Benazeer Hotel

We are located on Gunbow Street in the Fort area of Mumbai. It’s an old part of the city with a lot of history in the walls. Our building at number 16 has been around for a long time, and you can tell by the way the stairs creak when you walk up. Working in Fort is different from other parts of Mumbai because the streets are narrow and it’s always packed with office workers and people running errands. We open the shutters early in the morning when the tea stalls are just starting to steam up. It’s noisy outside with the horns honking and the chatter of people walking to the station. Inside, we just try to keep things steady. My family has been running this hotel for a couple of generations now. We don't have fancy decorations or anything like that; it’s just a plain, functional place to stay if you have business in south Mumbai. The rooms are basic, and we spend most of our time changing linens and making sure the plumbing is okay. Sometimes the monsoon rains make the walls a bit damp, but we do our best to keep up with the repairs. It’s a busy life, and there’s always something that needs fixing or a guest who needs directions to the post office. We’ve lived in this neighborhood forever, so we know all the shortcuts and the best places to get a quick snack in the afternoon.