Why Corporates Love To Stay At Cinnamon Stays!

Having settled in Mumbai but making frequent short and long work trips to Gurgaon, one question always plagued me - where could I get a place to stay that would be pocket friendly, safe and would not mind having me over for weeks together. Till earlier this year, I suddenly thought of Shilpi, who was a client of mine way back in 2007 in Mumbai. We had been in touch on and off on Facebook and I recalled her talking about a homestay she had started. Hesitatingly I called and spoke to her as a friend. Shilpi had only one thing to say, if I were to stay at Gurgaon it had to be at Cinnamon and no place else! I was off for what I now recall as one of the finest times I have had in Gurgaon…something I did not experience in the two years that I spent there!

As a Corporate person who has to travel to Gurgaon so often, I couldn’t resist the urge to list down why I prefer staying at Cinnamon over and over again (apart from spending time with a friend that is!). Here are a few benefits I feel every Corporate person derives from staying here:

1. “Unhotel” environment

The Unhotel experience of Cinnamon just took my heart away. I mean here I was in a place as clean, hygienic and hospitable as a hotel, yet it was not a hotel at all. The cosiness and warmth was much more. The place buzzed with people with infectious energies - the hosts, their child, the staff and fellow guests. It was like coming back to a family at the end of the day!

2. Very Safe

Even though I marveled at being a working woman in Gurgaon for 2 years, safety was a priority always. I would never compromise on the same. Cinnamon gave me a sense of security and safety. Located in a gated society with proper CCTV cameras and Security service manning the society, I felt assured of returning back to a “safe” place!

3. Women friendly

Cinnamon is extremely woman friendly. Shilpi herself supervises the operations even though she is so busy in her professional life. Her on-and-off presence ensures that every woman guest is treated with special care (at times I think I am pampered just because I am a woman!) Books, discussion, movies, TV shows and even hobby ideas are more women centric and personally it gives a huge high!

4. Budget friendly

My Company’s work from home policy came as a life saver to me. I did not want to compromise on work just because I was changing locations. However, what they did not cater for was the expense of stay and travel back to Gurgaon. Cinnamon’s budget rooms were a relief to me as they are economical and offer 3 star rooms at competitive rates. I would have spent a lot more had I booked myself in a hotel. And got far less.

5. Healthy and delicious home cooked food

I love my home food. Not that I am a great cook myself, yet I feel that wholesome homemade meals are way better than outside gourmet meals.
And you just CANNOT have outside food for more than a few days. This is a BIG PLUS when it comes to Cinnamon. 

 The breakfast spread is tasty & healthy  every morning and you can even request for home made packed lunch. Coming back to piping hot dal chawal sabzi at the end of the work day was icing on the cake (especially when one is served with such love and warmth - pampering is the word!)

6. Creative Decor

Not once did I feel that the rooms or the ambience was short of a hotel. In fact every room at Cinnamon has quirky names - Green room, doodle room, puraani jean, etc :-) In fact, it was much better! I was “home” and it felt comfortable, cosy and warm like I would “feel” and “sense” as my own! Free wi-fi, arrangements for specific pick-ups and local offbeat recommendations that I had not experienced were add-ons!

7. No. 1 on Trip Advisor for the past 7 years

Now Shilpi is a good friend and I would expect that as friends, I would be welcome at her homestay. The thing is that I was not just welcome, I was provided service that I had least expected. It is the little things that the team at Cinnamon does that makes it so special. I have to share an incident when on one day I was required to wear a saree to work. I was not carrying one from Mumbai. Shilpi jumped to my rescue sharing one from her collection and got her tailor to do the rest at a notice of just 3 hours! Now I know why Cinnamon continues to be at No1 on Trip Advisor every year for the past 7 years!

8. Shilpi’s background helps her to understand needs.

If you ask me the one best thing about Cinnamon, I will have to say Shilpi. Am not biased, am just being honest. Shilpi’s background and experience as a Coach and a seasoned Human Resources professional makes her empathic towards her guests. She looks at each individual’s needs as her own and works around the same to make guests feels delightful!

9. Close to business parks and offices on Sohna Road/ Golf Course Extension

Cinnamon is strategically located extremely close to business parks and other offices that dot Sohna Road and Golf course extension. Both are equally good. They have two locations. My own office is just 4 kms away from Sohna Road. This gives me the comfort of not being stuck in traffic while traveling to work or for my client meetings. The proximity makes it convenient, easy and less stressful.

