OYO Hotel Hamza International

About OYO Hotel Hamza International

OYO Hotel Hamza International is a two-star hotel on Sambhu Chatterjee Street in College Street, the part of north Kolkata known as Boi Para. It suits book lovers who want the second-hand and new bookstalls on the doorstep, and travellers with trains to catch from Sealdah, which is close by. Rooms are straightforward, the desk is staffed all day and night, and the location puts the old city within walking distance. Anyone who wants a simple, well-placed base for a few nights in central Kolkata fits here.

The hotel is a two-star property with a guest score of 3.8 out of 5 from 1204 reviews. Expect a plain, functional stay rather than polished extras: Wi-Fi, air conditioning, room service and a 24-hour front desk, with family rooms and lifts in the building. The appeal is the address rather than the facilities. Book it for the metro at Mahatma Gandhi Road, the short ride to Sealdah, and treat the room as a place to sleep between days out.

Location and neighbourhood

College Street is Boi Para, the book quarter, and the hotel sits inside it. Stalls selling new and second-hand books line the road, Presidency University and the University of Calcutta form part of the same stretch, and the College Square pond is a short walk away. The Indian Coffee House, upstairs in Albert Hall, is the area's meeting point for students, writers and anyone who wants coffee and a long conversation. This is a studious, working part of north Kolkata rather than a hotel district, so evenings are quiet.

Several sights sit within walking distance. The College Street bookstalls and Indian Coffee House are 0.3 km away, Marble Palace 0.5 km, and Jorasanko Thakurbari 0.9 km. BBD Bagh, for the heritage walk around the Writers' Building, the GPO and the High Court, is 1.5 km on foot, and Howrah Bridge with the Mallick Ghat flower market below it is 1.9 km. For anything further, take a cab or the metro: Park Street is 3 km, Esplanade 1.9 km and the Victoria Memorial 4.3 km, each a ride of roughly 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.

Mornings start with shutters going up on the bookstalls and students heading to lectures, and the streets are at their calmest before the heat builds. Evenings are quieter, with the College Square area used for walks and talk. During Durga Puja the neighbourhood fills with crowds, and College Square is one of the city's best known pandal locations, so roads close and movement slows. Check the current year's dates with West Bengal Tourism before planning around the festival, and allow extra time for any journey.

Rooms and facilities

Business travellers get the basics that matter: a desk in the room, Wi-Fi, a telephone that is handy for wake-up calls, and room service when work runs late. The 24-hour front desk covers arrivals at any hour. Nothing here is designed for meetings or long working days, so plan to work in the room or over coffee at Indian Coffee House. The address is the real asset, with the Central and Mahatma Gandhi Road metro stations within walking distance for cross-city appointments.

Families can ask about the family rooms, and lifts mean luggage and children do not have to manage stairs. Luggage storage is useful when a train leaves hours after check-out, and the 24-hour front desk covers late arrivals from Sealdah or Howrah. Rooms come with a bathroom, shower, WC, towels and toiletries, and housekeeping and cleaning are part of the service. Confirm the room configuration that suits your group when you book, since layouts vary between rooms.

Kolkata's heat and monsoon make air conditioning the first thing to check; the hotel lists both air conditioning and fans, so confirm which your room has. Summer is hot and humid from April, the monsoon arrives around June and brings waterlogging after heavy rain, and winter mornings can be hazy. A shower after a humid day matters more than most extras. Confirm check-in and check-out times, the room type and how payment is handled directly with the property before you travel, and keep a copy of the confirmation.

Getting there

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport is about 12.1 km away in a straight line, a road journey of roughly 40 to 65 minutes depending on traffic. Allow more in the morning rush or during rain. The Yellow Line metro now serves Jai Hind Bimanbandar station near the airport; services are still expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current timings before relying on it. A pre-booked app cab is the simplest option with luggage, and the driver will need the Sambhu Chatterjee Street address.

Sealdah station is 1.3 km away, usually 10 to 20 minutes by road, which makes the hotel practical for early trains. Howrah station, across the river on the west bank, is 2.2 km in a straight line and 15 to 25 minutes by road, though the bridge approach can be slow at peak times. Both stations are busy, so leave a margin and keep bags close. Auto-rickshaws and yellow taxis cover the short transfer; insist on the meter in a taxi.

