Princeton Club

About Princeton Club

Princeton Club suits travellers who plan their days around the Kalighat temple and the southern stretch of the Blue Line. The address on Prince Anwar Shah Road puts two metro stations within a short walk, which keeps the rest of Kolkata reachable without long road journeys. Guests who want an early temple start, a swim afterwards and a simple meal on site will find the arrangement practical. The hotel is a two-star property with a wider set of facilities than the rating suggests, including a pool, a spa, a fitness room and a bar.

This is a straightforward city hotel rather than a destination in itself. It is graded two stars and holds a guest score of 3.5 out of 5 from 259 reviews, which points to a functional, mid-range stay rather than a polished luxury one. Rooms are air conditioned, there is an on-site restaurant and bar, and the property lists a garden and a terrace among its spaces. Book it for the location, the pool and the space, not for gloss. Family rooms are listed among the options.

Location and neighbourhood

Kalighat is one of the oldest devotional quarters in south Kolkata, built around the Kali temple whose present structure dates from 1809. The lanes beside it hold Nirmal Hriday, the home Mother Teresa opened in 1952, and the quarter gives its name to the Kalighat painting tradition, still sold on small cards and cloth nearby. Tolly's Nullah, the old Adi Ganga channel, runs through the area. Expect queues, priests, flower sellers and touts around the temple, and a calmer residential feel along Prince Anwar Shah Road itself.

The hotel's own stretch is walkable: Rabindra Sarobar metro is about 0.5 km away and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar about 0.8 km. Most other sights need a ride. The Kalighat temple is 2.2 km, close enough to walk in cool weather though a short cab is easier in the heat. Victoria Memorial is 4.9 km, St Paul's Cathedral 4.8 km, South Park Street Cemetery 5.3 km and Mother House 5.6 km. Park Street is 5.7 km and Esplanade 7 km, both 20 to 45 minutes by road depending on traffic.

Mornings here belong to the temple. Crowds build before dawn and thin by mid-morning, and the lanes around the ghats fill with flower sellers. Evenings are quieter, with families around the metro stations and tea stalls open late. Festival weeks change the rhythm completely. Durga Puja, usually late September or October, brings pandal crowds and road closures. Kali Puja falls on the new-moon night of Diwali, and Kalighat is central to it. Check the current year's dates before booking.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms come with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, a television, a telephone, a safe and a refrigerator, which covers the basics for anyone working at the desk or arriving late. Room service and breakfast in room are listed, useful when a flight lands after the kitchen closes or when an early temple start rules out a sit-down meal. The on-site restaurant and bar mean a meal and a drink without leaving the property. Confirm the kitchen's last order time and whether room service runs overnight.

Families have room to spread out. Family rooms, cots and iron and board are listed, and the outdoor pool, garden and terrace give children somewhere to go that is not the bedroom. The fitness room, steam room and spa let adults keep a routine or book a treatment. Ask which family rooms sit away from the road if quiet matters, and confirm pool hours and supervision arrangements before relying on them. Request a cot at the time of booking rather than on arrival.

Kolkata's heat and monsoon shape how a room is used. Air conditioning matters from March through the monsoon, and again in the humid weeks before the rains break. April and May bring afternoons above 35 °C and evening storms, so a pool and a shaded terrace earn their place. In the monsoon, roughly June to September, check that the room has no damp smell and that the safe and refrigerator work. Confirm check-in and check-out times, pool and spa hours, and whether parking is reserved.

Getting there

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport sits near Dum Dum, about 19.8 km from the hotel in a straight line, and the drive takes 55 to 95 minutes depending on traffic. Prepaid taxis and app cabs both serve the arrivals level. Allow the longer figure for a morning arrival, when the approach roads fill. Travelling light, the Yellow Line metro connects the airport at Jai Hind Bimanbandar, but connections onward need checking with Metro Railway Kolkata, since lines and interchanges are still expanding.

Howrah station is about 9.2 km away, a drive of 30 to 50 minutes, and Sealdah about 7.6 km, or 25 to 45 minutes. Howrah sits on the west bank, so crossing the Hooghly adds time at peak hours. Sealdah is closer and simpler from the east side of the city. For either station, a metered yellow taxi or an app cab is the easiest option with luggage. Insist on the meter in yellow taxis and keep small notes ready for the fare.

