Tag: private villas for offsites

Corporate Offsite Near Mumbai: 10 Exclusive Villas for Your Getaway

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Go as colleagues, come back as family! Time to pack your bags and head for an exciting company retreat. The best way to go about it? Find a private space that lets your employees hone their skills, train their minds, and strengthen their bonds with each other. SaffronStays villas for corporate offsites tick all of these boxes. Don’t believe us? Go through the following list. We guarantee you’ll find your perfect fit before you reach the end. 

1. Foresta by the Lake, Kamshet

Unwind over a game of cards with your teammates in the games room at SaffronStays Foresta by the Lake

Wish you could rent out an entire resort? At SaffronStays Foresta by the Lake, you can! Think of wide lawns for team-building activities, spacious conference rooms, large outdoor dining spaces for meals under the open sky, and a serene lake for a mid-day picnic. You get the estate’s entire stretch of land just for yourself. No strangers, no interruptions. This 6-bedroom villa will help you tick off all those offsite goals. 
Max no. of guests: 18
Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Foresta by the Lake

2. SaffronStays Raanwaara and Aranya Vilaas, Kamshet

At SaffronStays Raanwaara and Aranya Vilaas pick any sporting activity for team bonding

A large property in the hills with 10 cosy cottages, this estate is the ideal villa for corporate offsites. Along with the hassle-free accommodation are various lounge areas for team members to reconnect with each other. They can wrap up the day by unwinding in the gorgeous infinity pool overlooking the stunning Sahyadri hills. Pleasant weather and an impeccable staff at the villa will ensure that your offsite goes without a hitch. 
Max no. of guests: 30
Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Raanwaara and Aranya Vilaas

3. SaffronStays Kaia Waters by Kosha Villas, Pawna

SaffronStays Kaia Waters by Kosha Villas
Host a luxurious retreat for your team at SaffronStays Kaia Waters by Kosha Villas

Who says company retreats can’t be stylish? This chic villa on the banks of Lake Pawna says otherwise. The infinity pool overlooking the lake, the elegant furnishings, modern tiles, and tasteful artwork adorning the walls all paint a picture of true luxury. Featuring a spellbinding 180-degree view of Lake Pawna from all the balconies, here you can treat your employees to a vacation that relaxes and inspires them. Combined with SaffronStays Yahvi Waters and SaffronStays Ahilya Waters, these three villas near Mumbai are perfect for luxury holidays with large groups.
Max no. of guests: 27
Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Kaia Waters by Kosha Villas

4. SaffronStays Juniper, Lonavala

Challenge your teammates over some games of table tennis and snooker at SaffronStays Juniper

Picture 2 spacious villas with stylish rooms and endless games — these elegant private villas in Lonavala with 5 bedrooms each, could be where your next annual brainstorming session happens. Away from the hustle of the city, up in the mountains, you can experience the chill in the air. Your team members will find peace amidst evergreen mountains. Need to liven up the team morale? Try a friendly game of table tennis or snooker with your buddies or enjoy a game of cricket or volleyball on the lawn.
Max no. of guests: 30
Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Juniper

5. SaffronStays Amaltas, Nashik

Balance recreation with productivity at SaffronStays Amaltas

This luxurious staycation in Nashik is an ideal villa for corporate offsites that want to balance recreation with productivity.  A massive private pool villa, this 10-bedroom home redefines spaciousness! With a huge swimming pool, vast lawns, and a private gym, this home has endless options. Encourage healthy competition by planning interesting outdoor games or sit indoors and play numerous board games. Enjoy a karoake session with your teammates or straddle up for a horse-ridding experience to remember. Follow it up with inspiring discussions over delicious meals, or get to know more about your work-mates over a sizzling barbecue under the stars. The possibilities are endless!
Max no. of guests: 30
Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Amaltas

6. SaffronStays Palm Paradise, Khadavli

The huge pool, vast lawn and delicious food makes SaffronStays Palm Paradise ideal for offsites

A modern villa, a neat, trimmed lawn and a massive swimming pool come together to create a sophisticated establishment that is great for company events. Throw ideas around while sipping on chai in the quaint, little gazebo or let the mind wander as you feed the chickens and ducks on the property. Surrounded by a mango plantation, the fresh air and organic food will rejuvenate your soul. A valuable retreat at this private villa near Mumbai promises a successful year ahead!

