Hotels in India, and Calcutta in particular, can be extremely hit and miss, as well as way too often overpriced. Calcutta Bungalows, though, seems to have bucked both of these trends by not just being extremely good value, but also offering a genuinely unique boutique hotel experience.
Located in Northern Calcutta, or rather Kolkata, near the infamous Sonagachi area, this restored 1920s urban city residence really stands out from the crowd. And I’m gonna share why!
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The Calcutta Bungalows Story
Calcutta has a bit of a habit of tearing down its history and replacing it with something involving concrete, glass and absolutely no character whatsoever. Thankfully, Calcutta Bungalows went in the opposite direction.
The story starts with an old 1920s Bengali house in North Kolkata that had seen better days. Instead of letting another piece of the old city disappear, the owners decided to restore it and turn it into a boutique hotel. Thankfully some folk still see value in old stuff here!
The idea was simple: take an old Calcutta residence, keep the original charm, add some modern comforts, and let travellers experience a slice of the city that is slowly disappearing. The six rooms each focus on different parts of Kolkata life, from artists and writers to traditional communities that helped shape the city – which we shall get to later.
The net result as I have explained is something fairly unique for Calcutta and India in general, at least in my experience.
The rooms at Calcutta Bungalows
Surprisingly, there are just 6 rooms at the hotel, despite there being more than 6 staff at all times! With each of the very retro rooms having its own story. Said story is then detailed in each room.
Said rooms, as well as being retro (mine had a typewriter), are also comfortable and modern.
For the latter element, for me at least, this meant a smart TV and good AC while I got to feel sufficiently British colonial.
The six rooms are:
Patuapara Room.
Named after the traditional artists of Kolkata who create clay idols, this room celebrates one of the city’s most famous crafts.
Jatra Para Room
Inspired by Bengal’s famous folk theatre tradition, this room pays homage to one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the region.
Mochi Para Room
Based around the traditional cobbler communities of Kolkata, this room celebrates the city’s working class heritage.
Boipara Room
Meaning “book neighbourhood”, this room takes inspiration from College Street and Kolkata’s famous literary culture.
Sahibpara Room
A nod towards the colonial-era British neighbourhoods of the city, this room is probably the one where you can pretend to be a Victorian explorer for a night.
Darzipara Room
Inspired by the traditional tailoring communities of Kolkata, this room continues the theme of celebrating the people who built the character of the city.
Sample prices are generally around:
Standard rooms: ₹7,000 to ₹10,000 per night (around US$80 to US$120)
Premium rooms: ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per night (around US$120 to US$180)
Prices obviously do vary, with me scoring mine for about $60 a night when I stayed here after my trip to Assam.
The facilities at Calcutta Bungalows
For a kick off, they added me to a WhatsApp group in case I needed any help, which I didn’t, but I thought it was a nice touch. Although it really is the worst when you get removed from a chat when you leave, but hey, such is life.
They also offered lots of tour services, some common areas, book exchanges, and the like.
The onsite restaurant was also top-notch, with me particularly enjoying their take on an English fish finger. Breakfast was also pretty boss, consisting of the West Bengal option served at a colonial table shared with other guests. Again, a weirdly nice touch.
Other facilities include:
- Free WiFi
- Air conditioning
- Laundry service
- Airport transfers
- Walking tours
- Common lounge areas
- Books and reading spaces
There’s also an old Hindustan Ambassador that is kept in such good condition that people literally come here to have photos with it. Don’t know hat a Hindustan Ambassador is? Well that’s a whole other story.
Around Calcutta Bungalows
One of the coolest things about staying in Northern Calcutta is that you are away from the more generic tourist areas and right in the middle of the old down and dirty proper city vibes.
Sonagachi
Probably the most famous nearby area, Sonagachi is known as the largest red light district in the world. But the reality is is a bit more #Complicated. In fact this is also a proper old school Calcutta neighborhood and a great area for people watching and street food.
Marble Palace
One of Kolkata’s strangest and most impressive hidden gems, Marble Palace is a nineteenth century mansion filled with statues, paintings, chandeliers, and enough marble to justify the name. It feels like someone collected a European palace and dropped it into the middle of Bengal.
Kumartuli
This traditional potters’ district is where many of Kolkata’s famous Durga Puja idols are created. Walking through the narrow lanes and watching artisans build enormous clay statues by hand is fairly unique too ay the least.
Jorasanko Thakur Bari
The ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian Nobel Prize winner in Literature, is now a museum dedicated to his life. Interesting if that’s your thing.
College Street
Known as Boi Para, or Book Town, College Street is one of the most famous literary areas in India. The endless book stalls, universities, and legendary Indian Coffee House make it a must visit for anyone wanting to experience old school India vibes.
Calcutta Bungalows Address and Contact
Calcutta Bungalows
5 Radha Kanta Jew Street
Kolkata 700004
West Bengal
India
Email: stay@calcuttabungalow.com
Phone: +91 90733 74001
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calcutta.bungalows/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calcutta.bungalows/
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