The Bigboss

About The Bigboss

The Bigboss suits first-time visitors to Kolkata who want to spend their days on foot. The hotel sits at 11 Sarojini Naidu Sarani in the Park Street area, with the Maidan, the Indian Museum and several of the city's best-known restaurants within easy reach. South Park Street Cemetery is 0.7 km away and St Paul's Cathedral 1.1 km, so much of the sightseeing can be done without booking a cab. Guests who prefer a fixed base and short walks tend to settle here quickly.

This is a three-star hotel with a guest score of 5/5 drawn from a single review. Read that as a positive signal from one stay rather than a wide survey, and set expectations for a straightforward, comfortable city hotel. The listed facilities cover the essentials: Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a 24-hour front desk, room service, an on-site restaurant, parking, lifts and laundry service. The appeal is the address and the practicality, rather than resort-style extras.

Location and neighbourhood

Sarojini Naidu Sarani runs through the Park Street area, the compact stretch of central Kolkata that holds the Maidan, the Indian Museum and the city's best-known restaurants. The character is urban and mixed: offices, schools, older apartment blocks and eateries, with the open green of the Maidan close by. Park Street itself is 1.2 km away in a straight line and walkable by road. This is a part of the city where a room can serve as a base for a day on foot.

Some places are genuinely walkable, others need a ride. South Park Street Cemetery is 0.7 km, St Paul's Cathedral 1.1 km and Mother House 1.4 km, all comfortable on foot in cool weather. Maidan metro is 1.1 km and Rabindra Sadan 1.2 km. Victoria Memorial is 1.6 km, better reached by road in 10 to 20 minutes, and Esplanade is 2.5 km, 15 to 25 minutes by road. Use app cabs or metered yellow taxis for those.

Mornings here are quiet and practical, with office traffic building on the main roads while the Maidan stays open and shaded. Evenings bring the Park Street restaurant crowd and a steady flow of cars. Festival weeks change the mood entirely: Durga Puja draws crowds across the centre, and from mid-December to New Year the Christmas lights on Park Street and at Allen Park make the evening walk busier. Allow extra time for road journeys then, and check the current year's Durga Puja dates.

Rooms and facilities

Rooms are set up for working stays and late arrivals. The 24-hour front desk means a delayed flight does not leave anyone standing outside, and Wi-Fi with room service covers the basics of an evening in. Lifts serve the floors, laundry and dry cleaning help on longer trips, and free car parking is listed for those arriving by vehicle. A restaurant and a bar or lounge are on site, so dinner does not depend on going out again after a long journey.

Air conditioning matters in Kolkata for much of the year, and it is listed here alongside free bottled water, housekeeping and toiletries. The city is hot and humid from April into May, often above 35 °C, and the monsoon runs roughly June to September with heavy July rain and waterlogging after downpours. Working air conditioning and a reliable shower make those weeks far easier. Closing the windows during an evening kalbaishakhi storm keeps the room comfortable.

Confirm the practical details directly with the property before travelling. Check-in and check-out times are best settled in advance, especially for an early arrival from the airport or a late departure from Howrah. Parking is listed, so ask about a bay if arriving by car, and ask about the smoking area if it matters. Restaurant and bar timings, laundry turnaround and whether the front desk can arrange a cab are all worth a quick question.

Getting there

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) sits near Dum Dum, about 15.4 km from the hotel in a straight line. By road expect 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic, with the longer end at rush hour. The airport is served by Jai Hind Bimanbandar metro station on the Yellow Line, and services are expanding, so check Metro Railway Kolkata before relying on that route. A cab arranged through the 24-hour front desk is the simplest option with luggage.

Howrah station, on the west bank, is 4.8 km away in a straight line, or 20 to 35 minutes by road across the river. Sealdah, on the east side of the centre, is 3 km and 15 to 25 minutes by road. Some long-distance trains and services to Bangladesh use Kolkata station at Chitpur. All three are straightforward cab rides outside peak hours, and peak hours here are long, so allow more time than the map suggests.

Metro is the most reliable way to cross the centre. Maidan station is 1.1 km from the hotel and Rabindra Sadan 1.2 km, both on the Blue Line running north to south from Dakshineswar to Kavi Subhash. Esplanade, 2.5 km away, connects with the Green Line towards Howrah Maidan and Salt Lake Sector V. The metro opened in 1984 and lines are still being extended, so check Metro Railway Kolkata for current stations and hours.