Max no. of guests: 24

Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Palm Paradise

7. SaffronStays Sundowner, Karjat

Plan a team trek to the hills right next to SaffronStays Sundowner

This luxurious estate offers space, space and more space. Widespread green hills go on for miles around the villa, wrapping you in total privacy and freedom. Sleek and minimal lounge areas create the perfect professional vibe for seminars and goal-setting sessions. Get people to focus, brainstorm in the first half, and let loose in the second half under a fantastic rain dance setup! Choose this villa for an unforgettable corporate offsite.

Max no. of guests: 40

Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Sundowner

8. SaffronStays Kenwoods and SaffronStays Elfreda, Vikramgad

Organise an exciting scavenger hunt at SaffronStays Kenwoods and SaffronStays Elfreda

After a year of hard work and toil, gift your employees a retreat at an estate with a beautiful Portuguese-style bungalow and a separate, cosy cottage. Indulge in a delightful pool party under fairy lights, and let a friendly game of Two Truths And A Lie bring your team closer together. Use the charming rooms of the villa and the lush, green outdoors to organise an exciting scavenger hunt. So much to do, and all the time in the world to do it!

Max no. of guests: 17

Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Kenwoods and SaffronStays Elfreda

9. SaffronStays Gardenia, Kihim

Work hard! Party Harder at SaffronStays Gardenia

A short drive from Mumbai gets you to this veritable paradise. Among the sleek furnishings, the roll-up garden and the splendid swimming pool, you and your employees will feel seated in the lap of luxury. Use the expansive green lawns for team-building activities like three-legged races or dance-offs. Spice up the business discussions with some authentic Alibaug Bombil fry or fish curry. Once the shop-talk is done, celebrate the night away with a pool party!

Max no. of guests: 16

Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Gardenia

10. SaffronStays Casa Del Palms, Alibaug

Get an al fresco dining table experience at SaffronStays Casa Del Palms

This Alibaug retreat is an exciting all-in-one package with deluxe living rooms, an indoor bar, a game zone and delectable meals featuring wood-fired pizzas and live barbecue! The ample outdoor space has several lounge areas, from carved furniture sets for small tête-à-têtes to lavish al fresco dining tables for the more important conversations. There is even a raised platform for morning yoga sessions with only the chirping birds as your company. What more could you need? 

Max no. of guests: 12

Book your company retreat today: SaffronStays Casa Del Palms

Picking a suitable villa for corporate offsites is one of the things that can make or break your retreat. With our villas and their impeccable staff, you can never go wrong. The perfect company retreat near Mumbai awaits!

Need some more options? Click on the link below to plan your next company retreat with SaffronStays:

SaffronStays For Corporates

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10 Corporate Villas With Perfect Conference Rooms

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We know exactly what you need for your next company offsite — peaceful surroundings, a refreshing environment and the perfect spot for boardroom meetings. At SaffronStays you will find villas that satisfy your need for large conference rooms and business-like vibes, but also provide you with a means to escape and take a break. Here are 10 corporate villas with conference rooms where you can do your highest quality of work and your deepest level of unwinding! 

1. SaffronStays Calamondinn Bungalow, Coorg

Spaciousness: 4BHK

Imagine having business meetings in a sprawling heritage home located in the midst of Karnataka’s lush greenery. This classically-styled, shingled-roof villa is also an eco-friendly zone! Tie in your sustainability goals by choosing an offsite location that uses solar power and recycles plastic. Once your business sessions are over, treat yourself to a session on beekeeping or a tour of the coffee plantation. 