The Blue Line metro is the quickest way to cross the city. Mahatma Gandhi Road station is 0.3 km from the door and Central is 0.9 km, both on the north to south route through Esplanade, Park Street and Kalighat. Tickets are bought at the station, so check the current fare and hours with Metro Railway Kolkata. The walk to either station is short but crosses busy roads, so use the footpaths and take care with luggage during office hours.

Food and sights near OYO Hotel Hamza International

Begin with the street itself: the College Street and Indian Coffee House stretch is 0.3 km away, good for an hour of browsing and a coffee upstairs in Albert Hall. Marble Palace, a private residence dating from 1835, is 0.5 km off, and entry needs a free permit, so check current arrangements before setting out. Jorasanko Thakurbari, 0.9 km away, is the Tagore family home where Rabindranath Tagore was born in 1861, now the Rabindra Bharati Museum.

BBD Bagh is 1.5 km away and rewards a heritage walk past the Writers' Building, the GPO and the Calcutta High Court around Lal Dighi. Howrah Bridge and the Mallick Ghat flower market below the Kolkata end are 1.9 km off; early morning is the best time for the market. Both are best reached on foot or by a short cab ride. Check opening days for any building you want to enter, since government offices keep their own rules.

Food around College Street and Bowbazar is plain and easy to find: phuchka, jhalmuri, kathi rolls and sweets such as mishti doi and sandesh. Indian Coffee House is the sit-down option a short walk away, and Nizam's, near New Market, is credited with the original kathi roll if you want the source. Shopping here means books: the stalls along College Street cover new, second-hand and academic titles. Evenings are quiet, with a walk around College Square pond the local habit.

• College Street & Indian Coffee House (300 m)
• Marble Palace (500 m)
• Jorasanko Thakurbari (900 m)
• BBD Bagh heritage walk (1.5 km)
• Howrah Bridge & Mallick Ghat (1.9 km)

A day from OYO Hotel Hamza International

Begin with the bookstalls, 0.3 km away, before the day heats up, then take coffee upstairs at Indian Coffee House in Albert Hall. Walk on to Jorasanko Thakurbari, 0.9 km from the hotel, to see the Tagore family home and the Rabindra Bharati Museum; check opening days first. Return to College Street for a simple lunch. The whole morning is on foot, with no transport needed and plenty of time to browse.

In the afternoon, walk 0.5 km to Marble Palace, arranging the free permit beforehand and checking current entry arrangements. Continue 1.5 km to BBD Bagh for the heritage walk around Lal Dighi, the Writers' Building, the GPO and the High Court, all seen from outside. If the heat is too much, take a cab back and stop at Esplanade, 1.9 km from the hotel, for New Market, which opened in 1874. Keep the walking short and the water bottle filled.

Finish the day at Howrah Bridge, 1.9 km away, walking onto the bridge at dusk and looking down at the Mallick Ghat flower market on the Kolkata side. The bridge opened in 1943 and carries traffic day and night, so the pavement is the place to be. Return by cab, or walk back and pick up the metro at Mahatma Gandhi Road, 0.3 km from the hotel. Eat near College Street afterwards.

Booking tips and when to go

Book ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for the Christmas season on Park Street, when demand across the city rises. Check the current year's dates before fixing plans. Weekday arrivals avoid the worst traffic, so aim to reach the hotel outside office rush hours if a flight or train allows. Check-in and check-out times are set by the property, so confirm them, along with your room type, when you book, and keep the confirmation handy for the driver.

November to February is the best time for this area: November is dry and comfortable, December and January are coolest with highs in the mid-20s Celsius and hazy mornings. February is pleasant for walking between the bookstalls and Marble Palace. March warms up, and April and May are hot and humid with evening storms. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July, with waterlogging after downpours, so carry a compact umbrella and allow extra time for short trips.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food; cards and UPI work in hotels, malls and restaurants. Use app cabs or metered yellow taxis and insist on the meter. Drink bottled or filtered water. Dress modestly if you visit temples, and remember shoes come off at many shrines. For Marble Palace, sort the free permit in advance and check current arrangements. For anything that changes, from metro hours to festival dates and museum closing days, check the official body before you travel.

OYO Hotel Hamza International: questions

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