Bari Kothi Heritage Hotel

Bari kothi was one of the highlights of our trip around West Bengal. It's a wonder to see the restoration of the house and it's been done incredibly well. The rooms are fantastic to stay in and we received 5 star treatment during our stay. The team are really helpful in organising sight seeing and the river boat cruise is not to be missed. The food is also a highlight of the experience and nothing was too much for the team from eating in the grand dining room to smaller, more intimate settings. We left with many warm memories and hope to come back.

My stay at Bari Kothi was the highlight of my three weeks in India! The hotel is fabulous and the staff do everything to make your stay memorable -- and they are so charming. The food was great and the experiences they arranged were wonderful-- sightseeing, sunset river cruise, a trip to a market and a silk-weaving operation. Azimganj is a lovely rural part of India -- and yet there is so much architecture and history there. I highly recommend it if you are going to be in West Bengal or can add it to your trip. Thanks so much to everyone at Bari Kothi!

Service is exceptional. Entertainment and the kids activities are very well thought of. Food is an adjustment but it takes a back seat with the kindness and hospitality of the staff. The property is beautiful and we hope it is maintained through the years

The Bari Kothi hotel is situated in the small rural town of Azimganj across the river from Murishabad and this restored Jain Palace offered a level of service that was quite exceptional. We were greeted off the train by a welcome party of 5 beautifully attired staff who accompanied us by modern battery powered rickshaw to the hotel. On arrival, another welcome party was in place with cooling drinks and towels and thus the tone was set for our stay over the next three days. Being Jain owned, the hotel meals were fully vegetarian and were exceptional in their quality and variety, offering 5 courses 3 times a day, with light snacks available in between if you could possibly manage them! To add to the experience, the meals were served in a variety of magnificent dining locations around the palace and it's grounds. The palace hotel itself has been restored magnificently with huge artistic flair and every comfort a contemporary visitor could hope for in a heritage building, but without unnecessary modern clutter to detract from the experience (no TV, mini-bar etc.) The hotel provided us with a bespoke tour programme, and on each visit we were accompanied by at least one if not several members of staff who were able to assist with anything we needed, as well as giving us a wonderful insight into every aspect of life in the area. There were so many things we loved about the Bari Kothi, but above all we will always remember the warmth and friendliness of the whole staff team. Thank you Bari Kothi!

Well this place was chosen by a friend to celebrate 30 years of bonding of a group of girls. We started out fine and reached the place from Kolkata. We were given the welcome drink and shown our rooms. The very first step into our room (shared by me and my friend) was a huge disappointment. Totally beat up furniture with broken legs and arms; layers of dust on every piece of furniture; stained and torn bed Linen; no space to keep toiletries in the bathroom; no luggage rack , torn window curtains to say the least! It took us the next hour and a half in asking to provide acceptable amenities to say the least. The evening was pleasant with the boat cruise on River Bhagirath ( they sell it as Ganga).||Next day itinerary was visiting some fort, museum and mosque. There is nothing in this place except dirt.||Following day, my friend and I walked down to the breakfast area, had an unfortunate mishap and I had a fall. Now this particular place, supposedly a heritage structure has the steepest of steps without balusters and 4 inch by 4 inch continuous drain cut out in the circulation areas of the verendahs all around which was used as rain water drains a hundred of years ago I suppose. There is no color demarcation in the marble indicating the cutout nor is it covered by Jaali metal or any other material cover. It is a walking hazard. They made a mention of it as part of introduction but no attempt in keeping people there who might help the guests. One of our own friends had a fall in an identical area the previous night as well.My fall was bad enough to be multiple fractures in the ankle. Their own staff had a fall right in front of our eyes on the same day while she was carrying some ice. ||I had to undergo surgery on my return to my hometown and bedridden for 6 weeks. ||When I wrote to them about the incident and how hazardous their areas are and requested for some compensation was met with a no remorse or apology but an offer of a 'free meal' on my next visit. Nobody in their right mind would ever visit this place again simply because they have absolutely nothing to offer.||Them not compensating me will not break me but it tells the travel world a lot about their attitude. Hospitality is empty without empathy. Hospitality is not offering free meals or vouchers. Hospitality is all about building good relations, which unfortunately the management of Bar Kothi have a lot to learn.||For those who gave it the 'heritage ' status, better visit and rethink!!

Such an exquisite property, great attention to detail has gone in the renovation, food was fantastic and the "red dots" were the highlight. |It was beautifully curated experience.. from the tranquil breakfast with the flutist to the the languid cruise on the Ganges.

The Kothi by the Ganges is what you can say about the grand building .|It took us about five and a half hours by car from Kolkata .|We were warmly greeted in reaching the property . Then we were shown our room . We had a heritage suite on the first floor .It had an attached bathroom .We stayed here for a night .|The lunch was served in the darbar hall .It was a pretty impressive hall inspired by Rajasthani and European architecture.The spread was vegetarian Sheherwali cuisine but extremely well made .We were explained the cooking techniques and the way that this particular cuisine had evolved . |In the evening we were take for Tea on the Ganges and absolutely delightful experience. I would recommend this to everyone. It felt heavenly to be on a slow boat ride on the river at sunset . We were served tea , fruits and snacks on the way . |Next was the evening performance of baul/ folk songs by local artists . This was truly a highlight of the evening . It felt really in rural Bengal . The best part was yet to come , tour of the property . This is when we realised how grand the place was , the effort that the owners had taken to restore it and how important it is to preserve our heritage and history .The courtyards and rooms were so beautifully done and each one stood out as an unique entity. Dinner was as grand as lunch . We liked the idea of having lunch and dinner at different corners of the property.Next morning we had breakfast in a truly remarkable setting by the Ganges .It felt nice to watch the river flow by as we were served one course after another .|We truly had a remarkable and relaxed stay at the heritage hotel . What stood out was the friendly and cordial staff and their hospitality. Mr Kishore , Ms Sandhya and the team at Bari Kothi do deserve a pat on the back for their wholehearted service and they really went extra way to make our stay comfortable and special .|Even the gentleman ( he could not speak ) who guided us to the ferry ghat and saw that we promptly got the ferry to cross over to Jiaganj needs to be mentioned here .||I would recommend this hotel to anybody planning a trip to Murshidabad for a grand stay .This really adds a special flavour to a historic trip to Murshidabad and makes you aware of the history of this area .

Nice place to stay . We have enjoyed dinner and breakfast near the river. Thank you for your wonderful hospitality, we truely enjoyed our stay. Your warm welcome and thoughtful touches made our visit unforgettable. The food was delecious. Thank you very much .