No. of guests: 2-10

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Calamondinn Bungalow

2. Sea La Vie, Alibaug

SaffronStays Sea La Vie, Alibaug

Spaciousness: 3BHK

Looking for a serene spot to discuss your company’s next steps? Choose this gorgeous beachside villa offering large, airy rooms that are ideal for goal-setting sessions. Strong Wi-Fi connections and several plush seating areas allow you to work from any spot of the private home in Alibaug, with the sparkling ocean waves always within sight. If you need to work, why not work with a view? 

No. of guests: 6-9

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Sea La Vie

7 Reasons Why Alibaug Is Called Mini Goa

3. SaffronStays Gardenia, Kihim

Spaciousness: 4BHK

From the elegant living room adjoining the pool to the terrace with a spectacular view, SaffronStays Gardenia has multiple spots for an offbeat business discussion. Growth, after all, requires new ideas and perspectives. The modern vibe of this corporate villa will push you to reach new horizons while its bonfire and barbecue offerings are right there for you to relish some downtime. 

No. of guests: 8-16

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Gardenia

4. SaffronStays Ocean Breeze, Guhagar

Spaciousness: 7BHK

A vibrant bungalow in Ratnagiri, this massive villa is best suited to large group seminars and board room meetings. This private homestay in the Konkan region has enough space for members of the corporate retreat as well as their spouses. While office work is ongoing, the others can busy themselves with board games, visiting nearby temples or going to Guhagar Beach which is only a short walk away. 

No. of guests: 2-21

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Ocean Breeze

5. SaffronStays Aatman, Mahabaleshwar

Spaciousness: 6BHK

Give your brainstorming sessions and corporate seminars a touch of light and colour by choosing this stunning Mahabaleshwar homestay. The bohemian style of this corporate villa will not only get people comfortable but also encourage them to engage more. The large rooms, high-speed Wi-Fi and quirky outdoor seating areas to work from, all create a vibe that will make your offsite the next big thing!

No. of guests: 8-15

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Aatman

Aatman, Mahabaleshwar

6. SaffronStays Falcon Hill, Lonavala

Spaciousness: 6BHK

Being within two hours away from Mumbai and Pune makes this luxurious Lonavala villa an ideal space for an office retreat. The sleek, high-end interiors bring out the perfect vibe for important conferences and conventions. Simultaneously, the private villa also offers an infinity pool overlooking Lonavala valley for those much-needed hours of relaxation. 

No. of guests: 12-16

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Falcon Hill

7. SaffronStays Foresta By The Lake, Kamshet

Lakeside Resort SaffronStays Foresta By The Lake

Spaciousness: 6BHK

If you’re looking for a corporate villa with conference rooms where your party can spend a few days, try out this amazing 6-bedroom villa that will function as your own private resort. While you can spend the day at work in large and elegant rooms, your evenings can be spent recharging your minds at the multipurpose court or with several indoor games. Try out this lakeside villa near Mumbai to make the best of your office retreat!

No. of guests: 8-16

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Foresta By The Lake

Lakeside Resort in Kamshet
SaffronStays Foresta By The Lake

8. SaffronStays Aurelia, Panchgani

Spaciousness: 3BHK

Nothing says peace and quiet like this dreamy villa hidden in a nook of the hills, with a mesmerizing view of Panchgani valley. All those talks about deadlines and numbers will be easier within the old-world charm of this holiday home. Need to make hard decisions? Just head to the gazebo for the view and a dose of fresh air. Need a break? Parsi Point, Sydney Point and the Bhilar Waterfall are just a few minutes away! 

No. of guests: 6-9

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Aurelia

SaffronStays Aurelia in Panchgani

9. SaffronStays Vedika, Wada

Spaciousness: 4BHK

This luxury holiday home combines heritage architecture and modern amenities to create the perfect villa for work. Coupled with the surrounding natural beauty, the environment makes it an ideal home for professional events. Bird-watching, butterfly chasing and walks by the far are all great options for breaks between meetings. And what’s more, it’s only a two-hour drive from Mumbai!

