PARUL - Elegant Heritage Home at the Heart of Shantiniketan

Everything; the hosting, the food and the supports staffs were amazing.

My partner and I spent two days at Madhabi di's beautiful home. We felt so welcome, so cared for. We also loved the location of the house, the home-cooked food and spending time in the garden. We returned to Kolkata feeling so relaxed!

Nothing-- everything exceeded our expectations

The property is well maintained

Everything was very good

Heritage property and aesthetically done. Beautiful garden. The staff were exceptionally helpful and courteous.

The aesthetical aspects

The payment mode could have been through credit cards. Proper bill of the stay with tax invoice could have been professional, which was not provided. Only food bill was provided. I hope they pay taxes and all from this business

Excellent breakfast options!

Location was wonderful. Warm and helpful host and staff. Rooms were very nice. Food was excellent.

Only problem that we faced was bathroom. Bathroom is not attached in the upstairs rooms and there is only one bathroom outside to be shared by both rooms. So for 4 people that becomes a problem.

Location & Host.

Facilities like no of toilets.

Staff behabiour

Great location, nice property, and very warm staff and host. They serve food based on your choice and the stuff was very tasty. All in all a very satisfying experience.

Good location. Staffs are helpful. Management is good. Food menu is good. Quality of food is excellent

No electric kettle / tea or coffee pouch inthe room. No free mneral water bottle

The Location and the house itself.

1. The staff is not trained at all. For a charge of 6k per day it does not live up to the expectations. 2. The toilet is clean but has an instant geyser. SO we could not take a proper shower. 3. The towels were smelly. 4. Booking.com stated that there is hairdryer and microwave. None of which were there. 5. In the morning the staff would walk into the room if we do not lock it to clean and take breakfast orders. 6. The bed mattresses have become bad over prolonged use and needs replacement. The sleep was very uncomfortable . 7. Teh food was homely and decent.

very neet and clean , really happy

The homely atmosphere, the excellent staff, Madhabidi, the heritage ambience. The food was tailormade to our tastes. The location is fantastic, very near to the city centre yet seperated by a pieche of silence.

Needs one more washroom with toilet in upper floor. Also daily floor cleaning needs to be arranged.

Very good location and very nice experience

Clean and asthetic set.up

Second floor with only one washroom very light curtaina which couldnt resist the cold wind

Behaviour of the staff was very good....everyone was very quick responding....food was very good .... Cooking is very much homely and during dining madhabidi's sitting around gave a homely feeling to us

The floor of the room was very hairy....even the blankets had also numbers of hair which is not required. Moreover the food bill which actually we were given during booking from the property owner....the price was different completely. The mutton thali's rate was 400...but we gave 500 for it. We were not informed for the hiking price. They told it is for Poushmela & the menu card was very old one. We didn't understand which is the right cause of such price hiking. Bathrooms swege system was also problematic water didn't disposed properly so that the bathroom was full of used water which is very filthy. It would be very good if there was a cloth hanging rope in the veranda....rooms got very shabby when towels or wet clothes got hanged in the same room we were living....fan speed also very slow to get dry the clothes while we were not in the room. In this typical kind of winter we expected an electric kettle in the room. But whenever we asked for hot drinking water they arranged that.

The hospitality & the ambience.. Food quality was also good.. Cleanliness..

Exorbitant prices for both stay & food.. 1 ton AC for a very large room..which was taking almost 1 hour to cool the room.. No attached bathroom (one bathroom shared by 2 rooms)..

The warmth of the hosts and the cleanliness of the property was outstanding! Great food and the house did not even have an ounce of dust.very good location, great food by the in-house chefs. Very good coordination and guideline list that was shared with us right at the start.

Nothing really! It was a great experience

Well-kept property. Good location. Lovely sitting areas

Literally everything.

Nothing

I loved the home away from home feelings. Madhabidi took care of every need of ours. The quaint location within the ashram campus was an added plus. Me and my mother had a wonderful relaxing time in Parul.

Everything was really perfect. Just a personal suggestion from my side would be to keep some Bengali books also in the bookshelf.

