I have been staying at the Fairlawn regularly for 30 years but not since Elgin took it over. I arrived with some trepidation but all my doubts were dispelled immediately! Elgin have given The Fairlawn new life and have cleverly retained the atmosphere and ambience of the old Fairlawn. The service is actually better with friendly helpful staff that go the extra mile to make your stay comfortable and memorable. Thank you and many congratulations!

It seems incredible that The Fairlawn still doesn't have a liquor licence! Here you have a famous heritage hotel, attracting guests from all over the world and you can't buy a drink! Elgin are a well respected hotel group, surely they have influence and the legal muscle to get a licence!

This hotel is truly magical it’s like stepping back in time, so much history and beautiful maintained to retain its quirky charm. The location is perfect, the Indian museum is just down the street and there are many restaurants close to the hotel but the food in the hotel is soooooo good you should definitely eat here! We tried several dishes and everything was cooked and flavoured perfectly, I would have happily worked my way through the entire menu! The staff are incredible too so sweet and hospitable, it really is the most wonderful hotel - I hope to return one day!

Nothing, it was perfect!

A beautiful semi-renovated mansion in the center of Calcutta's historic area. I loved walking everywhere...the neighborhood is "authentic" but very safe only steps from the Hogg-New Market. The staff is helpful, and the restaurant excellent before it started shutting down for a wedding. The whole atmosphere of the public rooms is fabulous...perhaps "Raj" but more likely just cosmopolitan Calcutta-Kolkata. Internet was great.

The shower in my room was sporadic...I could not get a steady warm flow. The room had been renovated beautifully and the bathroom was great, but the plumbing still problematic. That said, the benefits of the place outweighed this. No alcohol while I was there, but it seems a new bar will be ready imminently.

The Fairlawn is a historic property and I stayed there partly as my grandmother had been there’s in the 30/40s and my mum stayed there in the 80s. Whilst it’s not quite as it was in the past, it is a really interesting place to stay, full of history and character. The new owners are undertaking improvement works (which were not intrusive whilst I stayed there) and it will be great to see how it is once these are complete. The room was comfortable and I loved sitting on the verandah and reading. It’s very close to lots of the main attractions in Kolkata and I would recommend a few nights here. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Could do with a little bit of a freshen up (I think this is happening). Also no one answered the room service phone when I called a few times - but I didn’t really mind.

It’s a genuine heritage building with a properly antique Raj feel. Something you won’t get elsewhere in Kolkata. And the location is great. The room was spacious, the bed comfy, and the fan quiet. Staff were exceedingly pleasant. Breakfasts were good, as was the restaurant when we tried it.

The plumbing needs work - hot showers were just a trickle. No alcohol is served - not quite in keeping with the Raj era surely? Staff at mealtimes aren’t very attentive to their work!

I liked the Hotel itself, being a more than 200 years old property it has a history of hosting celebrities. Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendel were frequent visitors. Dominique Lapierre stayed here while writing The City of Joy. Patrick Swayze and the entire crew of the movie stayed here. Take out some time to go through the photograph adorned on the historical walls of this property. If you love History, go no where else.

I didn't like the locality, Sudder Street is no Park Street, my usual stay. 200 years ago this would have been a different geography. The Hotel compensated for the Location.

Breakfast was quite nice with a lot of options. It was a bit of a bizarre experience because when we were eating there were crows on the roofs overhead waiting for people to leave their tables to pounce. It wasn't really a negative as everyone seemed to find it a bit funny and wacky. It is a beautiful experience if you're not the 'hotel chain' type who expects consistency. Some interesting things will probably happen. The building itself and the atmosphere is a throwback and you'll probably want to spend a good bit of time in the lobby and restaurant areas. Even the things that went wrong I enjoyed. A thoroughly memorable hotel and that's what you want really.

Many things have changed during the last decades and years but the Fairlawn still preserves the reception of 'British India Colonial' Style. It is not easy to find an authentic place like that in modern India! Most of the rooms are renovated and the Patio is now changed into a Cafe-Restaurant. A special highlight are pictures of 19th and 20th century Kolkata life. It feels like an oasis in the hustle and bustle of the New Market Area.

Great location. I have stayed here in 2019 and again in 2023. It's a beautiful property. But with the change of ownership, the care for little things has fallen off, like fresh flowers, table dusting and cleaning the verandah upstairs. It is still a great location and a beautiful stay, but the staff need better training. Breakfast staff talk very loudly in Bengali and are generally unaware of the discomfort they cause hotel patrons.

Breakfast staff talk very loudly in Bengali and are generally unaware of the discomfort they cause hotel patrons.

Managed with pride and efficiency, the Elgin Fairlawn is an oasis of peace and old-world beauty with large, airy, comfortable rooms and plenty of inner and outer space to relax. Highly professional, helpful, courteous and devoted staff, impeccable service and superb breakfast. Combined with a reasonable price, this makes for a memorable, safe and delightful stay.