No. of guests: 8-10

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Vedika

10. SaffronStays Heritage Waada, Nashik

Spaciousness: 13BHK

Give your colleagues and employees a treat with this one-of-a-kind experience in wine country. You get to enjoy the beauty of a traditional Maharashtrian house — with a central courtyard, verandah and lawn — while also being an active part of your corporate retreat. With a 56 person capacity, SaffronStays Heritage Waada is a great private villa in Nashik for office retreats and work getaways!

No. of guests: 2-56

Book your next board room meeting: SaffronStays Heritage Waada

From dreamy sea-facing villas and holiday homes in the heart of the hills to quiet nature’s retreats amongst farms and orchards, the variety of SaffronStays corporate villas offer something to match every mood and every person. Plan the perfect work retreat today!

Want some more options? Check out this ethereal Greek getaway. 

Need some more options? Click on the link below to plan your next company retreat with SaffronStays: SaffronStays For Corporates

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This Dreamy Greek Getaway For Your Team Will Boost Productivity

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The success of any office retreat or corporate offsite depends on the location. People are yearning for a change from their office cubicles and if you give them the right kind of environment, it can trigger that spark of inspiration! So why not give them a stunning Greek getaway? 

No, you didn’t misread that. You truly can get a Greek office retreat right here at these villas in Karjat which are just a short drive from Mumbai. Within villas of whitewashed walls, bright blue doors and walls adorned with exquisite decor, you can give your team a one-of-a-kind experience. You will not only find yourself in a slice of Greek paradise but also be surrounded by a vibe that will help you bond and grow with your colleagues. 

Please note: You can book the villas individually or together. 

1. SaffronStays Kairos Athena

Away from the frenzy of the office, the cool hues of this villa create a tranquil vibe that allows people to let go of all deadlines and to-do lists. From team-building activities to goal setting ones, you can elevate your retreat experience with arched passageways, bohemian wall hangings and french windows that let in the enchanting beauty of the hills. The villa also has a terrace with a stunning view of the lake — the perfect place to end a day of hard work with some cocktails!

How to get there: 

A scenic drive of 1-2 hours if you’re coming from Mumbai and Pune, that will allow you to enjoy Maharashtra’s widespread fields and lush mountains as you make your way to this villa in Karjat. Public transport options include taking the bus. Depending on which is closer you can get to Panvel bus depot or Khopoli bus stand, or even take a train to Karjat railway station. From these points, an auto or a taxi will get you to the villa. 

What you can do: 

Intersperse those intense work sessions with a peaceful stroll by Lake Kalote or some exciting water sports in Camp Max. Try horseback riding or head to the nearby petting zoo for something offbeat. Rifle shooting is also a great way to pump up some energy for the rest of the retreat! SaffronStays Kairos Athena’s charming terrace is also a suitable spot for some stargazing at night. 

Amenities: 

SaffronStays’ luxury villas will change the way you think about office retreats. These Karjat villas not only provide comfortable spaces but also a range of five-star level services — including your very own private butler! The azure infinity pool and mini-bar will only motivate you to work harder to get to the fun part of the retreat. Meanwhile, every meal will come with a spectacular new taste and an authentic farm-to-table experience. 

No. of guests: 6-12

Book SaffronStays Kairos Athena now!

2. SaffronStays Kairos Zeus

Imagine coming up with new ideas at a lakeside table with a hot cup of chai and a spellbinding view of the water. Or getting that brain juice flowing with a challenging game of giant chess. The villa’s quirky but quiet interiors are a great space to get to know each other with some ice-breaking games. SaffronStays Kairos Zeus is a set of two villas in Karjat that offers you all this and much more!

How to get there: 

A short drive of 1.5 hours will get you from Mumbai to this private villa in Karjat. It is easily accessible from both Mumbai and Pune. You can also relish a train journey and get some delightful natural scenery as you head to Karjat or Khopoli railway station. From there, an auto or taxi can get you to the villa (around 10 km away). 

