Taj Bengal

Likely Kolkata’s toniest hotel, the Taj Bengal is something of a throwback to the age of hotel architecture that’s so focused on achieving a dramatic interior atrium that the exterior begins to break a few laws of proportion. To its credit, the gardening staff ameliorates the hotel’s girth with a blanket of vines hanging from the balconies, which help the whole assemblage to merge fairly seamlessly in with its surroundings, the posh, verdant Alipore district. Now containing the Victoria Memorial, the zoo, racetrack and botanical gardens, Alipore has historically been where out-of-towners want to base themselves, particularly back in the days when nearby Belvedere House served as Palace for the Viceroy of India. Now the Belvedere houses India’s National Library and the surrounding district arguably serves as the cultural heart of Kolkata.

The Taj Bengal takes these ideas of culture, grandeur and retreat and runs with them, predictably accommodating an ongoing parade of heads of state, and packing itself with Bengali artworks.

The opulent Taj houses no fewer than eight restaurants, with cuisines from all continents represented. Solidly eschewing trendiness, standard rooms are subtly decked out with traditional Indian décor while larger suites are a bit more contemporary. Also in proper form, plentiful conference facilities, corporate-friendly suites and board rooms ensure that the Taj Bengal functions as a first class choice for international business. But while the hotel’s all-under-one-roof version of luxury is indeed impressive, the city outside the compound will likely beckon; for this, the Taj will serve as an informative threshold for what lies beyond the garden wall, the obscenely colorful, acutely rough-edged and economically emergent Kolkata that supports the reputation as the Cultural Capitol of India. From this external vantage point, the Taj Bengal with its sturdy exterior and leafy skin is for the world traveler a perfect post to return to and recharge.

How to get there: From Kolkata International Airport, 11 km - approximately 18 mins.