Food and sights near The Bigboss

The nearest sight is South Park Street Cemetery, 0.7 km away, opened in 1767 and filled with grand colonial-era tombs in a shaded setting. St Paul's Cathedral, consecrated in 1847, is 1.1 km off, with the Birla Planetarium beside it. Mother House, the Missionaries of Charity home on AJC Bose Road, is 1.4 km. Victoria Memorial, the white Makrana marble landmark built between 1906 and 1921, is 1.6 km and 10 to 20 minutes by road.

Park Street, 1.2 km away, is the eating centre of this part of town, with Flurys, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Trincas along the same stretch. Nizam's near New Market is credited with the original kathi roll, and the Indian Coffee House on College Street is a Kolkata institution. For a quick local bite, look for phuchka, jhalmuri and kathi rolls. The well-known Park Street places fill up at weekends and in festival weeks, so plan around peak dinner hours.

New Market, or Hogg Market, opened in 1874 and remains the big practical shopping hall for produce, clothes and household goods. The side streets of the area, Camac Street, Middleton Row and Russell Street, hold smaller shops, and Oxford Bookstore on Park Street is good for a browse. Evenings are for dinner on Park Street or a drink at the hotel's bar. From mid-December the Christmas lights at Allen Park add a reason for an evening stroll.

• South Park Street Cemetery (750 m)
• St Paul’s Cathedral (1.1 km)
• Park Street food & music (1.2 km)
• Mother House (1.4 km)
• Victoria Memorial (1.6 km)

A day from The Bigboss

Start early and on foot. Walk 0.7 km to South Park Street Cemetery while the air is still cool, then continue 1.1 km to St Paul's Cathedral and the Birla Planetarium beside it. Both are close enough to combine before the day heats up, and the route keeps largely to quieter roads. Return to the hotel for a rest, then plan the afternoon around a short cab ride rather than a long walk in the sun.

Victoria Memorial is 1.6 km away, 10 to 20 minutes by road, with 64 acres of grounds and a museum that closes on Mondays and some national holidays. Pair it with the Indian Museum, the oldest museum in India, founded in 1814, which sits in the same central belt. Check opening days with the Victoria Memorial Hall and the Indian Museum before setting out. Late afternoon on the Maidan is a good way to close the sightseeing.

In the evening, walk the 1.2 km to Park Street for dinner at one of the long-established restaurants, or stay closer and eat at the hotel. Rabindra Sadan is 1.2 km away, and Maidan metro is 1.1 km for the ride back. In December, extend the walk to see the Christmas lights around Allen Park. Keep the evening loose during Durga Puja week, when roads across the centre slow down considerably.

Booking tips and when to go

Book early for Durga Puja, usually late September or October, and for the Christmas to New Year period, when Park Street is at its busiest and rooms in this area go quickly. Lunar festival dates move each year, so check the current year's dates before fixing travel. Weekday arrivals avoid the worst traffic from the airport. Settle check-in and check-out times when booking, and mention any preference about room position at the same time.

November to February is the best time for this area, dry and comfortable, with December and January highs in the mid-20s °C. February is pleasant, March reaches the low 30s, 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, and October rains tail off. Winter mornings can be hazy with poor air quality, which matters for long walks.

Carry cash for taxis, markets and street food, though cards and UPI are widely accepted in hotels, malls and restaurants. Yellow Ambassador taxis are metered, so insist on the meter, and app cabs are a useful alternative. Bottled water is provided free of charge at the hotel. Dress modestly at Kalighat and Dakshineswar temples. Most foreign visitors need an Indian e-Visa before travel, checked on the official Indian Visa Online portal.

The Bigboss: questions

Similar stays near The Bigboss

4★

The Aster Heritage

Park Street, Kolkata · 4-starGuest score 4.6/5 · 775 reviewsSee live price

4★

Kenilworth Hotel Kolkata

Park Street, Kolkata · 4-starGuest score 4.4/5 · 6327 reviewsSee live price

4★

The Astor

Park Street, Kolkata · 4-starGuest score 4.3/5 · 6333 reviewsSee live price