10. Ethical , creative small business that supports local causes

On one of the days that I was staying at Cinnamon, they were organized a curated workshop by a student from Varanasi who had started a small recycling art based project. Now, Shilpi’s mother also runs a homestay in Varanasi (Called GrannysInn.in - which is a #silverstartup). Seeing the hosts promote a newbie in the space meant that they really valued her work. Every item, every show piece at Cinnamon is picked up with a conscious effort of supporting local business, local art and a local cause

If you are looking for a place that is not just clean rooms and four walls, but has a character, breathes what it believes and you want to meet interesting people- each one having a unique story to tell, then Cinnamon Stays is the place for you!

It really stands up to it’s #unhotel positioning!

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)

Where Am I From

Cinnamon is known as a place where people have interesting conversations and trigger thoughts. Our guest blogger Sujata is one such person who went on a train of thought while chatting with hosts Manish and Shilpi. Sujata is a senior Montessori trainer and teacher from Bangalore. She visits Gurgaon regularly on work and for the past two times has been staying at Cinnamon homestay.She loves travel and long chats over the dinner table. And when last her sister asked if she was getting bored in Gurgaon, she said she is afraid she now might get bored when back in Bangalore :) 
We bring to you a direct "dil se" post that she so thoughtfully shared with us. Thank you Sujata!
 

Hi friends, I'm sharing the gist of what transpired in 'Cinnamon Stays', my home away from home at Gurgaon. Manish and Shilpi make the guests so comfortable that we forget that we are the guests. In the post dinner chat one night(That may go on to more than an hour, without me noticing the passage of time) even as we were chatting, some of my random thoughts fell into place and here it is.....

A very common thing that we do when we meet someone is to try to place where their origin is, as in 'Where are you from?'

When people meet me for the first time, they try to guess, and the answer ranges from- are you Gujrati? A Marwari? to Are you 'Madras brahmin(First time i heard the term) And often people say, 'I can't place from where you are;-)'

All these set off the question- in fact reminded me of the question that would dog me- 'Which state do I belong to?' You see, I am born to Kannadiga(from Karnataka) parents, born and brought up in New Delhi.... And married and settled in Bangalore(the place of my parents origin)

There were enough of south Indian practices at home and at family friends place, that was a part of me. As also was the north indian practices with friends and their homes at young age ensured that I absorbed that too.

It is an interesting journey that I have had. In my early life, I had no such question in my mind, till Geography lessons differentiated me from my friends, as I was from Karnataka, living in Delhi (as someone put it, 'My Madrosi friend..'.) Then came marriage and move to Bagalore- one that I hated. First ten years I was still pining for Delhi till time healed the wounds and I settled into being a Bangalorean( truly so when I realised my chaste Hindi had acquired a south Indian and I wanted to have curds at the end of my meal) There followed a phase of protest in my mind, then feeling lost as I felt I could not own both the identities and then graceful acceptance- of the accent as well as the fact that I am a Kannadiga.

Now that I am back in Gurgaon for long periods, each thing reminds me of what was part of my life long years ago. The colour of the soil-same as my Delhi home. The accent. The air. The people- I can see the characteristic features of the sub communities of North, who now wear clothes very foreign to what they used to wear those 30 long years ago.. That just made me realise how much I had absorbed and knew.

Now I am in a phase of life where I gladly welcome and embrace both the heritage and own both in my mind. That makes me unique and interesting as people struggle to slot me into some region of India. I realised it was made all the more difficult by my schooling in Kendriya Vidyalaya. That is a great leveller and laid the foundation of accepting people as themselves rather than Where they come from.

At the end, still, Main, dil se, Dilli wali hoon!

(Picture courtesy - Sujata R Kumar)

Friends of Cinnamon

When I first met her, she was a client and I, a recruitment consultant. What began as a professional relationship over 10 years ago is now something that I can proudly call “friendship”. Meeting Shilpi and getting to know her during my professional relationship was always endearing. When she decided to move from Mumbai to Gurgaon, I understood that I was not just losing an excellent client but would be missing her chirpiness and enterprising temperament.

