Hello Everyone! I'm back again with another hotel stay experience. This time I will share a stay at a property that carries lots of emotional value for me. It's none other than ITC Sonar, Kolkata, the first ever ITC's The Luxury Collection hotel in Kolkata. It was inaugurated in 2002 and has been one of the finest Luxury stay options in the City of Joy. ITC Sonar was named ITC Sonar Bangla but later on it got its name changed to ITC Sonar. During my childhood whenever I used to pass this property, I always used to promise myself that one day I'll be staying there as my dad used to tell me that the finest of the people in Kolkata only visit here. So here I'm, after almost two decades of its opening, I'm here. This property went through a massive renovation in 2015 but kept the old-school charm intact. All the rooms and minimalistic and give an essence of peace like you can find in old Kolkata.
I originally booked the Princess Suite of ITC Sonar for 13,650 Green Points for a night, but later on, upgraded to the beautiful and massive Queen Suite. There are only 2 Queen Suites available, so in peak season, you need to hurry if you want to grab one directly. Room numbers 3112 and 3107 are the Queen Suites on the first floor and the same floor houses the Presidential Suite at room number 3101. However, I found the Queen Suites to be the most valuable one due to the space it offers and the soothing view of the Lilly Pond. The Presidential Suite is just having a bit of extra space with a bigger dining table and a chandelier and gets quoted 3x the tariff of the Queen Suite which usually gets priced at ₹40,000 - ₹45,000 a night.
As it was just a weekend staycation, let's move to the room tour. When you enter the room, you get welcome with a massive living area and a powder room just beside your entrance.
It has also a small space which you can utilise for your work which is behind the sliders
The TVs are massive, so if you want to do some Netflix n Chill, the option is there in the living room itself
The master bedroom is big enough and high ceilings are great perks the people like me who are claustrophobic
The bedroom gives direct access to the balcony area which overlooks the Lilly Pond
It looks magical in the nighttime for sure. A glass of wine and a cool breeze are there to give you a feeling of tranquility
Oh yes, how can I forget about the massive bath area?
Let's have a full-room tour of the Queen Suite
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The perk of the two ITC properties of Kolkata is that they're interlinked and the benefits can be shared. If you're staying at ITC Sonar, you can avail the Luxury Hours at ITC Royal Bengal's Lounge and the same goes for Breakfast.
The Lounge of ITC Sonar was pretty underwhelming for some reason during our visit but the breakfast spread was good enough. Thus we used the breakfast option at ITC Sonar but availed the Luxury Hours at the lounge of ITC Royal Bengal.
ITC Sonar also offers activities like fish feeding at the Lilly Pond. The Lilly Pond is a beautiful addition. The small cabins are beautiful in their own way to witness the beauty of the night or else you can just go to the ground and sit there to witness the stars. Some pictures:
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With this, I'm wrapping up today. Will be coming back soon with another property. Have you stayed with ITC Sonar or planning to? Let us know your experience and expectations. Till then, stay well, travel a lot and make a lot of memories to cherish for life.
