This picture is not from a vacation.

This is the place I stayed at during my business trip to Bangalore last month.

A few years ago, if I travelled for work, I would automatically book a luxury business hotel near the city or close to wherever my meetings were scheduled. Comfortable. Predictable. Convenient.

But ever since I discovered Airbnb stays, my travel habits have changed.

Now, whenever possible, I look for quieter spaces surrounded by nature, away from the noise and rush, where I can slow down a little after a long workday.

And the interesting part is… many of these places are still very much within the city and easily accessible to wherever you need to go. So you don’t really have to choose between convenience and calm anymore.

Honestly, it changes the entire experience of travelling for work.

After spending hours in meetings, conversations, traffic, and constant movement, coming back to a place like this feels less like “checking into a room” and more like mentally resetting for the next day.

There’s fresh air. Silence. Space to think. Space to breathe.

And surprisingly, it often costs far lesser than what I would normally pay at a business hotel.

The other thing that makes this easy now is how effortlessly everything else works around it. Food delivery apps, easy access to cabs, great connectivity… you still have all the convenience you need without necessarily staying in the middle of the chaos.

Somewhere along the way, I realised that where we stay during work travel affects the energy, focus, and mindset we bring into our meetings… and ultimately, the quality of our work.