No sooner had she moved to Gurgaon, she excitedly told me about her journey towards being a hospitality entrepreneur. She launched Cinnamon Stays. When her entrepreneurial venture started to see success, I was extremely happy to see her grow from a single homestay in Gurgaon to a silver startup in Varanasi.  As luck would have it, I too moved to Delhi albeit only for two years and we could catch up more often. I paid her a visit and the full day that I spent with her in Cinnamon revealed to me much more than I thought I knew about her and Cinnamon.

Cinnamon has a soul, it is not just a place you go to stay. It’s a place where you “Sense” and you “feel”. It is a community of guests, travelers, small entrepreneurs all of whom rely heavily on the social media. I was amazed to see that magic of being connected via social media with interesting and like minded people who walk in as guests and walk out as friends.

One day, as we were on a usual chat up call, she excitedly told me about a program called “Friends of Cinnamon”. She told me that this was a unique initiative started by her to acknowledge all her friends who had been a support in making both Cinnamon Stays and Granny’s Inn where it is today. She explained that her friends played the role of evangelists and somehow contributed in making the business flourish.

“Friends of Cinnamon” kick started with an aim to create a safe and reliable network of people who would be guests at both the homestays purely on the basis of referrals and word of mouth.

As she unfolded the initiative, I could not help but wonder how important the safety of her guests was to her. As a friend, I have always spoken so much about her and her work that, invariably some of my friends have booked in her home stays and have had a wonderful experience. In order to acknowledge the same, she decided that for every referral that would walk in as a guest, I would be rewarded monetarily. My work would be very simple and informal. Much of it I was already doing, being the storyteller for Cinnamon and Granny’s Inn. Only, I needed to do it in a structured way, over social media, over my network - personal and professional, connect with travel bloggers and carry out small curated events to spread the word. This seemed like such a fun idea to me. This was no hard sell, only pure sharing with like minded people.

It has now been over a year since I formally became an FOC! I have had the most interesting interactions with other FOCs, have met people who I would never had in the normal course and built “friendships” with some who share the same interests as me. FOC has recently extended its scope as the business also extends. The Unhotel group as they are called is now seeking new properties to bring under their umbrella from Corbett to Goa, Ladakh to Coorg. Give them the same soul that they have. In case we come across any property fit to be an Unhotel (Cinnamon and Grannys), we can just drop in the reference to Shilpi and she will work her charm.

In case this sounds exciting to you, do go through the websites www.cinnamonstays.in, www.grannysinn.in and write in either to Shilpi or Manish at cinnamonstays@gmail.com for more details on how to enrol in the ‘Friends of Cinnamon’ program. Believe me, there is a whole new world out there for us to seek and grow

5 Reasons Why You Must Try Airbnb While Travelling

Airbnb.com is a huge success story in online travel. Yet many of us in India have either never heard of this sharing economy company or else never tried.

Since Shilpi and I (Manish) have been running Cinnamon Stays for the past 5 years and now Granny's Inn in Varanasi we have had the opportunity to use airbnb for getting guests at our place.

We also used airbnb extensively when we travelled to Europe this summer. Most places we visited, we booked the room / apartment through airbnb. 

It was a great experience. So, here we share why you must try this fascinating concept which is redefining stays & travel around the globe.

1. From hassle to play. In the pre-airbnb days, finding a room was a hassle, a task; but with the millions of beautifully curated pads around the world, searching a room/ apartment/ villa on airbnb is a playful, joyous activity. We found an artistic studio in Interlaken, Switzerland in June this year. These 2 nights spent there were infinitely better than a bland hotel room in our budget!

2. The wisdom & warmth of local hosts. To really know a place when time is at a premium you got to lean on the local hosts. And most are better than the majority of hotel employees. In our own trip, the airbnb hosts volunteered to pick us up from airports and tube stations. They took us out for authentic Italian meals; gave access to private beaches. Cooked for us. Helped plan a day shopping trip in Zurich. Even found us a Saravana Bhawan in Paris :-)

You can get tons of local tips - from bus and metro timings, to which restaurants to eat, the coolest pubs, where to shop for veggies and where to shop for moments and gifts! You get all this information and more over a beer or if you are lucky even a home cooked meal. 

