The Panash Hotel & Banquets

About The Panash Hotel & Banquets

The Panash Hotel & Banquets is a three-star hotel at 31 SN Banerjee Road, in the Esplanade and BBD Bagh area of central Kolkata. It suits travellers who would rather spend on sightseeing than on a room, and who want to step out of the door into the old colonial core. New Market, the Indian Museum and two metro stations sit within walking distance. Guests rate the property 4.2 out of 5 across 339 reviews, which is steady for this category of city hotel.

Expect a straightforward city hotel rather than a resort. The building pairs rooms with banquet and meeting space, so weekdays can bring conference groups and some weekends bring family functions. The listed facilities cover the practical basics: Wi-Fi, car parking, lifts, laundry, luggage storage and wheelchair accessible areas. It works as a base for a short Kolkata trip, a family visit, or a night before an early train from Howrah or Sealdah.

Location and neighbourhood

The address sits in the colonial core. New Market, opened in 1874 and still trading under its Hogg Market name, is a short walk away, and so are the backpacker lanes off Sudder Street and Free School Street. North of the hotel, BBD Bagh clusters around Lal Dighi: the Writers' Building of 1777, the GPO of 1868, the Calcutta High Court and St John's Church of 1787. This is where official Kolkata still works, and the architecture shows it.

Several useful places are on foot. Esplanade is 0.7 km away, New Market 0.7 km, the Indian Museum 0.8 km and Chandni Chowk metro 0.6 km. Park Street is 1.1 km, an easy walk by road. Anything further needs a ride: Victoria Memorial at 2.4 km, Sealdah station at 1.5 km and Howrah station at 2.9 km. Keep a taxi or an app cab for those, particularly in the heat of the afternoon.

The quarter is busy by day and quieter at night, which suits early starts. Mornings bring office traffic towards BBD Bagh and deliveries into New Market. Evenings empty out as the offices close, and the walk back from Park Street is short. During Durga Puja the whole centre fills with crowds and traffic diversions, so check the current year's dates and Kolkata Police advisories. Christmas brings lights along Park Street from mid-December to New Year.

Rooms and facilities

Business travellers get the essentials: Wi-Fi in the building, a meeting room, laundry service and luggage storage for a late departure. Lifts serve the floors, which matters with bags. Confirm whether the Wi-Fi reaches the room or only the public areas, and ask about the meeting room's capacity and any charge before booking it. Power backup is worth a question too, since monsoon storms can interrupt supply in this part of the city.

Families and anyone arriving by car will note the free parking, which is unusual in this congested quarter, and the wheelchair accessible areas. Sheets and towels are listed among the provided items, so packing light is realistic. Ask which rooms are easiest to reach by lift if stairs are a problem, and whether the accessible route runs from the entrance through to the bathroom. SN Banerjee Road carries steady traffic, so request a room away from the road if light sleep matters.

Kolkata's heat and monsoon shape a stay here. April and May push past 35°C with evening storms, and the monsoon runs roughly June to September, with waterlogging after heavy rain. Confirm that air conditioning works in the room category booked, and that the lifts stay in service during storms. Also confirm check-in and check-out times, the parking arrangement if a car stays on after checkout, and the laundry turnaround before relying on it.

Getting there

From Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at Dum Dum, the hotel is 13.8 km away in a straight line, with 45 to 70 minutes by road depending on traffic. Allow more in the morning peak. Prepaid taxis and app cabs both serve the address. The Yellow Line metro from Jai Hind Bimanbandar is expanding its reach, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours before relying on it with heavy luggage.

Howrah station, on the west bank, is 2.9 km away, about 15 to 25 minutes by road across the river. Sealdah is closer at 1.5 km, roughly 10 to 20 minutes. Both are simple taxi rides outside rush hour. Kolkata station at Chitpur handles some long-distance and Bangladesh trains and is a longer ride north. If arriving late, keep the station name and the SN Banerjee Road address written down for the driver.

Two metro stations serve the address: Chandni Chowk at 0.6 km and Esplanade at 0.7 km. Esplanade is the interchange between the north-south Blue Line and the East-West Green Line, which runs under the Hooghly to Howrah Maidan and east to Sealdah and Salt Lake Sector V. The river tunnel opened in 2024. Purple, Orange and Yellow lines are partly open and expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current routes and hours.

