Hotels in Kolkata

Decent budget rooms are all but nonexistent in Kolkata, and quality mid-range accommodations are also hard to find. That said, for rooms under Rs 5,000 you have two good options, both downtown in the busy Chowringhee area. Fairlawn Hotel is a famous option but Middleton Inn, a neat 21-room business hotel at 10 Middleton St. (tel. 033/2265-0449 through -0451) may suit you more. The Inn's dull entrance belies the scrupulously clean deluxe air-conditioned doubles that go for just Rs 4,400, including breakfast. Service in general is crisp and courteous, and though there's no restaurant, they have 24-hour room service. If neither of these options is available and you don't have the budget for one of the higher-end properties below, you could consider either of the following two: The Peerless Inn (tel. 033/4400-3900; www.peerlesshotels.com) or The Kenilworth (tel. 033/2282-3939; www.kenilworthhotels.com); both are well located (a few hops in case you want a slice of nightlife at The Park or shop in the New Market area) and in the same range of doubles from Rs 10,000, but the former is by far more popular with visitors, perhaps due to the friendly service that it's come to be known for. Note however, that they are rather bland and useful purely in a functional way.