 3. Having the flexibility to cook. With our non experimentative, almost vegetarian food habits, having access to a kitchen where we could make simple daal, rice every alternate day was a big boon:-) Sometimes after a tiring day, just the comfort of making maggi in your own apartment far outweighed meals in a fancy restaurant. Almost all the apartments had very clean kitchens with cooking utensils and cutlery. This made our trip very comfortable and enjoyable. 

4. Safe & convenient. As a first timer, we would recommend that you only book the place which has a few reviews. Airbnb reviews are invariably genuine and give you a fair idea of the place and the host.

Google maps gives you an accurate idea of how to reach the B&B. In fact in many listings, past guests mention bus and tube routes, landmarks and other tips which makes life a lot easier for travelers. 

5. Mobile app is awesome. The airbnb mobile app now makes it possible to book a room, apartment on the move. You can make a booking or accept one 

(if you are a host) on the go. Clean interface, intuitive navigation makes it a very friendly app! 

As hosts of B&B and avid travelers, we would urge you to try airbnb on your next vacation. We are convinced, like us you will get hooked onto this new way of booking a stay and traveling. You may never go back to the standardized and expensive hotels which have all the amenities but often lack soul and a story, essential to make travel memorable.

7 Reasons Why Corporate Travelers Prefer A Homestay

Unlike in the past when company executives either stayed at a fancy but expensive hotel or a basic guest house with inconsistent service, today there is another option of a homestay / bed & breakfast.

And Tripadvisor makes it easy to find these special places hidden in a city's landscape. With ratings and detailed guest reviews you can be assured of a safe and comfortable stay at this non hotel option!

So why should a busy corporate traveller stay at a homestay. Here are 7 good reasons. 

1. Do you remember the last hotel room that you stayed in 5 years ago on a business trip? Most probably you don't.  But people who stay at a homestay/ bed & breakfast invariably remember, because their experience is so unique and special. You may be a busy executive, but you still remember the delicious home cooked food, the quirky room with some beautiful painting; the chat over breakfast on local city tips and much more.

2. The Warm Human Touch.  Unlike a B&B,  a hotel doesn't have hosts who blend the skills of a cook, waiter, tour guide, housekeeper, conversationalist and much more to make every guest's experience a delight.

3. For the budget conscious corporate traveller, the SME owner, the entrepreneur with a tight wallet, often the homestay works far economical than a hotel. The food costs are less and you avoid luxury tax.

4. Many a time the corporate traveller travels with his/ her spouse or family. In these cases, the home like environment of a B&B is much better than the confined space of a hotel room. 
Of course you need to check the reviews on Tripadvisor before you make the booking.
In the connected economy, the good places are easy to book and the bad places can't hide themselves!

5. If the stay is for more than a few days, hosts at a B&B can give valuable tips on shopping, eating out, the coolest cafes and pubs. These local tips are invaluable when you are in a  new city for a few days. It saves you valuable time and you gain from their expertise!

6. Hotel food, no matter how fancy can get on your nerves and palate after a while. Especially for the widely travelled corporate traveller, hotel food is no longer a big draw! But a well prepared, delicious home cooked meal at a homestay is a big hit with travelers. Often the odd pickle, a special recipe, a local sweet or ice-cream is a gentle balm for the wearied corporate traveller.

7. A homestay is also a place where you chance upon other interesting travelers. At Cinnamon Stays - we have hosted amazingly interesting people from almost 60 countries - artists, entrepreneurs, corporate honchos, VCs, musicians, social media gurus, NGO heads and even students in their gap year! 

The homestay with it's unassuming and open space allows corporates to mix and unwind with this diverse lot. The free flow of ideas and conversations is enriching for all. 

The world is opening up. Businesses like airbnb.com have made B&B accessible and available to all. Tripadvisor and guest reviews have made finding great non hotel places far easier. 

So, in case you have never tried a homestay / bed & breakfast  you may want to give them a try after reading this. Believe us; after 5 years of running Cinnamon, our lives have been transformed by this experience.

(The hosts and writers Manish and Shilpi have had a corporate career in media and HR respectively. They took the plunge 5 years back to create cinnamonstays.in - the No.1 B&B in Gurgaon. They also manage the bookings and marketing for Granny's Inn - www.grannysinn.in in Varanasi run by their aunt and mother!