Tiger Inn

About Tiger Inn

Tiger Inn suits business trips, hospital visits along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and quick runs to Salt Lake and the airport. This is a two-star guesthouse at 1686 Lashkrhat Tagore Park, on the east Kolkata side of the city, where the road network matters more than the immediate surroundings. Guests who need a functional base with parking, a front desk that never closes and a shuttle service get what they came for. It is a working address rather than a leisure retreat, and it makes most sense for short stays with a clear purpose.

The property is a two-star guesthouse with a guest score of 3.4 out of 5 from 510 reviews, which reads as plain and serviceable rather than polished. The draw is the position on the Bypass corridor and the basics a short trip needs: Wi-Fi, an on-site restaurant, parking, a spa and a business centre. Set expectations accordingly and the stay works. Ask about the room type before booking, since rooms in a two-star property can vary considerably.

Location and neighbourhood

The hotel sits in east Kolkata along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, the fast arterial road that links the centre with Salt Lake, New Town and the airport. Tangra, the heart of the city's Chinese community and its Indian-Chinese cooking, is close by, and Science City and several large hospitals and malls line the same stretch of road. This is a car-oriented edge of the centre rather than a heritage quarter. Expect wide roads, hospital traffic and commercial buildings rather than lanes to stroll at leisure.

Almost everything worth seeing needs a ride. Park Street is 5.9 km away in a straight line, 25 to 40 minutes by road; Esplanade 6.9 km, 25 to 45 minutes; Victoria Memorial 6.3 km, 25 to 40 minutes. Sealdah station is 6 km, 25 to 40 minutes, and Howrah station 9.1 km, 30 to 50 minutes. The Bypass is not a road for walking to dinner. Plan on the shuttle, an app cab or a metered taxi for each excursion, and allow extra time in daylight hours.

Mornings start early with commuter traffic heading towards Salt Lake and the office districts. Evenings thin out after the office rush, when Tangra's restaurants fill and the road quietens. During Durga Puja, usually late September or October, the city moves at festival pace and the Bypass carries extra traffic, so allow generous margins and confirm the dates for the year of travel. Christmas lights on Park Street run from mid-December to New Year, an evening worth the ride into the centre.

Rooms and facilities

For work, the business centre and Wi-Fi cover the essentials, and the 24-hour front desk, bell boy and concierge mean a late arrival from the airport can be handled without fuss. Laundry and dry cleaning keep a short business trip manageable, luggage storage helps on a last day, and there is a safe. Lifts serve the floors and parts of the property are wheelchair accessible. Parking is available for those travelling by car, and the on-site restaurant removes the need to go out after a long day.

Kolkata's heat and monsoon set the practical agenda. April and May often push past 35C with evening storms, and the monsoon from roughly June to September brings heavy rain and waterlogging after downpours. Ask before booking about the cooling in the room, hot water and how the building copes in heavy rain, since these details vary. Sheets and towels are provided. If traffic noise troubles you, ask whether a quieter room is available when you check in.

Confirm the details that decide a stay: check-in and check-out times, which are set by the property; whether the shuttle runs to a schedule or on request; and whether the spa needs an appointment. Ask where the smoking area is if that matters, whether a parking space can be held, and what the restaurant serves at breakfast. If you need step-free access, describe the requirement when booking so the wheelchair-accessible areas can be matched to the room. It prevents surprises on arrival.

Getting there

From Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) at Dum Dum, the hotel is 15.7 km away in a straight line, 45 to 80 minutes by road depending on traffic. App cabs and metered taxis are available at the airport, and the property runs a shuttle, so ask about pickup when booking. The Yellow Line metro from Jai Hind Bimanbandar station is an option as services expand; check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours before relying on it with luggage.

From Howrah station on the west bank, the drive is 9.1 km, 30 to 50 minutes, crossing the river by Howrah Bridge or Vidyasagar Setu. From Sealdah, it is 6 km and 25 to 40 minutes. Some long-distance and Bangladesh trains use Kolkata station at Chitpur. Yellow Ambassador taxis are metered, so insist on the meter, and app cabs avoid negotiation altogether. Allow extra time in the morning and evening peaks, when the Bypass and the bridge approaches slow sharply.

