Shantiniketan
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…
Must-see hotels in West Bengal
Darjeeling
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…
Dekeling Resort at Hawk’s Nest
Darjeeling
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…
Darjeeling
Spotless Dekeling is full of charming touches such as coloured diamond-pane windows, a wood-fired heater in the sociable lounge-library, wood panelling…
Kalimpong
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…
Darjeeling
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…
West Bengal
The rajbari at Bawali, about 30km southwest of Kolkata, represents a masterful exercise in restoration of a once-crumbling 18th-century palace. Many of…
Kalimpong
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…
Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri
Very comfortable Sinclairs, 1km north of the Central Bus Terminus, offers a delicious escape from hectic Hill Cart Rd, with professional, friendly service…
Darjeeling
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
Kalimpong's historic Himalayan Hotel, acquired by the Mayfair hotel group, has been expanded, glitterised and frillified into a top-drawer Indian luxury…
West Bengal
With 360-degree plantation views, this quaint getaway with a century-old main building offers oodles of period furniture and quirky artefacts in its…
West Bengal
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…
Kalimpong
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…
Darjeeling
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…
West Bengal
This pioneering programme, active since 2007, aims to harness tourism to empower local women tea pluckers. Twenty family houses on the Makaibari tea…
Darjeeling
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,…
West Bengal
Amid bucolic surroundings on Kolkata's northeastern fringes, this luxury ayurvedic resort offers a vast array of therapies, massages and wraps at its very…
Darjeeling
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…
Shantiniketan
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…
Shantiniketan
At the end of a quiet lane right on the northern edge of town, this property offers probably the most comfortable lodgings in Shantiniketan, amid a…
Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri
State-government-run Mainak is in the (gradual) process of renovating its rooms; the completed ones are pleasantly bright, with splashes of colour, good…
Shantiniketan
The good-value Park occupies a tranquil, semirural spot a few minutes' walk north of the university campus, with Lal Bandh lake across the road. It's set…
Kalimpong
The five wood-panelled rooms at this cheerful property are cosily homey, and the ground-floor restaurant serves interesting Bhutanese, Nepali and Tibetan…
West Bengal
This green-coloured wooden lodge in the heart of the park is one of the most in-demand wildlife lodges in India. Animals can be spotted right from the…
West Bengal
With a great Hooghly-side setting 50km southwest of Kolkata (about 2½ hours' drive), the chic river-view suites and duplex villas at this swish resort are…
Darjeeling
Grand and full of classy ambience, yet friendly and comfortable, the Elgin was once the summer residence of the maharaja of Cooch Behar. The restaurant is…
Darjeeling
This friendly Tibetan-run place on the edge of the bazaar has pleasant wood-skirted rooms with clean bathrooms. Upper-floor rooms are best; those at the…
West Bengal
One of Berhampore’s longest-running hotels, the efficient Samrat provides clean, modernised, large and medium-sized rooms, with colourful decor touches in…
West Bengal
With a mix of ethno-chic cottages and comfy rooms done up in cheerful hues, plus an ample swimming pool, a good restaurant and cafe, and a long spa menu…
West Bengal
The Continental has a good central location in Malda and ticks every box with well-kept, mildly contemporary-styled rooms, friendly service, a restaurant…
Darjeeling
The Snowlion provides a friendly Tibetan welcome and cosy, clean, pine-panelled rooms with soft beds and Tibetan rugs and cushions. The two top-floor…
West Bengal
Iskcon has several guesthouses within a few minutes' walk of the temple that are able to accommodate a total of more than 1000 people. Rooms are well kept…
Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri
A fresh and tidy option just off Hill Cart Rd 250m south of the Central Bus Terminus, this place has well-maintained rooms, a good restaurant and in-room…
Kalimpong
The five clean and modern cottages here, 1.5km south of Pedong, make a good base for hiking or biking the region (hiking guides are available) and the…
Siliguri & New Jalpaiguri
Rooms here are clean and cheerfully colourful, with comfy double beds, and the staff are friendly and cheerful too. You'll find it on the east side of…
West Bengal
This well-maintained family-run place has cheery lemon walls and sunny rooms facing onto the back garden. Upper-floor rooms are clad in pine for a cosy…
West Bengal
This functional but comfortable West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) hotel is just outside the park in Madarihat town. It has rooms in…
Shantiniketan
Chhuti's tree-shaded property offers cottage-style rooms with a few ethnic trimmings, good food in its multicuisine restaurant and an overall sense of…
Kalimpong
This state-government Forest Development Corporation property provides decent accommodation in cute red-brick bungalows. The pine forests hemming the…
