Must-see hotels in West Bengal

About 2km north of the university in verdant Phuldanga village, the art-, craft- and book-filled home of a retired diplomat and his chef-and-designer wife…

This quaint, rambling relic of the Raj is one of Darjeeling’s most atmospheric digs. The charming Ada Villa, with the tea rooms and bar, was once a…

Run by the good people at Dekeling Hotel, this is a great escape from Darjeeling's increasingly noisy centre, situated 1km south en route to the Japanese…

Spotless Dekeling is full of charming touches such as coloured diamond-pane windows, a wood-fired heater in the sociable lounge-library, wood panelling…

A unique and utterly charming property combining a nursery and a family-run guesthouse, Holumba is located amid sylvan settings a walkable 1km below town…

About an hour's drive north of Darjeeling, this stylish, uberluxury tea estate is a true indulgence for those looking to splurge. The lovely estate sits…

The rajbari at Bawali, about 30km southwest of Kolkata, represents a masterful exercise in restoration of a once-crumbling 18th-century palace. Many of…

This 1920s-homestead-turned-heritage-hotel packs plenty of atmosphere and is well run in a professional but friendly way, with a classy restaurant. The…

Very comfortable Sinclairs, 1km north of the Central Bus Terminus, offers a delicious escape from hectic Hill Cart Rd, with professional, friendly service…

A two-hour drive from Rimbik near Bijanbari, this cheerful place is managed by Andrew Pulger-Frame, whose Sikkimese grandparents once ran an estate from…

Kalimpong's historic Himalayan Hotel, acquired by the Mayfair hotel group, has been expanded, glitterised and frillified into a top-drawer Indian luxury…

With 360-degree plantation views, this quaint getaway with a century-old main building offers oodles of period furniture and quirky artefacts in its…

The rajbari (palace built by a zamindar) at Itachuna, about 95km north of Kolkata by road, packs a punch with its stately 18th-century architecture and…

This former summer home of the maharajas of Dinajpur is perched on a mountain shelf overlooking the Relli Valley, and packs in oodles of Raj-era charm…

Originally a maharaja’s summer palace but renovated within an inch of its life, this plush choice sits among manicured gardens and a bizarre collection of…

This pioneering programme, active since 2007, aims to harness tourism to empower local women tea pluckers. Twenty family houses on the Makaibari tea…

A surprising number of Darjeeling's best-run hotels are Tibertan-owned and this is one of them, with a tasteful Tibetan theme throughout in the rugs,…

This Beatles-themed hotel certainly makes a change from standard hill-station hotel style. It's full of Fab Four memorabilia and the five small but…

Amid bucolic surroundings on Kolkata's northeastern fringes, this luxury ayurvedic resort offers a vast array of therapies, massages and wraps at its very…

Nayana's is the abode of a helpful, knowledgeable member of the Tagore clan, and her two-storey house, on a leafy lane in the north of town, is full of…