Perfect location. Delicious food.Splendid decor maintained with utmost care. Beautiful garden. Nice collection of books. And to top it all presence of ever committed and joyful support staffs made the stay really memorable

Madhabi´s food was incredible. She attended all my requirements. Also, when I was ill she bought medicines for me. I felt like at home. Also, the house is very nice, with a beautiful garden and balconies.

The weather was too hot in May, but the A/C worked perfectly. Just outside the house was hard.

Excellent service and excellence property.

Madhabi was a fabulous manager and we had the best food. She was incredibly kind and helpful and took care of all our our gluten free dietary requirements and allergies. It felt like staying with an old friend

Bathroom could have been slightly cleaner but Madhavi and home staff immediately took care of it when we pointed it out

The location is quiet. After three weeks in India this was a peaceful respite from the noise wonder that is India.

Breakfast was a bit plain. But that could have been a sensitive concession to us Europeans. A full on Indian breakfast would have been welcomed.

The hosts were always available with warm smiles and readiness to serve us warm delicious meals. We were well fed throughout the day with lunch on arrival, a delicious dinner and snacks in between. The breakfast was amazing the morning after. The hosts serve authentic Bengali cuisine throughout the day and our group was diverse in terms of age and cultural backgrounds which made the experience even more wholesome as we could appreciate both the nature at the property as well as the gastronomic delights. Last but not the least, the property belongs to an eminent Bengali economist which makes it a very prestigious stay in the Bengali cultural capital. We stayed there during the winter festival week and made use of the local transport to enjoy the local cultural shows and did a lot of shopping. The house is located at the heart of Shantiniketan which allowed us to access the main attractions with ease. We could also enjoy the garden at the property with a lot of joy and made a lot of photos and memories to look back at.

We stayed for only one night and could have had more nights here to make the most of the stay. The property is quite popular and is hard to book for longer stays. I recommend to book well in advance to make the most of the stay. I think a 2 night stay is a bare minimum here.

Beautiful bungalow with a well maintained garden. It looks The room was beautiful and comfortable with a balcony. The hostess Madhavi di was super helpful and lovely. The staff were fantastic. We had brkfast and dinner and food was reasonable and super tasty. We could go back again just for the food too 😀 We stayed for one night but wished we had stayed longer definitely will visit again.

The hospitality, homely feel of the place and the great food which happened to be exactly to our taste.

Bathrooms could be upgraded.

The ambience, the warm hospitality, the location, the home cooked food, the cleanliness of the place, everything worked for us. The balconies and the garden were added attractions.

It has only two toilets. Another toilet on the first floor would be welcome. It is a bit too pricey.

Good care and hospitality. Good home cooked food . Very tastefully decorated. Very clean.

Booking com has inaccurate description that it’s pay later. It’s not. As soon as you book, you will be asked to send payment. This was not a problem with me.

Well lit, airy, clean rooms with a homely vibe to its decor. Hosted by the most gracious madhabi di and her delicious food, it is a piece of home away from home.

Host was kind and friendly. Helper was helpful but difficult to understand.

No food/eating places nearby

Cleanliness and overall architecture of the house

Dampness on the wall of ground floor rooms

Breakfast was great - however, in absence of madhabi di it might be a little challenge to get all information via arun da

Asper feedback from my wife - the tea needs to be better :) especially applicable for bengalis who are picky about their tea

Warm and accommodating hostess Madhabi-di with her caretakers to help, excellent food on the table (we found eating in much better then eating at any other restaurant a better option), spacious rooms and toilets with very good flow of water, wonderful collection of books, very centrally located, large balconies, small pantry on the first floor with provisions for tea and coffee with kettle, very good AC and amenities co exists with renovated old world charm. Ideal for a family / group of 6 with privacy and comfort. May not be ideal when sharing space with other guests.

