AS YOU DRIVE DOWN BELVEDERE ROAD in Kolkata, passing the National Library and moving towards the Race Course, you can see the elegant structure of Taj Bengal. This iconic Kolkata hotel, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in October, does not tower above the landscape; its height has been deliberately kept at five floors to stay clear of the paths of migratory birds flying to the nearby Alipore Zoo. Many of these birds nest in the Hotel's trees and are tended by security guards when injured.
Taj Bengal famously took five years to build and was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, on October 10, 1989. Since its opening, Taj Bengal has hosted distinguished guests, including Nobel and Booker Prize winners, heads of state, and film and sports celebrities. Notable visitors include Indra Nooyi, Jeffrey Archer, Jhumpa Lahiri, Mira Nair, and Shah Rukh Khan. Hillary Clinton visited Calcutta twice— once when Mother Teresa passed away and once in 2012—and stayed at Taj Bengal both times. "Taj Bengal has a remarkable legacy. The Hotel was IHCL's first footprint in the East, and there have been many firsts with the Hotel ever since it opened its doors," said Arnab Chatterjee, General Manager, Taj Bengal.
THE ART OF THE MATTER
The legendary establishment, designed by the renowned American architect Bob Fox, is influenced by the city's rich art, culture, and heritage.
This story is from the October - November 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.
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This story is from the October - November 2024 edition of Outlook Traveller.
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Where History Meets Luxury
Murmurs Of The Past Echo Through The Corridors Of These Legendary Stays
LIFE AT THE TOP
WHILE THE GOVERNMENT READIES AMBITIOUS PLANS TO BOOST TOURISM IN THE REGION, SPITI LOCALS ARE GRAPPLING WITH CHALLENGES POSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND SCARCE RESOURCES
NO SCREENS NO PROBLEM
DOES TAKING A BREAK FROM YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER GIVE YOU ANXIETY OR A RUSH OF JOY? AS MORE AND MORE INDIANS CHOOSE RELAXATION AS THEIR PRIMARY MOTIVATOR TO TRAVEL, HERE'S WHAT A DIGITAL DETOX HOLIDAY IN INDIA LOOKS LIKE
GREEN LIVING
SRINAGAR ATTRACTS HORDES OF tourists for its iconic Dal Lake, tree-lined boulevards and Mughal-era gardens resplendent with chinar trees. Now, both the \"Lake of Flowers\" and chinars are in a fight for survival as pollution from untreated sewage and unsupervised logging threatens their future.
DISCOVERING THE CAUCASIAN PEARL
BATUMI IS A GETAWAY FOR ALL SEASONS, IMPRESSING VISITORS WITH ITS QUAINT VIBE, CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE AND TRADITIONAL CUISINES
WHERE SKY MEETS SEA
ESPERANCE, ALONG THE REMOTE SOUTHERN COAST OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, IS A DESTINATION THAT REWARDS THOSE WILLING TO WANDER OFF THE BEATEN PATH
NEW FINDS IN AN ANCIENT CITY
WHILE THE GREEK ISLANDS STEAL THE LIMELIGHT, THERE'S MUCH TO.UNCOVER IN ATHENS, INCLUDING TOP-NOTCH STAYS AND LESSER-KNOWN STORIES FROM THE PAST
UNTAMED SATPURA
AN ENCHANTING BLEND OF LUXURY AND NATURE, JEHAN NUMA WILDERNESS IN CENTRAL INDIA IS WHERE ROYAL LEGACIES PROVIDE A GATEWAY TO CONSERVATION
THE JEWEL OF THE EAST
LONG BEFORE WES ANDERSON ROMANTICISED THE FICTIONAL GRAND BUDAPEST, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL IN KOLKATA INSPIRED NOVELS, FILMS AND OODLES OF NOSTALGIA
IN SEARCH OF THE BEST STAYS
MARK WONG OF SMALL LUXURY HOTELS OF THE WORLD TALKS QUIRKY STAYS, STRANGERS BECOMING FRIENDS, AND CHASING THE MOST UNIQUE EXPERIENCES ON HIS TRAVELS
