and acquaintances. The personal touch will remain with me forever!

 (Picture Courtesy - www.indiarailinfo.com)

5.           Home made meals

One thing that my daughter missed the most is “ghar ka khana” and I missed cooking for her. Being served authentic home made meals brought a big satiating smile to our faces. This is not all, I so wanted to feed my daughter my signature brownies. Guess what! Shilpi decided that I should bake in the kitchen and also let her chef have a “dekho”. It was the most heartening thing for me as I saw every person in the homestay gobble up my brownies!

(Picture Courtesy - www.recipehubs.com)

6.           New Guardians / Friends

Saying good byes is never easy when it comes to children. As the days to go back home started approaching, I was a bundle of nerves. Shilpi(later I was told is also an Executive  Coach), sat me down and we spoke at length on parenting and motherhood. Her assurances of being there for my daughter made me feel secure.

For all its worth, Shilpi and Manish understood my requirement as a parent. I would recommend all visiting parents to stay with them only because they “connect” and “feel” what you are going through with your children.

10 Things That Every Homestay Must Have!

While a lot of people (we included) have been talking about homestays being the preferred choice these days amongst travelers of every kind, many of us may face the dilemma of “how” to go about choosing the right homestay.

The word of mouth reference from friends seems like the best way to ensure a delightful and safe stay, there may be times when we have to make choices on our own in a new place.

As travelers, for us, the choice of homestays is ever increasing in the Indian market. We decided to give you a heads up to 10 things you must look at while zeroing down to any homestay.

1.   Conveniently located

The location of the homestay has to be convenient. Easily accessible from public transport, market areas and the city. Unless you are specifically looking for being away from the city, the location must be a place where local commutation is easy.

 

(Picture Courtesy - www.photopin.com)

2.   Reviews are available online with reference checks

 

(picture courtesy - www.photopin.com, www.airbnb.com) 

 

The homestay must have reviews available for you to check online. A Tripadvisor rating always holds good in short listing the places you are looking at. You may want to read reviews from the likes of tripadvisor, lonely planet and other popular Online Travel Agents (OTAs)

3.   Warm and easily accessible hosts

The hosts of the homestay generally live in the property. This is a benchmark to decide a good place for yourself. Hosts should be warm and easy to approach. At the very outset, while shortlisting, you could check how early they respond to your mail, how easily are they available telephonically and are they able to provide you with relevant answers to your queries.

4.   First hand local information

The place must have people who live or work there providing you with information about the place, culture, commute, places to visit and everything “local” about the city that you are visiting. Travel tips, guides and quick trivia should be part of the conversation you have with the hosts or the staff.

(Picture Courtesy - www.alamy.com)

  

5.   Homestay must have a soul of its own.

The home in any city reflects local culture and flavor. The homestay should must have a “feel” and “sense” of being part of the city. The décor, aesthetics and interiors must make you feel “at home” and a “part” of the city.

  

6.   Comfortable rooms of 3 * hotel standards

The rooms must be well ventilated, clean, hygienic and like a 3 * property if not better. The rooms should be comfortable with basic amenities and should give you a very “homey” feeling.

7.   Breakfast and home made meals

The concept is that of a bed and breakfast so check the kind of breakfast menu being served. Is there a flexibility of having the meal you prefer or is there a set menu that you have to go by. Check if there is an option of the other meals of the day. If so, are home made meals being served or meals are ordered in.

8.   Flexibility of using amenities

Check the amenities within the homestay. There could be availability of parking, play area, a meeting room, wifi. There are some places that even provide you with local transport etc. Have a look at what is being offered and check the usage fee.

9.   Crowd friendly but not crowded

The homestay should be friendly towards its guests and should use discretion with regards to the choice of guests it is hosting. Thereby, ensuring safety of other guests. It should not be utterly crowded that you do not feel comfortable.

10.               Privacy but not Private

The homestay for all reasons is a house open to visitors. However, it should ensure your privacy amongst all the other guests. In the meanwhile, it should also not be too private that you are just a guest and don’t get an opportunity to be part of the family hosting you.

Armed with these basic tips, homestays are a great choice for vacationers, business travelers, students, solo travelers, women travelers. With the statistics all in favor of this growing segment in the hospitality industry, you can be assured that homestays are here to “stay”!