What you can do: 

Take a break from work with some adventure sports at the nearby Camp Max. Zip lining and kayaking will jolt you with energy and leave you with a refreshed mind! Hiking to the hills or taking a relaxing swim in Lake Kalote is also an option. Should you want to look for fun ways to build camaraderie, the garden is always available for a game of volleyball or badminton!

Amenities: 

The multi-cuisine food featuring homemade organic meals at this villa will cater to each and every member of the team. There are two private pools to ensure that sessions can be interspersed with refreshing pool games. An ideal villa for office retreats, the property has high-speed internet and impeccable staff who will cater to all your needs. In fact, you can even hire a private butler!

No. of guests: 8-12

Book SaffronStays Kairos Zeus now!

Both these splendid Karjat pool villas are suitable for everything from group discussions and presentations to relaxation and bonding sessions. After all, beautiful places lead to beautiful experiences. Book this Greek-style villa in Karjat and you can make sure your company retreat is prepped for business as well as leisure!

Looking for more waterfront villas? Check these out!

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Inspire and Motivate Teams With A Corporate Getaway

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With more than 2 years since the COVID-19 outbreak, most workspaces have efficiently adapted to the new style of working in a hybrid model, with complete or partial work from home and partial work from office. But on days when you think in-person communication would have eased the process of understanding, there is a unanimous appeal for team-bonding sessions. A one-day corporate getaway in and around the city that collaborates professional goals with personal bonding can work wonders for a team’s productivity. If you are considering where and how to go about planning a corporate getaway around Mumbai and Pune, we have some ideas for you.

Welcome New Joinees Into The Company Culture

SaffronStays Summer Salt in Alibaug
corporate getaway

If your company has welcomed a set of new employees in the last few months, then host a one-day retreat to induct them into the work culture. It is a significant way to include them in the larger team, communicate your expectations of them, help them know their coworkers, and forge connections. A one-day corporate getaways as a welcome will leave a lasting impression on the first go, especially if you choose luxury and uber-luxe private villas in Alibaug like SaffronStays Summer Salt, SaffronStays Casa Del Palms and SaffronStays Hacienda By The Sea, Alibaug. Located close to beaches, these pool villas flaunt stunning outdoor spaces like gazebos, well-manicured lawns, verandahs and balconies surrounded with thick greenery, that make for the perfect spot for bonding sessions.


Mix Business With Pleasure, Literally!

Other than getting away from the confines of conventional conference rooms, you need to have refreshing activities where the team can forget about their work, at least for a few hours. You need not decide what the team should do, but let them make the most of their time. At stunning private villas near Mumbai like SaffronStays Juniper, Lonavala, SaffronStays Carpe Diem, Lonavala & SaffronStays Amaltas, Nashik, it will be difficult to choose between pool time, a game of cricket on the lawn, downtime in the gazebo and the crossfit/gym workout. Make this one-day trip near Mumbai an experience of not just work meets leisure, but where work meets luxury!


Craft Your Next Strategy By The Pool

SaffronStays Kaia Waters by Kosha Villas in Pawna

Enough of Zoom calls to lay down your strategies, it’s time to change that approach. Picture a blue poolside for your presentations, which eliminates the redundancy of just another meeting. Or hold your training sessions in open spaces which inadvertently fuel an openness to learn in the attendees. Our beachside and waterfront Signature villas like SaffronStays Sundowner, Karjat, SaffronStays Waters By Kosha Villas, Pawna, and SaffronStays Gardenia, Kihim have spacious pools for the ideal pool-with-a-view workation. The spacious properties can accommodate about 20+ people to sit together and attend the presentations, while cool breezes and the soft sounds of nature refreshes them by the side.
Also Read: Steps to planning a successful corporate offsite.

Making A Well-Planned Corporate Getaway

A corporate getaway that communicates goals and collaborates efforts is a well-planned retreat. But certain things have to be considered- distance, strong internet connection and facilities for enjoyment. SaffronStays Foresta By The Lake, Kamshet, SaffronStays Kairos, Karjat and SaffronStays Reva Infinity & Beyond, Karjat are ideal for every kind of corporate holiday near Mumbai and Pune. Be it hosting select top leaders or a larger team gathering, these spacious, well-connected homes have lawns to host your meetings outdoors. Your work presentations can later turn into fun parties, with the mini-bar setup by the pool. 