The toilets must have exhaust fans - I could not understand why they have ceiling fans. It becomes stuffy and uncomfortable without exhaust fans when the window is closed. The cloths line in the washroom do not work, but there is plenty of options in the balconies and in the backyard in case of requirements. Some of the furniture need urgent maintenance. There is almost no cupboard space in the rooms. Whatever cupboard / drawers are present, are occupied with extra quilts, linen, mosquito nets. There needs to be a linen storage away from the rooms. It is ok when one visits for a night or two, but for longer stays it could get difficult. There is also no night lamp in the rooms. So when all curtains are drawn and all lights off - it gets completely dark. These are observations for scope of improvements.

The hospitality by madhabi di and very delicious tasty home made food specially some items blend with local cuisine is amazing

Every thing is ok it’s a old heritage place

Ground flr front balcony.........

Nothing as such

Very nice

Behavior of Madhabi di and other staff. They are so friendly and helpful. Food was so good as my in laws r old so there are used to take oil free food. So the food was awesome, healthy and tasty.

Cost is too high for accommodation.

The old world charm with modern comfort.

Nothing

Food was good . Food for kids also good.

Food was little more costly. 1st floor was only one bathroom for 2 rooms.

Very welcoming hostess. Good food.

Two top /1st floor rooms share a toilet. Both rooms should have attached toilets. House rules eg No smoking etc should be informed before booking.

Make it really nice and exactly what I wanted. The hosts were exceptional - bonded really nicely with them and in fact have become friends already. Location was right in heart of the town yet away from the hustle; totally centrally. Property itself has positive feel with nice garden.

It’s in a lovely neighbourhood. Quiet, tranquil, green while the main road is two minutes walk but it’s not noisy and is veiled with trees.

They have only one bathroom with two bedrooms.

The Loaction, cleanliness, ambiance of old traditional home behavior and interaction of the owner and caretaker.

Not Applicable

Exceptional. Highly recommend.

Our stay at Parul was a truly memorable one. This tastefully decorated and conveniently located home exceeded our expectations in every way, be it the facilities, the sunlit balconies, and, of course, the food, which was soul nourishing. Madhabi di and the support staff were incredibly kind and helpful. For this short time, Parul felt like home. I can think of no greater compliment. Hope to be back soon.

Nothing. It was perfect.

Very nice

Nothing in particular

Very well maintained. Good Housekeeping staffs.

Wash room water needs to drain fast.

In general everything.

At the dining table we had to ask. Only one washroom in first floor Quality of towels could have been better, Though we had to adjust a little, overall it was very nice

Excellent stay comfortable clean

Food is costly

Lunch,Dinner and Breakfast all are very good. Madhobi ,she is a great host as well as her helper.

It would've been nice to have another bathroom.

Good food , location.

Cost more , only one bathroom for 5 adults and a child.

Homely food , helpful staff and excellent location

N/a

Lovely to have the opportunity to stay in a traditional house (but with a modern bathroom). The house was immaculate and the garden was beautiful, with an attractive verandah from where to admire it. Madhabi was a very welcoming and helpful host who cooked excellent breakfasts and dinners for me. The house is very well located in an area with little traffic and in easy walking distance of the main places of interest in Santiniketan (though sadly much was closed due to a national holiday when I was there).

The property is advertised as no prepayment, pay at the property but once I had booked I received requests to pay in advance. (This was mentioned in the fine print but not in the main booking section). This was not straightforward with a UK credit card and bank account.

Food was excellent.Upkeep.of room was good , tastefully decorated All were very helpful.

Every thing about it... it was amazing

NOTHING THAT I DIDNT LIKE

Ambience, Huge space, Hospitality, Cooked food.

Can Accommodate more than 6 in the whole house. Booking done for 10 heads but proprietor didn’t allow more than 6-7

The place was neat and clean

The management stole our food which we kept in the fridge and also threatened to bash us if we can noise

Amazing stay!

It was cosy, clean and Warm... The stay was pleasant. Madhabi did make sure that we are taken care of and well fed! It gave me a homely feeling!... Away from home...

Please correct the pay on property description as it's not correct. I paid half advance and half on arriving at the property. So, just a heads up... There is no full pay on property policy.