Historic Kolkata Buildings Reborn as Hotels

Adaptive reuse projects are turning historical buildings into atmospheric stays

- Anuradha Sengupta

Kolkata is a city where one can discover marvels of the past simply by walking around the streets and lanes. Once the epicentre of the British Empire, the city has held on to an extraordinary variety of historic houses with a signature style—a mix of colonial-era looks and local elements. With louvre windows, cast-iron railings, vintage mosaic floors, central courtyards, and red oxide floors, these family residences add to the city's unique character.

While many are falling apart or demolished, some have been converted into boutiques, cafés, art galleries, and offbeat stays. These heritage properties stand as testimony to adaptive reuse projects in the hospitality industry, a form of sustainable urban renewal which prolongs the building's life while preserving architectural and cultural heritage.

Calcutta Bungalow

This 1920s building used to be one of many crumbling townhouses that dot the North Kolkata landscape until Iftekhar Ahsan of the award-winning Calcutta Walks and his friend, Chris Chen, transformed the space into a heritage B&B stay. The rooms draw inspiration from North Kolkata's extensive history, displaying the trades and professions of old neighbourhoods.