So, be inventive and plan a one-day corporate retreat with SaffronStays where colleagues bond as friends and come back reenergized to tick off their goals highly motivated.

Plan Successful Corporate Offsites With Positive Outcomes

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Corporate offsites are a great way to inculcate team bonding within your work culture. Working from home has made most employees miss out on their daily informal interactions with their colleagues or ‘work friends’. As things slowly come back on track, it would be a great way to welcome your team to an offsite. After conversing in terms of work targets, strategies, to-do lists, everyone would long for a refreshingly good break. If you are wondering how to plan a successful corporate offsite trip for your team, we have some tips for you.

Status Update: Out of Office

Group of people chilling.
Bond offline with your colleagues. (Credits: Pexels)

Break out from the virtual meetings, go offline and bond offsite. Returning to office will be a reunion of sorts but the real bonds between colleagues will flourish when they are off their laptops chattering about things other than work. Change the status updates from ‘At Work’ to ‘Out of Office’ and transform the mood from run-down to rejuvenation.

Decide Your Objective

An objective of what you want to achieve is crucial for planning a corporate offsite. A clear intent makes it easier to plan things ahead – like booking of a conference room, arranging team-bonding activities or mapping the itinerary. But you can get hassle-free booking and secure stay, if you opt for a private villa like SaffronStays Summer Salt, a 6-bedroom stunning villa on Akshi Beach in Alibaug. Hold your brainstorming sessions under the canopy of coconut plantations, a palpable setting to come up with fresh ideas. Post the session, you can chill in the pool or swing away your worries in the hammock with a seaview. Your entire team will be catered with healthy home-cooked meals by our trained chefs on site, so everyone goes back satiated, be it stomach or the mind.

Discuss With The Group

Ensure everyone is on the same page about their expectations of this offsite trip. Plan it in a way to make everyone feel comfortable. Have elements involving the less expressive or newly-joined members. If there are adventure activities, check the number of employees open to participate. It is not financially feasible to make bookings for a large group when only a cluster of them turn out.

Choose a Place That Matches The Vibe

SaffronStays Constellations in Khandala
SaffronStays Constellations Orion

One of the most striking attributes of planning a corporate offsite trip is deciding upon a location. ‘What will be your location’, ‘will it fit in the budget’, ‘how to reach there’ are some of the many branches to the location mindmap. An interesting place will also tickle the excitement of your employees. 

One of the wisest options to have an undisturbed team outing is choosing private villas, with the whole property to yourself. There’s no worry of somebody hearing on your team secrets, weaknesses and successes being heartily discussed. SaffronStays Constellations, a private villa complex in Khandala will leave your team spoilt for choice! A set of 3 villas with 5 bedrooms each have enough scope to bond on several activities. Spend time lounging by the spacious pools or play team games in the lush lawns. The barbecue set-up right by the pool, or an outdoor bar setting, there are plenty of euphoric spots to cheer on. Your group pictures clicked outside these expansive villas will make your friends jealous of having such a wonderful work-fam to fall back on! 

Socialize Offline

People socializing over food and drinks.
Socialize with your colleagues offline

If your corporate offsite is meant for team bonding, let everyone unwind at their own pace. Have activities that fuel more conversations among the team. Be an anchor to the members who need to improve, socialize in a way that the guards of hierarchy are dissolved for a while. Choose a spacious site that accommodates everyone physically while unknowingly developing their emotional bonds. SaffronStays Kenzen in Alibaug is a 7-bedroom villa with an ample outdoor area and a pool that serves as the best meeting point a team could ask for. The outdoor space can be utilised to play games, organise matches and cultivate team spirit. 

