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Unhotel Global is the international travel arm of the Unhotel company, born in 2016. We have a dedicated vertical on India experiences – Unexpected India (website under construction).
Unhotel Global curates handcrafted journeys in more than 15 countries. On this website, you will find listings of 10, more are on the way.
But let us tell you where it all started.
We are often asked this question – How did it all start, why is it called ‘Unhotel’? So here’s our story…
Way back in 2009, we – Shilpi and Manish – and our 6-year-old son-Neo moved from Bombay to Gurgaon (Delhi). An adman, with an HR partner looking for a house in a depressed realty market. We had a surfeit of choices. Found a largish villa that became the first of the Unhotels – ‘Cinnamon Stays’ – a bed & breakfast in concrete Gurgaon. A haven to indulge our passion, but most importantly a place where ‘strangers became friends’.
That year we also started Granny’s Inn – a homestay run by Shilpi’s feisty mother in one of the most ancient, spiritual and chaotic cities of the planet – Varanasi. Granny’s inn was nominated for the Outlook Responsible Tourism awards in 2018.
In the middle of 2016, while doing a self discovery workshop – Krishna Consciousness (Consciousness of Supreme Self) we pivoted to become an Experiential Travel Company instead of merely running homestays. And the Unhotel which had been an ‘idea-in-the-head’ for the longest time began taking shape.
The Unhotel (unlike-a-hotel) to us is a warm, friendly accommodation with loads of character and creativity. It is a place for passion and creativity, for learning and experiencing, for making long-lasting memories that are unique to the place and its people.
Along the way, we decided we would create a micro-chain that cares for the planet as much as it does for profitability. Today, we work with 50-plus unhotel partners, dozens of corporates, freelance artists, and many independent storytellers!
The Unhotel Co. in 2023 has two main verticals – Unhotel Global that curates vacays for discerning travellers globally in 15 countries and growing. And Unexpected India – where we help travellers discover India in an uncommon way. Helping both foreigners and NRIs visiting our beautiful country travel immersively.
The Founders, Manish Sinha and Shilpi Singh, have had very different career paths and worldviews.
As business partners, their journey commenced when they started their first B&B, Cinnamon Stays, in 2010, and ran it successfully for a decade.
Manish Sinha, a seasoned creative strategist and entreprenuer, has worked with top Indian brands like Airtel, Nokia, Pepsi amongst others over his 20-year career. His last role was as Chief Strategy Officer at Digitas India.
In 2012, he partnered with Ritesh Agarwal to mentor him in the Oyo Rooms venture. Despite an early setback, Manish’s creativity and branding has made Oyo Rooms a success story today. He also founded Unhotel, which now serves over 15 countries worldwide thanks to his love for travel.
During COVID-19, he co-founded Studio4 alongside Shilpi – a digital marketing agency supporting purpose-led businesses. With entrepreneurial flair and passion for exploring new places, Manish continues to bring fresh ideas to life.
His biggest playbook now is Unhotel Global.
Shilpi is an Executive Coach & Co Founder, Unhotel. In an era which does not believe in multitasking, Shilpi wears more than one hat.
A mishmash of career is what makes her journey more enriching and exciting. HR professional, content weaver, natural networker, Shilpi connects dots of life in a meaningful way. She has been instrumental in building local networks and promoting local entrepreneurship and community engagement at various Unhotel locations.
Helping individuals in their personal and career growth, building a culture of trust and authenticity, inspiring women to take charge of their lives and now exploring India are the passion areas of Shilpi. Her initiative #Reclaimyspace encourages women to explore, travel and reclaim public space.
Shilpi is an alumni of the prestigious Vital Voices global women leadership mentoring program.
Human Resources. Boss Lady. Leadership, coaching, and transforming perspectives. Chief Operative Genius.
At Unhotel, we understand that our brand name might raise a few eyebrows. No, we are not a hotel or chain. We started life by promoting unlike-a-hotel kind of places. That’s why Unhotel.
Fast forward to today, Unhotel Global has evolved into a leading premium travel company, curating bespoke vacations for discerning travellers worldwide. With our expertise, we craft exceptional travel experiences in over 15 countries.
