Hotel Heera International

Rippon Street is a crowded place in Kolkata, and we are right at number 115. It is a narrow street with lots of shops and people pushing carts. Finding us can be a bit tricky the first time because of all the signs around. We have been here a long time, and the building shows its age in the corners. We don't mind it much. It feels like home to us. The staff and I usually stand by the entrance in the mornings to watch the street wake up. It’s loud. It’s a lot of noise and energy. Inside the hotel, things are a bit slower. We have a lot of rooms, and keeping them all clean is a full-time job for the whole crew. We use old-fashioned keys, not those plastic cards. Sometimes guests lose them, and we have to get new ones made down the street. We don't have a big restaurant, just a simple place where you can get some food if you're hungry. Most people go out to the local stalls anyway. It’s just an honest way to make a living, providing a spot for people to rest in the middle of this busy city. We take things one day at a time here. Every evening we check the register and make sure the hallway lights are on before we head home for the night. It is a lot of stairs to climb.