5 Best Heritage Staycations in Kolkata for a short trip or an enjoyable WFH

Rajkutir

This pandemic has compelled us to stay behind bars, opps behind the doors. We are the unfortunate ones who have passed a whole year piling up our vocabulary with the teeth breaking words like lockdown, quarantine, epidemiology, hydroxychloroquine, asymptotic, comorbidity, containment zone and the list goes on. From online classes to work from homes, we are about to forget how ‘staying at home and doing nothing’ looks like. Hence, the travel freaks like me never cease to cast around the places of relief. There are a few bunches of gems hiding behind the alleys of this very city. Most of us overlook these places and keep nagging about the scarcity of quality destinations over here. They are carrying the heritage and nostalgia of the old classy Kolkata, just like the day, they set off. These places are the best option for those workaholics who run out of time to leave the city for more than two days and also frown to go to that 'ekgheye' Digha, Mondarmoni or Tajpur again and again.

Calcutta Bungalow: Succumb to the class

If you love Kolkata for its heritage and want to relive that era then Calcutta Bungalow is the ideal place for you. The whole building is tastefully decorated by designer Swarup Dutta. You can feel the maudlin essence of the colonial period with the complete modern amenities. The property is consisted of six rooms and all of them are given the names of Kolkata’s different localities like Darzipara, Boipara, Muchipara etc. It is located in the North Kolkata, easy to avail from any corner of the city.

Tariff: 4,000-6,000rs for two/night

Location: 5, Radha Kanta Jew St, Fariapukur, Shyam Bazar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700004

 Glenburn Pethouse: A love letter to Kolkata

In this bustling city, you will find a haven specially curated with luxury, care and ecstasy in Glenburn Penthouse. Glenburn is actually a tea estate and a residential property started their journey in Darjeeling. Both of the adobes in Darjeeling and Kolkata are stuffed with the flurry of colonial décor and furniture. You can savour a perfect outdoor breakfast and afternoon tea with the congenial view of Victoria Memorial. This ‘Easy-to-manoeuvre’ rooms are perfect for your staycation or Work From Home plans. The infinity pool in the terrace is like a treasure of this place. When you are dipping your feet during sunset, you can witness the panoramic view of the city.

Tariff: 25.000-40,000rs for two/night

Location: Kanak Towers, 7A Russell Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700071, India

The Ivy House: Peace for a Lovelorn Heart

If you want to get the contemporary Kolkata vibe along with a perfect comfy stay then welcome to The Ivy House. The place is run by the owners of Kurseong’s famous Cochrane Place.

 This 80-year-old residence has handpicked décor specifically remembering the seasonal flowers of Bengal. The gazebo style café here, named ‘Karma Kettle’ serves more than 20 various exotic tea blends. After their sumptuous breakfast you can stroll around the city as this place sojourn in the center of Calcutta.

Tariff: 4,000-6,000rs for two/night

Location: 4, Swinhoe St, Ekdalia, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019

Rajkutir: Aesthetics and Elegance on the Same Plate

This place is not something like the heritage building of Kolkata but you can travel back to the era of Zamindars of Bengals with the grandeur and evocation of culture. The cast iron balconies, patios and crests perfectly amalgamate with all the modern amenities like a spa, a gym, an artisans’ gallery and a shopping arcade. 

‘The Loafer’s Café’ and the ‘East India Room’ are stuffed with the fancifulness of the Victorian-era tempting the food lovers with their vast a la carte menu.

Tariff:10,000-15,000rs for two/night

Location: 89C, Narkeldanga Main Rd, Kadapara, Phool Bagan, Kankurgachi, Kolkata, West Bengal 700054

The Corner Courtyard:

This boutique hotel is a restored Zamindari house founded in 1904. This place has seven rooms with all their unique attributes. This B&B consciously annihilates the grasp of modernization. Their dining room has a Swarovski chandelier that pumps up the sobriety of this place. The designer team has played with the colours in their rooms as they are named by Indigo, Crimson, Vermilion, Cadmium, Charcoal etc. You can peep into their restaurant if you are conspicuous about a perfect continental dining.

Tarriff: 2,000-5,000rs for two/night

Location: 92, Sarat Bose Rd, Hazra, Bhowanipore, Kolkata, West Bengal 700026

 

The city is turning into a lifeless concrete holt gradually. With the multinational five stars and the darkling pubs we are losing the pulse of this place. This old town is getting older and being forgotten by the new generation. But somewhere the wanderlusts across the globe connect their reminiscence with this city.

I have come to that conclusion that he who does not encounter the whole universe in the streets of his city will not encounter an original street in any of the cities of the whole world. He won’t encounter them because those who are blind in Buenos Aires are blind in Madrid, or in Calcutta...”

-“The Pleasure Of Vagabonding” Roberto Arlt.