Take Feedback

Feedback is Important (Credits: Pixabay)

Hosting an offsite drives an impetus to improve the productivity of your employees. It would take a little while to know how successfully yours worked. Once everyone returns to check their emails, don’t forget to take feedback about what could have been better, what more they would’ve liked, did it help them know the team better. With an affirmation to whether they look forward to more such outings, you know you have been off to a great start, outdoors. Check out SaffronStays Corporates to know more about our campaign and the perfect places to host your corporate offsite trips.

The evolution of the office cubicle

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Do you ever wonder how your seating style affects you? It affects your spine’s health, your mood and more importantly, your interaction with your colleagues. However, somewhere down the line, we take seating for granted. And so, even as we negotiate on our salaries, work hours, and leave policy among other things, very little or no attention is paid to the way we sit at work. 

Imagine, if we were given a choice on how we’d like our seating, what would we choose? Cubicle? Community table? Private room? A cushy recliner? Or just too petty an issue to be discussed? Each style caters to different work cultures. Take, for instance, the office cubicle. It was chaos that gave birth to the idea of a cubicle. Before this, there were open office spaces with no definite arrangements.

Originally designed to offer privacy to the employees, today, ‘being cubicled’ is almost seen in a negative light. Over the years, the office cubicle has seen a paradigm shift based on their office dynamics. Let’s take a look at a few of them…

Organisations, Reorgranised

break the chains of office cubicles

Open offices: If cubicles had a first cousin, this would be it. 
Back in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, this arrangement was prevalent at German offices and was known as the office landscape. For firms like ad agencies, start-ups and tech companies that rely on dissing hierarchies and are all for having clear communication, this one’s ideal.

Standing desks A rebel love child of the cubicle, stand up as a mark of respect to your health.
The smartest way to revisit your sedentary job is by introducing a standing desk. Introduced in the 60s, these are a hit even today. As of now, while there’s no policy that Indian workplaces follow, it’s a managerial-level practice at some organisations. 

Community tables – this one’s the NRI niece of the cubicle. 
New-age companies come with newer styles of working space. With hackerspaces/ makerspaces revolutionising the way people work – collaborating and using other people’s skills to flesh out a concept – the trend of using community tables has become rampant. This style of seating encourages conversations and discussions. For an organisation that runs on brainstorming, exchanging ideas, eating and chatting, workspaces are no lesser than hangout zones.

coffee break? chai break? or permanent break from the office cubicle?

Google offices – That one-sided affair the office cubicle once had.
When it comes to designing creative workspaces, no one does it better than Google. Or did we state the obvious? Mostly mirroring the city’s vibe in its offices – be it the amusement park- themed office at its Chelsea headquarters; the global headquarters in California with scooters, climbing walls; jungle-style set-ups in Dublin, Ireland; and an office full of hammocks in Zurich… discussing their seating arrangement is a touchy topic and deserves a different article altogether. 

Coworking spaces This is the cubicles ka Casanova, who can’t make up his mind. 
Co-working spaces have seen a phenomenal rise in the last few years. It’s a beautiful collage of different types of organisations coming together. So, there are small conference rooms for meetings, media rooms for entertainment, cosy couches, bean bags…. In short, spaces that help in enhancing creative thinking. With their perks and vibrant decor, they are ideal for freelancers, start-ups, small companies, and large companies that enjoy state-of-the-art facilities. 

Brainstorming for the future

While organisations have tried making workspaces employee-friendly by propping up a cool table, posting some funny, motivational quotes, throwing in some lights, adding coffee machines, and stocking up refrigerators with goodies – there’s still a long way to go. 

And so, how would you like welcoming your new employees at a private villa over a barbecue session, brainstorming in a pool with mountain views for company, a hearty meal, and some refreshments? What would you like better – a launch party at a banquet hall or an intimate, exclusive get-together in the lawns with finger food and music of your choice? Our new vertical – SaffronStays for Corporates – encourages these and other such initiatives for corporates. 

This April, the office cubicle will complete 56 years. Let’s give it early retirement (or a break at one of our homes, at least).