The nearest metro stations on the list are Jatin Das Park and Kalighat, both 5.4 km away, so the metro is not on the doorstep; a short cab ride connects you to the Blue Line. That line, India's first metro, opened in 1984 and runs from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash via Esplanade, Park Street and Kalighat. The Green Line crosses under the Hooghly from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, Sealdah and Salt Lake Sector V. Check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours.

Food and sights near Tiger Inn

Tangra and Tiretta Bazaar are 3.8 km away and are the closest thing to a signature sight from here. Tangra is home to the city's Chinese community and its Indian-Chinese cooking; Tiretta Bazaar, the old Chinatown, holds a Chinese breakfast market early in the morning. Mother House on AJC Bose Road, 4.2 km away, is the Missionaries of Charity mother house and Mother Teresa's tomb, a quiet stop that takes little time and asks for modest dress and calm.

South Park Street Cemetery, 4.7 km away, opened in 1767 and is one of the oldest surviving colonial burial grounds, a shaded grid of monuments worth an hour. St Paul's Cathedral, 5.9 km, was consecrated in 1847 and stands near the Birla Planetarium by the Maidan. Kalighat Kali Temple, 5.8 km, is one of the Shakti Peethas; the present temple dates from 1809. Temple hours and rules change, so check locally and expect to remove your shoes.

For food, Tangra is the obvious draw for Indian-Chinese dinners. For older Kolkata cooking, the centre holds the names worth the ride: Nizam's near New Market, credited with the original kathi roll, Flurys, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas on or near Park Street, and Indian Coffee House on College Street. Shopping and evening options sit along the Bypass in the malls near Science City. Nahoum's in New Market is the place for baking and Christmas cake.

• Tangra & Tiretta Bazaar (3.8 km)
• Mother House (4.2 km)
• South Park Street Cemetery (4.7 km)
• Kalighat Temple (5.8 km)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (5.9 km)

A day from Tiger Inn

Start early and take a cab 3.8 km to Tiretta Bazaar for the Chinese breakfast market, which operates in the early morning. Tangra is beside it, so walk a little of the old Chinatown lanes before the kitchens quieten. On the way back, stop at Mother House, 4.2 km from the hotel, while the day is still cool. Keep the morning to three stops in one direction and book the shuttle or a cab for the whole run rather than hailing each leg separately.

After lunch, head to South Park Street Cemetery, 4.7 km away and 25 to 40 minutes by road, and walk the shaded paths for an hour. St Paul's Cathedral, 5.9 km from the hotel, is a short hop from the cemetery, so pair the two in one ride. If time allows, continue to Park Street for tea at Flurys. Traffic thickens after four, so leave the Bypass before the office rush or accept a slower return.

Finish with Kalighat Kali Temple, 5.8 km away and 25 to 40 minutes by road. Go in the late afternoon when the heat eases, check the current entry rules, and dress modestly. From Kalighat, a return towards Tangra for an Indian-Chinese dinner is easy, with the restaurant quarter 3.8 km from the hotel. Alternatively eat on site and keep the evening short before an early flight, with the airport 15.7 km and 45 to 80 minutes away.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, when the city fills and road times stretch; the dates move each year, so confirm them. The same applies from mid-December to New Year, when Park Street's Christmas lights draw evening crowds. On ordinary days, avoid the morning and evening office peaks on the Bypass. Confirm check-in and check-out times with the property when booking, ask whether the shuttle must be reserved, and state the room type you need.

November to February is the easiest season here: dry, comfortable days, with December and January highs in the mid-20s Celsius and a pleasant February. March warms into the low 30s. April and May are hot and humid, often above 35C, with evening kalbaishakhi storms. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July, with waterlogging after downpours, and October rains tail off. Check India Meteorological Department forecasts before travelling, especially in the changeover months.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food; cards and UPI are widely accepted in hotels, malls and restaurants. Insist on the meter in yellow taxis or use an app cab. Drink bottled or filtered water. At Kalighat and other temples, dress modestly and expect to leave shoes outside. Most foreign visitors need an Indian e-Visa before travel, checked on the official Indian Visa Online portal. For anything that changes, from metro hours to temple rules, use the official body's site.

Tiger Inn: questions

Similar stays near Tiger Inn

3★

FabHotel Azure Sky

EM Bypass, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.5/5 · 10 reviewsSee live price

3★

Tatvam Residency

EM Bypass, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.3/5 · 364 reviewsSee live price

3★

Fabexpress Om Shanti International

EM Bypass, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.3/5 · 6 reviewsSee live price