One of several cheapies around Airport Gate 2, the fan rooms are sweltering claustrophobic boxes but the AC rooms are refreshingly cool, with very slight hints of style in the wrought-iron furniture. Has a covered rooftop restaurant. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Just 50m southeast of the Forum Mall, this stylishly up-market guest house has dark-brown decor, green-tiled floors and plenty of abstract art. Some rooms are very large though towels could be softer. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Possibly Kolkata's best value minihotel, the rooms are sparkling clean with some playful interior touches. Rooms from Rs 440 have geysers and 'double ventilation' (ie corner windows) but Rs 395 ones tend to overheat. Service is remarkably proactive and helpful. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Although intended for Buddhist students, tourists are welcome to rent these very clean, simple rooms with fan, mosquito nets and spotless shared bathrooms (cold water). Quiet location off a small courtyard. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Well preserved old furniture gives the lovingly cleaned rooms at Broadway Hotel a vaguely 1950s feel, veering unintentionally towards the retro-trendy. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

In an office building with central AC and a lift, CKT furniture's has some slight 50s-style quirks and the water is usually hot. A pleasantly calm choice despite slightly rucked carpets. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Taking guests since 1936, the Fairlawn is a Raj-era home (built 1783) set behind an attractive garden-café. The hotel's unique sitting room is jammed full of family mementos and photos but most rooms, while impeccably clean, are only relatively basic, midrange standard. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

In a quiet street behind the Samilton Hotel, the Aston's small but vaguely stylish new rooms have excellent marbled bathrooms. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

In Kolkata's answer to New York's Flatiron Building, the Embassy has sad, sick-green corridors leading to rather better rooms. Choose the well-maintained, un-renovated ones with an old-yet-appealing feel. Slicker renovated rooms have less character and some damp patches. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Beside the colourful Lakshmi Narayan temple, the Hotel Gardenia's larger executive rooms are reasonable value and have a low-key sense of modernist style. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Vast 1960s concrete hotel totally remodelled with parquet floors and sumptuous mattresses. The swimming pool could be cleaner. North-facing rooms are somewhat noisy. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

This reworked old cinema has 40 quiet, comically over-ornate, marble-floored rooms, but many are small - and opening the lift doors requires a crowbar! Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Another large, once-grand colonial mansion that was recently repainted but not remodelled. Huge, creaky rooms have attached basic bathrooms. OK value. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

A blue-glass exterior conceals decent rooms with marble floors, pseudo antique flourishes and a fresh flower on arrival. Pricier rooms are larger but not significantly better. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Of three close-by 'VIP' hotels, the friendly little InterContinental has the best value rooms, attractive with new moulded ceilings, marble floors and smart, small bathrooms. It's virtually unsigned beside a piano-rental shop. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

This comparatively smart new place is 200m west of Airport Gate 1. Turn off Jessore Rd a at a tiny mosque, then walk down the lane opposite the ultra-budget Om Lodge. AC costs extra. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

This handily central boutique hotel has gone overboard with bright colours and the sake-pot lamps are fun. Rooms are trendy and appealing… at least now that they're new. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Proudly eco-friendly, the rectilinear buildings of this 2003 'seven-star resort' are ranged around attractive lily-ponds which naturally filter and recycle liquid waste. Luxurious rooms have a slightly Japanese vibe. With excellent restaurants, faultless service and a three-hole … Full Lonely Planet Review ›

This very friendly, all-AC mini-hotel is tucked away in a small alley. Some walls are slightly scuffed and lower rooms a little dark, but upper floor deluxe rooms are a good choice. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

This relaxing three-storey hotel has two good restaurants and corridor-décor enlivened by panels of Tiffany-style stained-glass. The fresh deluxe rooms have understated pseudo-period furniture and possibly the cleanest bath-tubs in India. Professional, low-key service. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Of many lacklustre budget places crammed into the same uninspiring side alley, the Milan is marginally the best value. Rooms are windowless and tend to overheat but are unusually well tended for the price. Optional AC costs extra. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Not modern at all, but remarkably good value. The unusually well kept, simple rooms have high ceilings but fans and lamps share a single switch in cheaper rooms. No in-room plugs for battery charging. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

A marvellous oasis of genteel calm, the Oberoi offers five-star perfection in a magnificent columned palace. Staff anticipate your needs, a sumptuous Banyan Tree spa massages away your problems and trickling fountains welcome you home. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

The aged house is rotting and the wobbly wooden stairway unappetizing but within, the hotel's six rooms are remarkably neat with new tiled floors. Reasonable value. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

One of Kolkata's best kept accommodation secrets hides unexpectedly excellent rooms whose freshly tiled bathrooms have new geysers. It's within the archaic-looking 1865 Solomon Mansions building. Ride up in a wonderfully original if grimy 1940s lift with 2006 workings. The urbane… Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Built in 1905, the exterior has the stolid grandeur of an Edwardian nursing home while stairways display some period furniture and original wrought iron banisters. Most rooms are comfortable but avoid the cheapest, windowless singles. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Mid-sized, well-located business hotel with several stylish flourishes. The wood-and-leather bed boards are fashionable but bathtubs are rather small. Elite rooms (6th fl) are brighter, with pistachio walls and flat screen TVs. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

First impressions are highly offputting but the double rooms are actually decent value with bathroom and natural light. Singles are basic with shared toilets. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

Located in Tollygunge and set in idyllic calm amongst mature trees and golf greens, this otherwise-exclusive colonial-era club rents good, motel-standard guest rooms. Guests get temporary club membership allowing access the wonderful Raj-era Wills Lounge bar and (except Mondays) … Full Lonely Planet Review ›

In a creaky old house, this comparatively inviting cheapie also has two AC rooms with excellent bathrooms, mosaic floors and fully renovated interiors that bring out their colonial-era appeal. Full Lonely Planet Review ›

An Esheresque convent-style façade hides a more Soviet interior. Expect a melee at reception where potential guests must show valid long-distance train tickets. Howrah station is a five-minute walk. Maximum stay is one night, with check-out by 09:00. Full Lonely Planet Review ›