Going forward, we’ll be adding many more destinations…
We handcraft international vacations for you. The experiences you will get with Unhotel Global are somewhat difficult to find elsewhere. Discover hidden gems, explore quaint towns, traverse off-the-beaten-path trails, indulge in riverside picnics, and embark on spice route tours. We’ve got it all covered.
We are a conscientious team, committed to preserving nature, uplifting local communities, and catering to the unique needs of travellers.
We now offer multi-day trips in 15 countries, including Portugal, Spain, Croatia, Greece, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Vietnam, Cambodia and growing.
If you’re looking for a unique experience rather than an “off-the-shelf international package” then Unhotel Global is for you. We tailor your holiday based on your interests (think cycling, safaris, snorkelling, cuisine…whatever). Customize your travel based on group size, dietary needs, and more.
Despite the ease of online resources like Google and now ChatGPT, planning a trip abroad can be draining for many. Deciding where to stay, visit, or avoid based on personal preferences is time-consuming and prone to costly errors.
For savvy travellers short on time, we’re here to help. Our local partners across the globe craft your itinerary. They have insider knowledge about top spots, hidden gems, best places to eat and drink and insider info on exciting events round the year.
With Unhotel, you’ll travel globally with expert guidance at a reasonable extra cost. Plus our local teams provide emergency support when needed. So travelling becomes less of an exhausting task and more about enjoying a personalised journey planned by local country experts.
Yes, we’re often pricier than online portals. Usually, our rates are 10-20% higher. However, the quality of service and customer support we guarantee is something these platforms may not offer.
We promise a flawless experience and emergency support. Our team consists of trained professionals from the hospitality and tourism sectors who always deliver on their commitments.
Our prices reflect the high-quality services and the personalised attention we provide.
While online portals can offer discounts and standard itineraries, we personalise trips to your needs. We take you off the beaten path for unique experiences. This explains why our costs are higher.
Great choice!
Start by sending us your travel brief on email or we can have a quick 15-minute zoom chat. Book a call here – We’ll discuss your travel preferences and give you an initial concept.
For a small fee, we then provide the full itinerary with detailed suggestions. If you decide to let Unhotel Global handle everything, including hotel bookings at your destination, this fee gets absorbed. There’re no extra charges for trip planning in that case..
If you prefer booking yourself, that’s fine too.
Any questions? Just drop us an email or a message here.
We organise multiple group trips throughout the year, with our next one set for Vietnam from September 9th-16th. If you’re keen, click here.
Our groups are small and intimate, accommodating between 8 to 12 people. While we primarily cater to women’s groups, we also arrange trips for families and men’s groups.
Much like our other services, these tours are tailored and personalised making them slightly premium. So it wouldn’t be fair to compare us with standard packages found on online portals.
Get in touch if you want a truly memorable experience!
Absolutely. We specialise in small group size corporate experiences (at the most 50 people) and avoid standard large-scale or very tight budget gigs.
Our focus is senior management team meets. Smaller group sizes allow us to develop themed concepts more effectively.
We’re known for our safety, with over 70% of our guests being female, rest assured, you’ll be in good hands travellng with us. If it reassures you, our co-founder, Shilpi Singh works in the space of women empowerment.
We partner up with only the best accommodation and destination management businesses in every country. We’ve now started to exclusively select partnerships with women-led businesses around the globe.
If you’re unsure about travelling alone or it’s your first time, drop an email to our co-founder shilpi@unhotel.in She will connect with you to ease any anxiety.
You’re at the right place. We’ve recently introduced the Unhotel “Travelpreneur program” which is aimed primarily at stay-at-home women who are active on social media, love to pitch ideas in their network and have a positive outlook.
This program allows participants to become part of our global marketing team. Unhotel Global will provide training for pitching our travel experiences to potential customers. Participants are paid based on their generated leads and successful sales.
If you are interested, drop us an email and we’ll send over all the necessary details, and if you meet the requirements, you could soon be a member of the Unhotel Global remote marketing team.
