The Grand Hotel, now known as the Oberoi Grand, is situated in the heart of Kolkata on Chowringhee Road. It is an elegant building of British era and is a famous building in Kolkata. The hotel is owned by Oberoi chain of hotels.
The house was converted into a boarding house by Mrs. Annie Monk who later expanded her business to include Numbers 14, 15 and 17. 16 Chowringhee was occupied by a theatre owned and managed by Arathoon Stephen, an Armenian from Isfahan. When, in 1911, the theatre burned down, Stephen bought out Mrs. Monk and, over time, redeveloped the site into what now makes up the modern hotel.[1] Built in an extravagant neoclassical style, the hotel soon became a popular spot amongst the English population of Calcutta. It was known, in particular, for its annual New Year party that, along with iced champagne and expensive gifts, involved the release of twelve piglets in the ballroom. Anyone who caught a piglet, could keep it.[1]
In the 1930s, sometime after the death of Stephen, a typhoid epidemic in Calcutta resulted in the death of six people at the hotel. The drainage system at the hotel was suspected and it was closed in 1937. The property was leased by Mohan Singh Oberoi who reopened the hotel in 1939 and was able to buy the property outright in 1943.[1]
The hotel got a major lift during World War II when about 4000 soldiers were billeted there, and would party regularly. Events like the U.S. Marines' Ball at the hotel remind visitors of such times.
Old advertisement of hotel
Features
Grand Hotel (Calcutta) in 1930s
The hotel features a large white building covering an entire block, colonnaded verandahs and Executed in an extravagant neoclassical style, The Oberoi Grand features a full‑length portico upheld by Ionic columns, stuccoed facades, and colonnaded verandahs that wrap the upper floors.[2] The five‑storey block is arranged around a central light well and landscaped courtyard, ensuring natural ventilation and daylight. Inside, the ground‑floor lobby retains original mosaic flooring and teak paneling, while the Grande Ballroom with its ornate cornices, crystal chandeliers, and sprung dance floor has hosted celebrations ranging from state banquets to charity balls.[3] The Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, was honoured on 10 May 2024 with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage’s blue cultural plaque, recognising its century‑long heritage as the “Grande Dame of Chowringhee” and its role in Kolkata’s architectural and social history[4]
Awards
Top Hotels in India Zagat Survey, Top International Hotels, Resorts and Spas 2005
Best Business Hotel in Asia: Nominated International Business Asia and CNBC[5]
Best Hotel in the Five Star Deluxe Category in Eastern India Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal[6]
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