Two Blue Line stations serve the address: Rabindra Sarobar at about 0.5 km and Mahanayak Uttam Kumar at about 0.8 km. The line runs north to south through Park Street, Esplanade, Central, M.G. Road and on to Dakshineswar, which makes it the quickest way to the central sights during the day. Trains run frequently. The walk to the hotel is best done with a light bag. Check Metro Railway Kolkata for current hours and any service changes.

Food and sights near Princeton Club

The Kalighat Kali Temple, 2.2 km away, is the nearest sight and the reason many choose this area. It is one of the Shakti Peethas, and the present temple dates from 1809. Go early, remove shoes, and follow the posted photography rules; touts near the entrance offer to guide and are best declined politely. Mother House, the Missionaries of Charity headquarters on AJC Bose Road, is 5.6 km away and holds Mother Teresa's tomb. It is a working convent, so visit briefly and respectfully.

Victoria Memorial, 4.9 km away, is the obvious half-day: white Makrana marble, 64-acre grounds, and a museum that closes on Mondays and some national holidays. St Paul's Cathedral, 4.8 km, was consecrated in 1847 and stands a short walk from the memorial, so the two combine without another journey. South Park Street Cemetery, 5.3 km, opened in 1767 and is the calmest hour in the city, with weathered obelisks and damp inscriptions. Check opening days for all three before setting out.

For food, the central restaurant cluster is a ride away: Flurys for breakfast, Peter Cat or Mocambo for a sit-down dinner, Trincas for a meal, Nizam's near New Market for the kathi roll it is credited with, and Nahoum's for baking. Indian Coffee House on College Street is further north. Nearer the hotel, look for phuchka, jhalmuri, mishti doi and tea in clay cups. For shopping, New Market opened in 1874; for Kalighat paintings, the lanes near the temple.

• Kalighat Temple (2.2 km)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (4.8 km)
• Victoria Memorial (4.9 km)
• South Park Street Cemetery (5.3 km)
• Mother House (5.6 km)

A day from Princeton Club

Start early. The Kalighat temple is 2.2 km away, and the walk in cool weather takes in the flower and utensil stalls that supply it. Aim to be at the gate before the main press of pilgrims, since the inner queue builds quickly. Leave bags behind and wear something easy to slip off. Return for breakfast and a swim. If the morning still has room, Mother House at 5.6 km takes about half an hour and opens later.

After lunch, take the metro from Rabindra Sarobar to Maidan or Rabindra Sadan for the Victoria Memorial, 4.9 km from the hotel. The grounds take an hour, the museum longer, and the building closes on Mondays and some national holidays. St Paul's Cathedral, 4.8 km away, is a short walk from the memorial and adds little time. An app cab back is often quicker than the metro in the late afternoon, when trains are crowded in both directions.

Use the evening for South Park Street Cemetery, 5.3 km away, which is best in low light and closes before dark, so check the day's timing first. Otherwise stay local: the garden or terrace at the hotel, then dinner on site or a short ride to Park Street, 5.7 km, for the restaurant cluster. Park Street is lit from mid-December into the New Year, and Allen Park nearby is part of the same display. A taxi back after dinner is easy to find.

Booking tips and when to go

Book well ahead for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for the Christmas weeks when Park Street fills with lights and visitors. Kali Puja on the new-moon night of Diwali also draws heavy crowds to Kalighat. Midweek stays are easier at other times. Check-in and check-out times vary between properties, so confirm them with the hotel before arrival, along with pool hours, spa appointments and parking, and get written confirmation of any family room or cot requested.

November to February is the best window: dry, comfortable days, cool mornings and the city's festival and cultural season in full swing, from the book fair to the Dover Lane Music Conference. December and January are the coolest, with highs in the mid-20s Celsius and hazy, poorer air in the mornings. March warms quickly. April and May bring afternoons above 35 °C with evening storms. The monsoon runs roughly June to September, heaviest in July, with waterlogging after downpours. October rains tail off.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food, though cards and UPI work in hotels, malls and restaurants. In yellow taxis, insist on the meter; app cabs avoid the argument. Drink bottled or filtered water. At Kalighat, dress modestly, remove shoes and follow posted photography rules, and decline touts near the entrances. For anything that changes, including metro extensions, ferry times, temple entry rules and festival dates, check the official body: Metro Railway Kolkata, West Bengal Tourism or the temple authorities.

Princeton Club: questions

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