Hotel Merlin International

Hotel Merlin International is right across from the Trichur Railway Station on Poothole Road. If you stand outside the front door, you can hear the train announcements and the whistles all day and night. It's a very busy spot because of the trains. People are always rushing in and out with heavy bags. We have been here for a good number of years now. The building is easy to spot once you come out of the station. Inside, the floors are tiled and we spend a lot of time mopping them because of all the feet walking through. The staff knows the train schedules pretty well by heart now. We don't have a big marketing team or anything, it's just a few of us making sure the rooms are ready when someone shows up. Poothole Road stays pretty crowded with rickshaws and buses. Sometimes it gets a bit dusty outside, but that’s just how it is near a big station. We don't use fancy words to describe the place. It's just a hotel where travelers stop over before moving on to the next town. We keep the keys behind the counter and try to help people find their way around Trichur if they ask. The humidity here can be a lot, so we keep the windows shut usually. It’s a practical place for someone who just got off a long train ride and needs to sleep. The tea shop next door opens early, which is good for the early arrivals.