Food and sights near The Panash Hotel & Banquets

The Indian Museum at 0.8 km is the oldest museum in India, founded in 1814, with sculpture, coins, textiles and natural history galleries. Check current opening days and entry rules before setting out, as the museum keeps its own timetable. New Market at 0.7 km is the practical stop for shopping and for a look at the 1874 market building. Nahoum's, the old bakery within it, is a known stop for cakes and sweets.

Park Street at 1.1 km is the city's restaurant and music stretch. Flurys has served breakfast and cakes for decades, Peter Cat and Mocambo are the old guard for a sit-down dinner, Trincas pairs food with live music, and Oxford Bookstore suits a browse. Nizam's near New Market is credited with the original kathi roll. Street food such as phuchka, jhalmuri and telebhaja is everywhere around Esplanade, and the busy stalls tell you where to eat.

The BBD Bagh heritage walk at 1.5 km takes in the Writers' Building, the GPO and the High Court around Lal Dighi, with St John's Church nearby. College Street at 1.6 km is Boi Para, the book market, with the Indian Coffee House at Albert Hall for coffee and a simple plate. Both are daytime outings. In the evening the Maidan is close for a walk, and Park Street is the obvious place to end up for dinner.

• New Market (700 m)
• Indian Museum (750 m)
• Park Street food & music (1.1 km)
• BBD Bagh heritage walk (1.5 km)
• College Street & Indian Coffee House (1.6 km)

A day from The Panash Hotel & Banquets

Start early and walk to the Indian Museum at 0.8 km, giving the galleries a good share of the morning. Check opening days and entry rules first, since the museum follows its own calendar. On the way back, cut through New Market at 0.7 km for breakfast and a walk through the halls. Both stops are on foot from the hotel, so no transport is needed before lunch.

After lunch, walk north to BBD Bagh at 1.5 km for the colonial buildings around Lal Dighi, then continue to College Street at 1.6 km for the book stalls and the Indian Coffee House. This half of the day is all walking, with the metro at Esplanade or Chandni Chowk as a shortcut if the heat becomes too much. Carry water and take the pace slowly between stops.

In the evening, head to Park Street at 1.1 km. Dinner at one of the old restaurants, a browse at Oxford Bookstore and the walk back through Esplanade make a full but easy end to the day. For a longer outing, take a cab to the Victoria Memorial at 2.4 km, about 15 to 25 minutes by road; the museum closes on Mondays and some national holidays, so check timings before going.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, when the centre fills and rooms go early. Christmas, from mid-December to New Year, is the other busy stretch. Check the current year's festival dates with West Bengal Tourism. Ask for written confirmation of check-in and check-out times, the room category and the parking space. Weekday banquet functions can mean busier lifts and lobbies, so mention a preference for a quiet floor when booking.

November to February is the best time for this area. December and January are the coolest months, with highs in the mid-20s Celsius, and February is pleasant for walking to New Market, the Indian Museum and BBD Bagh. March warms quickly, and April to May is hot and humid. The monsoon, roughly June to September, brings waterlogging after downpours and makes a taxi more sensible than a long walk. Winter mornings can be hazy with poor air quality.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food, though cards and UPI work in shops, malls and restaurants. Metered yellow taxis should run on the meter, and app cabs are an alternative. Drink bottled or filtered water, more so in the heat and monsoon. At temples such as Kalighat or Dakshineswar, dress modestly and check the current rules on entry. Most foreign visitors need an Indian e-Visa before travel through the official Indian Visa Online portal.

The Panash Hotel & Banquets: questions

Similar stays near The Panash Hotel & Banquets

4★

Peerless Hotel Kolkata

Esplanade, Kolkata · 4-starGuest score 4.7/5 · 5133 reviewsSee live price

4★

Townhouse Centre Point Inn Near Esplanade Metro Station

Esplanade, Kolkata · 4-starSee live price

3★

Polo Floatel Kolkata

Esplanade, Kolkata · 3-starGuest score 4.1/5 · 3264 reviewsSee live price